[mou] Duluth RBA 4/14/05

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 14, sponsored 
by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

I'm Jim Lind, the new compiler, and the telephone number for this 
report has changed to 218-834-2858.

Although persistent east winds off Lake Superior seem to have slowed 
migration along the North Shore recently, there were still a few new 
spring arrivals seen over the past week.  These include WHITE-
THROATED SPARROW today, OSPREY on the 12th, CANVASBACK on the 10th, 
and TUNDRA SWAN, EASTERN PHOEBE, WINTER WREN, and BROWN-HEADED 
COWBIRD on the 9th.  

Audrey Evers reported a ROSS'S GOOSE today at Fisherman's Point on 
Whitewater Lake near Hoyt Lakes.  Jim and Carol Tveekrum found and 
out-of-range BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE on the Sawbill Trail in Cook County 
on the 8th.

The HARLEQUIN DUCK in the Duluth harbor was still present as of April 
10th near the Park Point rowing club, and the three Harlequins in the 
Grand Marais harbor were still present as of the 8th.  On the 13th, 
Tom Auer counted 300-400 RED-NECKED GREBES on Lake Superior at Park 
Point and Jim Barrett saw more than 1,000 LESSER SCAUP at Spirit Lake 
on the St. Louis River.  

Small flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are still being seen around Duluth, 
including the Lakeside neighborhood near 56th Avenue East.  A BLACK-
BACKED WOODPECKER was again found along the McDavitt Road in Sax-Zim 
over the weekend.  A flock of seven EVENING GROSBEAKS was seen in 
downtown Two Harbors on the 13th.

GREAT GRAY OWLS are still present in good numbers in Carlton, Pine, 
and Aitkin counties.  NORTHERN HAWK OWLS appear to be paired up in a 
few locations, and at least one nest has been found very close to a 
road.  Birders who locate this or other potential nest sites are 
encouraged to minimize disturbance and are asked not to disclose the 
exact location to any listserve.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, April 
21.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858.  
Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded 
message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota 
Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more 
information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to 
mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.