[mou] Duluth RBA 1/6/05

[David Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, January 6, 2005 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Following last week's ice storm and heavy snowfall, there have been 
some interesting developments in this winter's owl irruption. BOREAL 
OWLS have begun to turn up in the daytime. Today, Dan Amerman reported 
a Boreal Owl near the shore of Lake Superior at Stoney Point, 0.1 mile 
northeast of the Alseth Rd, which bisects the point. Also today, Ben 
Yokel reported a Boreal from near Melrude; and yesterday, Mike 
Hendrickson found a Boreal in West Duluth in a ravine off 88th Ave, a 
block-and-a-half from Clyde Ave.

GREAT GRAY OWLS have been moving down the shore and into the city 
limits of Duluth this week. On the 3rd, Jim Lind saw 12 owls in Two 
Harbors, including three flying across Agate Bay and down the shore. 
Peder Svingen reported as many as a dozen in East Duluth over the past 
couple of days, and Scott Wolfe reports that at least six owls have 
been hunting along the beach at Minnesota Point in the neighborhood 
near the recreation area. Yesterday, a Great Gray was in the rose 
garden at Leif Ericson Park, near 13th and Superior St.

NORTHERN HAWK OWLS can still be seen at many locations, including along 
Cty Rd 7 in the Sax-Zim area, between Cty Rd 133 and the Zim Rd. With 
the large number of visitors here to look for owls, it would be helpful 
if birders minimized time stopping near dwellings and were extra 
courteous when driving and stopping to look.

Mike Hendrickson reported BOREAL CHICKADEES from Cty Rd 52 in Sax-Zim, 
2.0 miles west of the Stickney Rd. He also reported that there are 
still SNOW BUNTINGS along Cty Rd 7 between the Sax Rd and the Zim Rd 
(the northern stretch of the road described above.)

On Dec. 30, Tom Kemp reported RED CROSSBILLS on the Tomahawk Trail or 
Forest Rd 377, 0.5 mile from Hwy 1 in the Isabella area in Lake Cty. He 
also reported both PINE and EVENING (few) GROSBEAKS from a feeder in 
Isabella along Hwy 1. Mike Hendrickson had a HOARY REDPOLL at this 
feeder on Dec. 31.

Dan Amerman reports that there are still good numbers of gulls at the 
Superior, Wisconsin landfill.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, January 
13.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030. 
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.