[mou] Duluth RBA 3/10/05

[David Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, March 10, 2005, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be abundant in Aitkin Cty, especially along 
Cty Rd 1 north of the town of Aitkin, and along Cty Rd 5 south of Hwy 
210. There are also still a few NORTHERN HAWK OWLS present.

On the 6th, Lance Vrieze found a Hawk Owl and a Great Gray along 
Ridgeview Rd (the road to the former dump) off Rice Lake Rd north of 
Arrowhead in Duluth.

Cindy Butler Risen reported a BOREAL OWL in Aitkin Cty along Hwy 210 a 
mile west of McGregor just past Cty Rd 62.

On the 6th, Warren Nelson reported 6 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE dancing on a 
lek along Aitkin Cty Rd 1, about a mile and a quarter north of the 
diversion channel. He also saw 29 Great Grays around the same field at 
the same time.

On the 5th, Karen Sussman found a GYRFALCON on St. Louis Cty Rd 85, 0.7 
mile west of Hwy 73.

Kim Eckert reported one THAYER'S GULL (adult) and one GLAUCOUS GULL at 
the Superior Landfill yesterday. A small number (apparently) of 
RING-BILLED GULLS returned to Duluth this week.

Some of the sought-after birds seen in recent weeks are still present, 
including THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS along 
McDavitt Rd in Sax-Zim, 2.6 miles north of the Sax Rd; at least one 
HOARY REDPOLL at the feeder on Lake Cty Rd 9 just north of the Hwy 61 
Expressway west of Two Harbors; a BOREAL CHICKADEE coming to the feeder 
across the road from the cafe in isabella in Lake Cty; BOHEMIAN 
WAXWINGS in Two Harbors; and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE on Cty Rd 29 in 
Sax-Zim.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, March 17.

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.