[mou] Duluth RBA 9/1/05

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, September 1st, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Jim and Carol Tveekrem found an immature LARK BUNTING on August 30th 
in Cook County at the Schroeder MNDOT gravel pit, on the opposite 
side of Highway 61 from Satellite's Restaurant.  It was seen feeding 
in the weeds on the west side of the clearing.  I also have a belated 
second-hand report of a WESTERN KINGBIRD seen on August 26th near the 
mouth of the Cascade River in Cook County.

On August 26th, Ryan Brady found a RED KNOT on the lake side of Park 
Point near the airport, but it has not been found on subsequent days. 
 Also present on Park Point over the weekend were RUDDY TURNSTONES, 
SANDERLINGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, SEMIPALMATED 
SANDPIPERS, and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS.  Jan Green reported an ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLER at Park Point on the 28th, and two CASPIAN TERNS at 
Interstate Island on the 24th.

Although the raptor migration has been relatively slow at Hawk Ridge 
recently, 3310 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were counted on the 27th, as well as 
376 CLIFF SWALLOWS and 16 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS.  AMERICAN WHITE 
PELICANS were seen flying past the Ridge on the 28th and the 30th.  
The record passerine migration continues at the Hawk Ridge banding 
station, with more than 240 birds banded on the 27th, including 21 
species of warbler.

A GREAT EGRET has been seen since August 29th at the Two Harbors golf 
course ponds along County Highway 2, 0.5 mile north of Highway 61.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, 
September 8th.

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 moumn.org.