[mou] Duluth RBA 9/29/05

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, September 29th, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

On September 25th, Kim Risen reported an adult winter-plumage BLACK-
HEADED GULL from the Park Point recreational area.  It was later 
relocated at 31st Street and then near the Sky Harbor Airport.  An 
ARCTIC TERN was also seen on the 25th by Mike Hendrickson and others 
at 31st Street, and an adult light morph PARASITIC JAEGER was seen 
near the Sky Harbor Airport flying with a smaller unidentified 
juvenile jaeger.  A juvenile SABINE'S GULL was seen at Wisconsin 
Point on the 25th, as well as three unidentified jaegers.  Several 
observers relocated the adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on the 
Minnesota breakwall at the Superior Entry on the 23rd and 24th.  

SURF SCOTERS, BLACK SCOTERS, and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were reported 
from several spots along Park Point over the weekend, and a flock of 
eight Surf Scoters was seen at Stony Point on the 25th.  On the 24th, 
Kim Risen found an EASTERN TOWHEE at the Park Point recreational area 
near the bathhouse and Bill Tefft found a FIELD SPARROW nearby.  

The first GOLDEN EAGLE of the season was reported from Hawk Ridge on 
the 26th.  A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was seen from the main overlook 
on the Ridge today, and small numbers of SANDHILL CRANES have been 
seen several days during the past week.

Jan Green saw a FORSTER'S TERN in front of the Lester River visitor's 
center in east Duluth on the 27th.  Lars Benson found a BLACK-
THROATED BLUE WARBLER and a SCARLET TANAGER on the 400 block of 16th 
Avenue East in Duluth on the 28th.  

As many as 59 CACKLING GEESE have been seen this past week in Two 
Harbors at the cemetery and at the golf course.  A GREAT EGRET 
continues to be seen at the Two Harbors golf course ponds as recently 
as the 27th.  A LE CONTE'S SPARROW was seen today in downtown Two 
Harbors in the field in front of the historic trains.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, October 
6th.

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.