[mou] Duluth RBA 2/16/06

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, February 16th, 2006 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was found by Lloyd Scherer on the 14th in 
Grand Marais near the Harbor View Apartments.  A flock of 100 
AMERICAN ROBINS was found by Mike Hendrickson on the 10th at the 
Lighthouse Point woods in downtown Two Harbors.  A NORTHERN HAWK OWL 
continues to be seen near the Gooseberry State Park visitors' center, 
as recently as the 13th.

Jan and John Green saw a BOREAL OWL again today in their yard off the 
North Shore Road, east of the Bergquist Road.  This is the first time 
they've seen the bird since the 7th.  Uwe Kausch had a NORTHERN 
GOSHAWK in his yard on the 14th on the Wildwood Road, 1 mile west of 
the Homestead Road (CR 42).

A VARIED THRUSH was found by Leif Brush on the 7th in his yard at 
Jefferson Street and 29th Avenue East in Duluth, but it hasn't been 
seen since.  A flock of more than 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was seen in 
Duluth on the 13th along Superior Street, just east of Highway 61.  
Jan Green also saw a flock on the 15th along London Road near 16th 
Avenue East.  Frank Nicoletti found a COOPER'S HAWK at this same 
location on the 12th.

Cheri Fox found two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in Duluth on the 11th at 
23rd Avenue East.  They were relocated on the 13th in the shipping 
lane at Canal Park, along with the female LONG-TAILED DUCK, a couple 
hundred COMMON GOLDENEYES, and a second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL.  Peder 
Svingen reports that the five GREATER SCAUP were still present today 
at Canal Park. 

The SNOWY OWL at the Duluth airport was relocated on the 15th by Paul 
and Dan Badger, as it perched on the tip of the fighter plane on 
display at the airport entrance. It was also seen this week along 
Airport Approach Road near the Fed Ex building.  The SNOWY OWL in 
Superior was relocated by Sarah Wilcox along Tower Avenue, perched on 
the sign for Menard's.  The NORTHERN HAWK OWL along the Lavaque Road 
(CR 48) was still present today, a mile north of the Martin Road (CR 
9).

Karen Sussman found a NORTHERN HAWK OWL in northwestern St. Louis 
County on the 10th, along MN Highway 73, 1.6 miles north of CR 22, 
and another 1.4 miles west of Highway 73 along the Lund Road (CR 
793/85).  The Hawk Owl along McDavitt Road (CR 213) in the Sax-Zim 
bog was relocated on the 11th by Cheri Fox, about 2 miles north of 
the Sax Road (CR 28).  The Hawk Owl along the Stone Lake Road was 
relocated by several people on the 12th.  John Ellis relocated the 
SNOWY OWL on the 10th along CR 29, a mile north of CR 133.  John also 
saw a flock of 250 SNOW BUNTINGS here.  BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were 
again seen over the weekend along the McDavitt Road, about 2.5 miles 
north of the Sax Road (CR 28).

A GREAT GRAY OWL was found in Aitkin County on the 15th by Dale 
Yerger along MN Highway 200, 7 miles west of Hill City.

Shawn Conrad reported a flock of more than 500 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on 
the 10th at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, and a flock of 
about 30 on the 11th in the town of Bovey.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, 
February 23rd.

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.