[mou] Duluth RBA 3/9/06

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, March 9th, 2006 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

With the recent warm weather, the first spring migrants have begun to 
appear in the Duluth area.  Don Kienholz reported a mixed flock of 
COMMON GRACKLES and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS on the 8th in Gary New 
Duluth.  Peder Svingen found at least 30 RING-BILLED GULLS at 
Interstate Island today.  Kim Eckert had a DARK-EYED JUNCO in his 
yard near UMD on the 8th, where none had been seen since December.  
Two HORNED GREBES were also seen on the 8th on Lake Superior just 
east of Brighton Beach, although these may be overwintering birds.  
Dave Carman reports flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS during the past week 
heading north past the West Skyline Hawk Count at Thompson Hill and 
Enger Tower.  Dave has also counted 68 migrating BALD EAGLES since 
March 1st.

Peder Svingen reports that at least four GREATER SCAUP were still 
present today in the Duluth harbor, establishing the first 
overwintering record for this species in northern Minnesota and one 
of the few in the entire state.  Conny Brunell relocated the two 
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS at Brighton Beach on the 4th.  A flock of eight 
LONG-TAILED DUCKS was seen east of Brighton Beach at 92nd Avenue East 
today.  Four TRUMPETER SWANS were reported by Michelle McDowell on 
the 3rd in Aitkin County at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Uwe Kausch found a BOREAL OWL on the 6th in his yard at the west end 
of the Wildwood Road, a mile west of the Homestead Road (CR 42).  
This is about a mile north of where one had been reported along the 
North Shore Road (CR 290) about three weeks ago.

Doug Kieser and Jim Otto found a female THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 
4th along Koochiching County Road 13, 1.3 miles south of CR 77, or 
10.8 miles north of US Highway 71.  They also relocated the GREAT 
GRAY OWL on CR 30, 6 miles west of Big Falls.  Bill Kass found a 
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the 4th along the Stone Lake Road in the 
Sax-Zim bog.

Sandy Kuder found a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 4th along Aitkin County 
Road 5, just south of MN Highway 232.  Ron Erpelding found a Hawk Owl 
on the 6th along Lake County Road 3, two miles west of the Silver Bay 
airport.  Ron also relocated a HOARY REDPOLL at the Moose Cafe in 
Isabella and a NORTHERN CARDINAL along Slater Drive south of Highway 
61 in Beaver Bay.

The SPOTTED TOWHEE at the Roivanen's feeders near Cook, in northern 
St. Louis County was seen as recently as the 7th, along with at least 
one HOARY REDPOLL.  Visitors interested in seeing these birds should 
be sure to call the Roivanens ahead of time at 218-666-5318.   

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, March 
16th.

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.