[mou] Duluth RBA 3/30/06

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, March 30th, 2006 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The West Skyline Hawk Count had flights of more than 400 raptors on 
the 26th and 27th, including more than 250 BALD EAGLES both days.  At 
least 24 GOLDEN EAGLES have been seen since the 23rd, including nine 
on the 25th.  The first migrant SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was seen on the 
25th, with the first TURKEY VULTURE and NORTHERN HARRIER on the 26th, 
and the first AMERICAN KESTREL on the 27th.  More than 1,300 BOHEMIAN 
WAXWINGS were seen on the 27th.

Other recent spring arrivals in the Duluth area include PEREGRINE 
FALCONS at Northshore Mining in Silver Bay on the 24th, BELTED 
KINGFISHER in west Duluth on the 27th, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK near 
Two Harbors on the 29th.

A TRUMPETER SWAN was seen in west Duluth at Fond du Lac on the 27th.  
Nancy Jackson saw two LONG-TAILED DUCKS at Brighton Beach in Duluth 
on the 21st.

Conny Brunell and Jim Otto birded Koochiching County on the 23rd and 
found three BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, all along CR 13. One was eight 
miles north of U.S. Highway 71, another 9.2 miles north, and a third 
10.8 miles north.  They also found a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER along CR 
13, 10.8 miles north of U.S. Highway 71, and three GREAT GRAY OWLS 
nine to twelve miles west of Big Falls along CR 30. 

Warren Nelson relocated two SNOWY OWLS on the 25th along Aitkin 
County Road 1, 0.4 mile south of the diversion channel, and 1.4 miles 
north of the diversion channel.  Celeste Kawulok found six SHARP-
TAILED GROUSE in the Sax-Zim bog on the 25th, at the junction of CR 
29 and the Watsula Road.

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