[mou] Duluth RBA 5/29/08

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, May 28th, 2008 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The BRANT found at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth on the 19th has 
not been seen since the 27th, despite several observers searching for 
it.  Two RED KNOTS were reported by Shawn Zierman on the 29th on the 
bay side of Park Point, between the recreational area soccer fields 
and the Sky Harbor Airport.  Sparky Stensaas had a RED KNOT at the 
40th Avenue West Erie Pier area on the 24th.  Connie Brunell and 
Susan Schumacher found an adult PACIFIC LOON on the 27th on Lake 
Superior out from the bath house at the recreational area.  They also 
reported two WHIMBRELS on the soccer fields.  

Kim Eckert saw at least eight RED-THROATED LOONS on the 27th between 
the Lafayette Square access and the recreational area.  Doug Kieser 
and others saw two unidentified JAEGERS on the 24th over Lake 
Superior at the Sky Harbor Airport.  Jan and Larry Kraemer saw a male 
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the 28th behind the wooden play ship at 
the recreational area.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was still present at 40th Avenue West 
on the 28th, as well as two WILLETS.  Chris Benson saw a DICKCISSEL 
along the eastern side of the impoundment on the 25th.

Sparky Stensaas found a GREAT GRAY OWL in the Sax Zim Bog on the 27th 
along the Arkola Road (CR52), 0.4 miles east of Owl Avenue (CR 203).  
On the 23rd he saw two GREAT GRAY OWLS along the Stickney Road (CR 
207) 1.2 and 1.3 miles north of the Arkola Road, and both birds were 
relocated on the 24th.  He also saw three BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on 
the 23rd, with two along the McDavitt Road (CR 213), 2.7 miles north 
of the Sax Road (CR 28) and one along the Admiral Road (CR 788), 3.9 
miles north of the Sax Road.  He reported a lek of eight SHARP-TAILED 
GROUSE at CR 208 and the Arkola Road.

Early on the morning of the 28th, Connie Brunell and Susan Schumacher 
heard 27 YELLOW RAILS along MN Highway 65 at the McGregor Marsh in 
Aitkin County.  The birds where heard on both sides of the road 
between 0.3 and 1.3 miles south of MN Highway 210.  They also heard 
eight NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS, mostly along the west side of 
Highway 65.  Warren Nelson and Bill Stauffer found a GREAT GRAY OWL 
on the weekend of the 24th along CR 18, 4.8 miles east of US Highway 
169, or 0.3 mile east of the Hebron Cemetery. Connie and Susan saw 
what may have been the same bird on the 28th, 2.7 miles east of 
Highway 169.

Cold and drizzly weather on the 26th appeared to trigger a "fallout" 
of passerines in Duluth and along the North Shore.  Ben Yokel and 
others saw 25 species of warblers at Park Point, including two 
CONNECTICUT WARBLERS and four BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS.  Jim Lind 
saw 22 warbler species at Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors, including 
a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.  Carol Tveekrem had a male ORCHARD 
ORIOLE at her feeders on the 26th in Schroeder, Cook County.  

Dedrick Benz and others found a LARK SPARROW at the Castle Danger 
sewage ponds on the 27th, as well as a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.  
They found a NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW on the 25th at the Knife 
River marina.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, June 
5th.

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, e-mail 
us at mou at moumn.org, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org.