-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*January 27, 2000
*MNDU0001.27

-Birds mentioned

• Oldsquaw
• Peregrine Falcon
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Three-toed Woodpecker
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Varied Thrush
• Northern Mockingbird
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Cedar Waxwing
• Cape May Warbler
• Snow Bunting
• Hoary Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: January 27, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Transcriber: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, January 27, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Another NORTHERN HAWK OWL was discovered recently in NE Minn, this one found on Jan 22 by Warren Nelson and Bill Stauffer in Aitkin Co at the town of Kimberly, which is on Co Rd 5, 3.5 mi S of Minn Hwy 210 (Co Rd 5 turns S off 210, 7.5 mi W of McGregor). This owl was seen again on Jan 24, so it is hopefully still present. Unfortunately, the N Hawk Owl found Jan 19 in the town of Wales in Lake Co apparently has not been relocated by anyone subsequently (Wales is on Co Rd 14, 13 mi N and 5 mi W of Two Harbors).

Although the hawk owl picture may be improving here, the same thing cannot be said for GREAT GRAY OWLS. Though it is assumed some are still present, no one has reported any in over a week. Three Great Grays had been present earlier in January along Aitkin Co Rd 18 in the vicinity of Pietz's Rd, which is 4 mi E of U S Hwy 169, and one was seen a couple times in the Sax-Zim Bog area early last week along St Louis Co Rd 133, between 1 and 2 mi W of U S Hwy 53. It is also not known if that SHORT-EARED OWL found last week in the Sax-Zim Bog is still present: the location was near Meadowlands on Co Rd 155 just E of Co Rd 29, 1 mi N of Co Rd 133.

A SNOWY OWL continues to be seen in the Duluth-Superior harbor area: it is most often found on the bay ice between Park Point and the Port Terminal, but it has also been seen farther south near Barkers Island in Superior. Another Snowy had been found two weeks ago near Poplar, Wis. along U S Hwy 2, but it is not known if it is still present. Also in the Duluth harbor, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON continues to overwinter, with most sightings in the vicinity of the I-535 Blatnik Bridge.

In Lake Co, a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was relocated on Jan 25 N of Isabella along Superior Natl Forest Rd 373, 1.6 mi N of Forest Rd 173. To reach this location, go E from Isabella on Forest Rd 172 for 1 mi, then turn left or N and go about 6 mi to a T, bear left or W on 173 for 1.5 mi, and then go N on 373 for 1.6 mi. This woodpecker had also been found at this same location 3 weeks ago. No one, however, has reported any THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS lately; the most recent report was on Jan 16 near Isabella in Lake Co along a National Forest Lodge ski trail, near trail marker 13.

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have been found recently at a few Duluth locations, with the largest flock of several hundred birds seen last weekend near UMD along Kent Rd; Bohemians were also reported near the Duluth Rowing Club on Park Point (along with several CEDAR WAXWINGS ), and along Scenic Hwy 61 near Lakewood Rd. A large flock of Bohemians had also been on the W edge of Two Harbors last week, along Co Rd 11 or 7th Ave, but it is not known if it is still present.

SNOW BUNTINGS, which have been scarcer than normal in NE Minn this winter, were reported twice this week: one flock was in the Sax-Zim Bog in the large field SE of the jct of Co Rds 52 and 208, and the other was at the town of Nickerson in Carlton Co along Minn Hwy 23. And the most recent HOARY REDPOLL report comes from Knife River in Lake Co on Jan 25, near the old schoolhouse. Lone Hoaries had also been seen last week at Mark Stensaas' feeder in Carlton Co (for more information on this, call Mark at 590-3703), and in Two Harbors a block behind Blackwoods Restaurant.

Among the birds of note mentioned on last week's Birding Report still present as of last weekend were: OLDSQUAW, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD and VARIED THRUSH. The Oldsquaw has been at Canal Park near downtown Duluth; as many as 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse have been in the Linds' yard near Gun L in Aitkin Co (to reach this location, turn W off Co Rd 5 on Twp Rd 380, which is 4.6 mi N of MN Hwy 210, and go 3 mi W and 0.6 mi S); that mockingbird was seen again on the 4700 block of Jay St in Duluth (the best time to look for it has apparently been around noon); and one, or perhaps two, Varied Thrush are still at Nancy Bayle's feeder near Two Harbors (for directions, give me a call at 525-6930).

Unfortunately, however, that unprecedented CAPE MAY WARBLER is now missing and presumed dead. Duane Plagemann, who has had the warbler at his feeder since December, called to report he last saw it in his yard on Jan 18.

Finally, there have still not been any reports this winter of Gyrfalcon (although two Gyrs have recently been reported as overwintering in the harbor area of Thunder Bay, Ont.), Spruce Grouse (in Lake Co along Co Rd 2 or Minn Hwy 1), Boreal Owl, or Townsend's Solitaire (though several solitaires had been seen here last fall). And there have been no recent reports of either species of crossbill, although both had been seen in early January.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, the Duluth Birding Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on February 3. The phone number is (218) 525-5952, and callers can leave a message if they wish after the tone at the end of the tape. Also note that a message can be left without having to wait for the birding report to end: after the tape starts playing, push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound and you can leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), the state bird club, as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .