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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*May 18, 2000
*MNDU0005.18

-Birds mentioned

• Western Grebe
• Snowy Egret
• American Avocet
• Whimbrel
• Marbled Godwit
• Wilson's Phalarope
• LITTLE GULL
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Whip-poor-will
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Northern Mockingbird
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Vesper Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow
• LARK BUNTING
• Yellow-headed Blackbird

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: May 18, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, May 18th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. This week's update includes reports of unusual birds seen during the past week in this area. The tape (telephone only) will be updated again Friday afternoon by 5 pm with stake-out information for the Hawk Ridge Birdathon, which takes place on Saturday. The tape (and internet transcription) will be updated once again on Sunday to report on birds found during the birdathon. Unfortunately, there is not space to report on all of the new migrants which arrived in Duluth this week.

The LARK BUNTING first seen on the 13th was still present on the east side of Stony Point through last evening. On the same day, there were three reports of LARK SPARROW, and several observers witnessed a large movement of birds along the shore of Lake Superior that day. Don Kienholz reported 20 warbler species at Two Harbors, and my bird identification class tallied 13 warbler species at Stony Point. We also saw a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at Stony Point that day.

Two SNOWY EGRETS have been at Indian Point all week; possibly these are two of the four birds that were at 40th last week. Frank Nicoletti saw a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD at the main parking area at Park Point each day this week. Peder Svingen reported two adult LITTLE GULLS at Interstate Island on the 13th, and Tim Dawson saw a remarkable gathering of over 800 BONAPARTE'S GULLS at the corner of the lake on the evening of the 14th.

Mike Hendrickson reported WHIMBRELS from the south end of Hearding Island on the 17th, and he had a WHIP-POOR-WILL in his yard on Lenroot St in West Duluth on the evening of the 16th. Ken Huntley saw a WESTERN GREBE on Pike Lake on the 17th. A MARBLED GODWIT was at Indian Point on the 16th, a VESPER SPARROW at 40th on the 13th, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE at 40th on the 15th, and a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD in Two Harbors on the 13th. Sue Wilmes reported an AMERICAN AVOCET from the beach at Park Point on May 3rd.

Mike Steffes found six BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS singing on territory along the Superior Hiking Trail this week, including four on the section between Lake Agnes and the Poplar River. Mike also reported that many other warbler species were in along the trail.

As I mentioned, the Hawk Ridge Birdathon will be held on Saturday; for information about participating or pledging, please call Terry Wiens (218/525-6158). The St. Louis River Citizen's Action Project is holding a clean-up on Saturday, beginning at 9:00 a.m at Boy Scout Landing. If birdathon teams are in that area, help with picking up trash would be welcome. If you have birds to report, please leave a message after the tone, or call me, Dave Benson, at 218/728-5812.

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. 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, thetone 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 BellMuseum of Natural History, 10 Church Street S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .

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