Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *December 22, 2004 *MNDU0412.22 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: December 22, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 728-5030
Compiler: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 23rd, 2004, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
The biggest birding news in our area continues to be the irruption of northern owls. Note the remarkable totals found during the Christmas Bird Counts reported on below. As in the past weeks, Great gray and hawk owls may be found at many locations around northeastern Minnesota; among the easier spots to look are in the Sax-Zim area along Cty Rds 52 and 7, and on any of the back roads between Duluth and Two Harbors (for Great Grays). In Duluth, hawk owls were seen this week on Woodland Ave near the entrance to Hartley Nature Center, and at W. Tischer Rd and Jean Duluth Rd. Great Grays were seen above London Rd around 34th Ave E, on the Piedmont ski trails, at Snowflake Ski area on Rice Lake Rd, and along Arlington near Lake Superior College.
The Sax-Zim Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 20th, organized by Sparky Stensaas, tied its record species high with 33, including an astounding 70 GREAT GRAY OWLS and 42 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS, both record counts for these species. Other Highlights included BOREAL CHICKADEES seen along Owl Ave in the "bend," two BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES, and a HOARY REDPOLL (again at a non-feeder location).
The Two Harbors count on the 19th, organized by Jim Lind and Frank Nicoletti, turned up 40 species, including 56 GREAT GRAY OWLS and 4 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS. The Great Gray count was a North American record for one day, until the Sax-Zim count took place.
Fifty-six people found a preliminary count of 65 species on the 18th at the Duluth Christmas Bird Count. Highlights included record counts of four species: 19 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 132 HOUSE FINCHES, 23 GREAT GRAY OWLS, and 87 AMERICAN ROBINS, other highlights were a LONG-TAILED DUCK at Canal Park, a GOLDEN EAGLE at Hawk Ridge; an adult THAYER'S GULL and an adult GLAUCOUS GULL at Canal Park; 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS, 1 NORTHERN HAWK OWL, and 3 BARRED OWLS, 3 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, a GRAY CATBIRD at Anastasia and Esther near UMD; 300 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS seen behind St. Scholastica (plus smaller groups at several locations); 12 RED CROSSBILLS near the intersection of Hicken and Grouse north of Duluth; 2 HOARY REDPOLLS, and 635 PINE SISKINS (not a record, but much higher than in recent years).
In Grand Marais also on the 18th, 15 people found a preliminary total of 36 species, including a LONG-TAILED DUCK, 25 SCOTER sp., 2 GREAT GRAY OWLS, 2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, a VARIED THRUSH, 27 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, and a BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.
Last week, a tour group from Iowa reported both BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER from the Spruce Rd, which turns north off Hwy 1 northwest of the jct. with Lake Cty Rd 2. They found BOREAL CHICKADEES along this road too. They also saw a SPRUCE GROUSE from Cty Rd 2, 2.5 miles north of the Sand River.
The best spot for gulls in our area is the Superior, WI landfill, where this week there were reports of three THAYER'S GULLS, two ICELAND GULLS, eight GLAUCOUS GULLS, a second winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, and a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. THAYER'S GULLS have been seen in Knife River recently.
The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, December 30th.
The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030. 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 mou.mn.org.
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