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This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, June 1st sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Last weekend's Minnesota Birding Weekend trip in and around Duluth turned up a long list of interesting species, although most of them were only present for one day and could not be relocated later. A third county record ROSS'S GOOSE was present briefly at the 40th Avenue West Erie pier area but it flew off with some CANADA GEESE and was not seen again. An adult GOSHAWK was unexpectedly seen along North Tischer Road about a half mile North of Lismore Road just north of Duluth, and it may be nesting in this area. SHARP TAILED GROUSE were seen again on a lek in the Sax-Zim Bog area along County Road 52, eight and 1/2 miles west of Cotton. Another SHARP-TAILED lek had also been found the previous weekend a few miles southwest of here along the East side of County Road 29 two and 1/2 miles north of Meadowlands.
A lone WHIMBREL was seen on Interstate Island which is located just west of the Interstate 535 Bridge. Two unidentified JAEGERS, probably PARASITIC, were seen on the lake side of Park Point about a mile south of the recreation area, but they could not be relocated the next day.
A GREAT GREY OWL was relocated at Sax-Zim along County Road 52 by the Sharp-tailed grouse lek mentioned previously. And another GREAT GREY was also seen the same day along County Road 203, or Owl Avenue, about a mile south of County Road 52. Owl Avenue turns South off of 52 three miles west of the sharp-tailed grouse location. On the previous weekend what was probably the same GREAT GREY had been seen on 52 just east of Owl Avenue. Three other Great Greys had also been seen that weekend in Sax-Zim on County Road 28, about three miles West of Sax, and two were on County Road 213 between 3 and 4 miles north of 28; 213 turns North off of 28 two miles West of Sax. BOREAL CHICKADEES were seen at two locations in Sax-Zim, on Owl Avenue a half mile south of County Road 52, and on County Road 211, just north of County Road 133; 211 turns north off of 133 three and 1/2 miles east of Meadowlands. A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER had also been seen at this location on the previous weekend.
No fewer than 25 species of Warblers were seen last weekend, including 23 which were grounded in the light rain at Park Point on Sunday afternoon. Also seen were a singing male BLACK- THROATED BLUE on the west side of Indian Point which is located on 75th Avenue West off of Grand Avenue. And quite unexpected was the singing male CONNECTICUT WARBLER just northeast of Duluth along Pioneer Road, 8/10ths of a mile west of McQuade Road. A RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE was seen at park Point just south of the recreation area, and most unusual was the singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at park point along the Sky Harbor Airport runway. Quite unexpected as well was the ORCHARD ORIOLE in Knife River in Lake County near the mouth of the River. And, finally, some unidentified CROSSBILLS, probably WHITE-WINGS were heard along Owl Avenue in the Sax-Zim Bog.
Also of note in Duluth recently was the WHIPPOORWILL heard for one night only on May 29th in Dave Gilbertson's yard on Plum Avenue, and yesterday Peder Svingen heard a YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and saw about 10 RED-CROSSBILLS on the 2600 block of East Fourth Street.
Since I will be out of town for much of the next two weeks, the next update of this tape will not be until Friday, June 16th. In the meantime if you have birds to report, or if you'd like further birding information, you can call Mike Hendrickson in Duluth at 726-0840 or the Twin Cities Birding Report at (612) 780-8890. And as always you can leave a message after the tone at the end of this tape. !
braway@css1.css.edu
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: July 20, 1995
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Sr. Pam Kern pkern@css1.css.edu
This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, July 20, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Very few reports have been received since the last update of this tape two weeks ago. So, unfortunately, this will be a relatively brief report.
The most interesting news comes from Ben Yokel, who has apparently been birding the Sax-Zim Bog frequently this summer, as recently as July 16, when he saw GREAT GREY OWLS at two locations along with BOREAL CHICKADEES and BLACK BILLED MAGPIES.
One of the GREAT GREY spots is on County Road 207 about a half mile north of County Road 52 where he saw two or possibly three juveniles. And these are undoubtedly the same juveniles which had been seen there in late June. 207 turns north off of 52 nine miles west of Cotton or seven miles east of Toivola.
The other GREAT GREY location is along County Road 52 just east of County Road 203 where Ben saw two adult GREAT GREYS. 203 turns south off of 52 two and one half miles west of the 207 intersection.
Ben also found some BOREAL CHICKADEES at their traditional location on County Road 203 about a half mile south of County Road 52, and some BLACK BILLED MAGPIES along 52 four and a half miles west of Cotton.
I just received a report this evening from Earl Rosenwinkle of Duluth who has been hearing on several mornings what he believes to be a singing male BLUE WINGED WARBLER. To check out this report, the location is on First Street between 12 and 13th Avenues West.
And the only other report comes from Janet Green who found a flock of six RED CROSSBILLS on Stony Point on July 9.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, July 27 when hopefully, there will be more to report on. Perhaps for example, some shorebirds at the 40th Avenue West Erie Pier area or an early Parasitic Jaeger or Buff Breasted Sandpiper at the Park Point Recreation Area.
As always, if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone. And also note for future reference that callers can leave a message if they wish without having to wait for this report to end. To do so, after the tape starts playing, push 5 on your touch tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound, and you can then leave your message. BEEP