Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

*MNDU9506.16

This is the Duluth birding report for Friday, June 16 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. During the two weeks since the last update of this tape, there has been apparently little birding activity in north eastern Minnesota. Since, I have received very few birding reports and unfortunately this will be a relatively short tape.

Back on the night of June 1 and 2, a WHIP-POOR-WILL was heard from Dave Gilbertson's yard on 4900 block of Plum Avenue in Duluth. Although this report is about two weeks old, it is possible this bird was not just passing and is still in the area. Since WHIP- POOR-WILLS have been heard in previous years in this general part of town.

About the only other species of note reported locally, were the SURF SCOTERS seen in Superior by Rick Schroeder on June 4 near the Fraiser Ship Yard just east of the Interstate 535 bridge.

Elsewhere in northeastern Minnesota, an out of town birder reported seeing a GREAT GREY OWL somewhere in the Sax-Zim bog area northwest of Duluth, but he did not give the exact location. However, it is assumed that it was probably seen along St. Louis County Road 203 or Owl Avenue near the intersection with County Road 52 where this species had been seen twice in late May. Intersection of 203 and 52 is 4 1/2 miles east of Toivilla or 11 1/2 miles west of Cotton. The other most likely place to look for a GREAT GREY would be along County 52 two and 1/2 miles farther east, near the junction of County Road 207.

Peder Svingen birded Koochining County on both June 9 and 11 and found SPRUCE GROUSE on a back road northwest of Lake Falls and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS at various locations. But of greatest interest was the BOREAL OWL he heard along US Highway 53 two miles east of the town of Ray. Normally BOREAL OWLS are not heard calling after mid-April. On a trip to Cook County June 3 Peder found late migrant OLDSQUAWS and SURF SCOOTERS along the North Shore at Paradise Beach and of special note was the apparent nesting pair of THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS along Forest Road 152 or the Lima Mountain Road about three miles west of the Gunflint trail where there is a power line crossing the road. Forest Road 152 turns west off of Gunflint trail about 20 miles north of Grand Marais. he also found a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER about a half mile farther up on 152.

Since I will again be out of town, during much of next week, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, June 29. in the meantime, if you have birds to report or if you would like further birding information, you can call Mike Hendrickson in Duluth at 726-0840 or the Twin Cities birding report at area code 612-780-8890. And as always, you can leave a message after the tone at the end of this tape. beep