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*MNDU9510.05
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 5, 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, October 5, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Although last week's NORTHERN WHEATEAR is now apparently gone, this week's birding has still been good in Duluth with sightings of a SABINE'S GULL, PACIFIC LOONS, and some JAEGERS.
The SABINE'S GULL is a juvenile and was found late this morning by Mike Henderson at the recreation center at Park Point. It was seen on the Lake Superior side of the point and was relocated in midafternoon flying back and forth over the Lake behind the Lafayette(?) community building at 31st Street, that is about 15 blocks north of the recreation area. With strong east to northeast winds blowing in off of the Lake and rain developing this afternoon, both of which are forecast lasting into tomorrow morning, it is possible that this gull might still be there on Friday. And such weather is also conducive to blowing in JAEGERS and other rarities at Park Point and the harbor area.
Although no JAEGERS were seen for sure today, Mike did see an adult PARASITIC on 40th Avenue West Erie Pier area on October 2. And yesterday he saw two unidentified JAEGERS at Park Point.
Either that PACIFIC LOON which was first seen on Stony Point on September 21 was still present as of October 3, or possibly a different PACIFIC LOON was seen then. I observed it on the third far out on the Lake from 5647 North Shore Drive, which is a short distance northeast of the Shorecrest Supper Club, 1 and 1/2 miles southwest of Stony Point. The bird had a definite chin strap, its hind neck was paler grey than the back, and the side of its neck had well defined border separating the grey hindneck from the white foreneck. These marks were not noted by some observers who had previously reported seeing a PACIFIC LOON in this area.
The NORTHERN WHEATEAR at 40th Avenue West was still being seen by many observers through Sunday, October 1 and there was also one isolated report of it on Monday morning the 2nd, but several birders looked for it without success later that morning and during the afternoon. And there have been no subsequent sightings. It is possible that the bird still might be out there somewhere at 40th there are several places in that large area that it could of moved to, but it is most likely it is most likely that the WHEATEAR is now gone.
In other birding news both BLACK and SURF SCOTERS were seen last weekend at Park Point, and at Stony Point respectively.
The first ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK of the season flew over Hawk Ridge yesterday. 140+ NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were banded at Hawk Ridge the night of October 1. An apparent migration of GREY JAYS into Duluth has continued this week as evidenced by the six individuals seen at the Lakewood pumping station October 4. And on September 29 there was another GREAT-GREY OWL sighting in the Sax-Zim bog area northwest of Duluth. The location was about three miles north of Meadowlands on St. Louis County Road 29.
The hawk totals for the month of September from Hawk Ridge main overlook has now been added up and the totals of many species are so far on the low side. The total for all hawks last month was 64,441 and this included 50,936 BROADWINGS which is more than most years and 10,438 SHARP-SHINS a somewhat lower than normal total. This means that there were only about 3,000 other hawks in September and these included 613 TURKEY VULTURES, 248 OSPREYS, 199 BALD EAGLES, 156 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 57 COOPERS HAWKS, 30 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 485 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 1 early GOLDEN EAGLE on September 17, 1,106 AMERICAN KESTRELS, 130 MERLINS, 29 PEREGRINE FALCONS, 4 SWAINSON'S HAWKS, and 1 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. Only 11 dates in September had totals over 1,000 with a peak count of 26,659 on September 17, all but a 1,000 of which were BROAD-WINGS.
With south and east winds prevailing this week and rain showers occurring on most days, the flight has been slow on most days so far this month. The weather forecast for tomorrow sounds no better for hawks, but hawk watching might be o.k. by the weekend with drier conditions and partly cloudy skies in the forecast.
Finally a reminder that the last scheduled field trip for adopt a banded owl sponsors who wish to observe owl banding at the Hawk Ridge Banding station, will be on Friday, October 13. Advance reservations are necessary, and for more information on this, give me a call at 525-6930.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, October 12 and as always if you have birds to report, you may leave a message after the tone. BEEP