Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

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*May 23, 1996
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Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: Thursday, May 23, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Sr. Beverly Raway braway@fac1.css.edu

This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, May 23rd sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

That ROCK PTARMIGAN found at the Grand Marais harbor area by Molly and Ken H. on May 20th could not be relocated the next day by anyone, and it is presumed to have moved on. Again, as reported on Monday's unscheduled update of this tape, the PTARMIGAN was a male in Winter plumage with a black line through the eye which is lacking in male Willows and females of both Ptarmigans. Although one might wonder if this bird escaped from captivity, the bird's observed behavior appeared entirely normal for a Ptarmigan in the wild and this species should not have been totally unexpected in Minnesota since there are at least two previous records of ROCK PTARMIGANS in southern Canada in late Spring of winter plumage birds, one in southern Ontario and the other just last year in southern Saskatchewan, only about 75 miles North of the United States border. If accepted, this not only represents a first Minnesota record, but probably also a first record for the lower 48 United States.

Last Sunday's and Monday's tapes had reported on the amazing day for birding we had in Duluth and vicinity, on Saturday, May 18th, when a composite total of 218 species were recorded on the Hawk Ridge Bird-a-thon on St. Louis County Big Day. But except for that Ptarmigan, birding activity has quieted down considerably since then. Some species of note were found, however, during the past few days. Terry Wiens had a WHIP-POOR-WILL in his yard on the Strand Road, on the night of May 18th, or rather May 19th and 20th. On the 21st Terry also saw a flock of WHITE PELICANS flying over his yard and on the same day Maureen G. had at least 60 pelicans flying over her yard In Gnesen Township just North of Duluth. Also on the 21st, I found a WESTERN KINGBIRD at the corner of Lakewood Road and Scenic Highway 61. And the 21st was also the last day that anyone has reported seeing a COMMON REDPOLL, a species which has been extremely late this Spring, and this was at Harry H's feeder in Grand Rapids in Itasca County. On the 22nd, an ORCHARD ORIOLE was reported at Todd N's feeder near Cloquet in Carlton County. Two NORTHERN CARDINALS were reported this week in Duluth one of them on the 5300 block of Otsego Street and the other near the corner of 4th Street and 26th Avenue East.

Finally, note there are still a lot of migrants yet to arrive in Duluth this Spring. And Memorial Day Weekend is a traditional good time to turn up rarities here and up the North Shore. The Sax-Zim bog, as always, would be worth checking for the likes of SHARP- TAILED GROUSE, GREAT GRAY OWLS, BOREAL CHICKADEES and LECONTE'S SPARROWS, which were all seen at various locations on last Saturday's Bird-a-thon. Also note that CONNECTICUT WARBLER'S should be back on territory there by now and that two rarities, found at Sax-Zim last Saturday were subsequently relocated and might still be present. YELLOW RAILS were heard again yesterday on County Road 319, 1.4 miles east of County Road 7 and that LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was relocated May 19th just south of County Road 52, 2 miles West of County Road 7.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime that needs to be reported on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, May 30th. And, as always, if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone. Beep....

From millcomm.com!tony Sat Jun 15 12:37:42 1996 Return-Path: Received: from mill2.millcomm.com ([199.170.133.2]) by skypoint.com via smtpd with smtp id for ; Sat, 15 Jun 96 12:37 CDT (/\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.6) Received: by mill2.millcomm.com (Smail3.1.29.1 #2) id m0uUzIf-000MjiC; Sat, 15 Jun 96 12:38 CDT Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 12:38:16 -0500 (CDT)

Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, June 13, (fwd)

Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-Length: 2389 Status: RO

Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: Thursday, June 13, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports:(218)525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Barb Adams badams@fac1.css.edu

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, June 13, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

With the last update of this tape being two weeks ago, one would think that more birds than usual would have been reported in this longer period of time especially since there were several field trips scheduled during last weekend's joint Minnesota Ornithologists Union and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology meeting in Duluth/Superior. Unfortunately, however, this week's tape will be shorter than normal because very little has been reported so far this month.

About the only reports of interest received were an unconfirmed sighting by some unknown observers of two HARLEQUIN DUCKS on Lake Superior in Tofte in Cook County on June 9th, a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER reported by former Minnesota resident Parker Backstrom who was leading a Wings birding tour in earlier this week in Northern Minnesota. The location was at the South Brule River on the Gunflint Trail in Cook County about 15 miles north of Grand Marais. And a GREAT GRAY OWL seen June 11th somewhere in the Sax-Zim Bog area just northwest of Duluth; unfortunately the observers did not give the exact location.

And that s about all there is to report on except to note that two, or possibly three, singing male PRAIRIE WARBLERS are still being seen in the Cedar Creek Natural History area in Northern Anoka County as has been reported on the Twin Cities Birding Report. And for directions you could call that report at 612-780-8890. I'll be leading a birding tour next week in Northeastern Minnesota, and if we turn up some things of note, I'll update this tape next Thursday, June 20. If not, the next scheduled update of this tape will not be until two weeks from now, on Thursday, June 27. As always, if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone, and also note for further reference that callers can leave a message if they wish without having to wait for this birding report to end, can do this 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. BEEEEP.



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