Return to Home Page
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *May 30, 1996 *MNDU9605.30 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: May 30, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Sr. Donna Schroeder (dschroe2@fac1.css.edu)
This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, May 30th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
I received few reports of any noteworthy species being seen in Duluth and the vicinity over Memorial Day Weekend, apparently indicating no one was doing much birding here then. However there have been several birds of note seen since last week's tape and probably the best sighting was by Terry Wiens today of four carefully identified RED-THROATED LOONS which flew west over the Park Point Recreation Area from Lake Superior heading towards Superior, Wisconsin.
Another RED-THROATED LOON was also seen late last week by Sparky Stensaas from Carlton County at Hanging Horn Lake which is just south of Barnum. Almost as unusual as these loons was the adult light morph PARASITIC JAEGER seen by Dave Benson from the Park Point Recreation area May 26 as it flew north over Lake Superior towards downtown Duluth.
The 40th Avenue West Erie Pier area mudflats have still been attracting some birds of interest this week. Sparky Stensaas saw two RED KNOTS, a HUDSONIAN GODWIT and a WILLET there on May 27 and yesterday the 29th he saw two SWANS there. One was definitely a late lingering TUNDRA SWAN and the other appeared to be a TRUMPETER. For those unfamiliar with this location take the 40th Avenue West exit off of Interstate 35 and cross over to the bay side of the freeway and park at the yellow gate on the bay side of the frontage road and hike down the gravel road which leads to a diked-in water impoundment.
WESTERN KINGBIRDS have been showing up lately in this area, more often than is normal. Dudley Edmundson found two individuals May 26 on Lake County by the highway department garage on Highway 61 just northeast of Silver Bay. and late last week another was seen by Dave Gilbertson near the sixth bridge on Seven Bridges Road in Duluth. Dave also heard a WHIP-POOR-WILL late last week in his yard on Plum Avenue, Duluth.
Another species not normally seen in Duluth, the ORCHARD ORIOLE, has been turning up here a few times this month. The two latest sightings were at a feeder yesterday on the 4300 block of Oneida Street and today on the 4100 block of Park Point, Duluth. Steve Deger of the twin cities saw a GREAT GRAY OWL May 24th in Carlton County on Minnesota Highway 73 just south of Cromwell.
And Carla Larson just reported that she had the last COMMON REDPOLL this season at her feeder near Cotton on May 23rd, which is certainly the latest the species has ever been seen in the state.
As always at this time of year the best place near Duluth to look for the nesting specialties of Northern Minnesota is in the Sax-Zim bog area where such species as SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, YELLOW RAIL, GREAT GRAY OWL, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, BOREAL CHICKADEE, SEDGE WREN, GOLDEN-WINGED, CONNECTICUT, and MOURNING WARBLERS and LE CONTE'S SPARROW all occur.
Listen for YELLOW RAILS on County Road 319 1.4 miles east of County Road 7. The most recent GREAT GRAYS reports were from County Road 28, 2.75 miles West of Sax and on County Road 788 about a mile south of County Road 27. There was a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER a couple weeks ago on County Road 133 one mile east of County Road 7.
Most of these same specialties plus SHARP-TAILED SPARROW can also be found in Northern Aitkin County and for more information on that area it would be best to call Warren Nelson in Aitkin.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, June 18. In the meantime, if you have birds to report you can leave a message after the tone.
*Tone*