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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *December 5, 1996 *MNDU9612.05 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: December 5, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Rick Schroeder, avsaxman@cp.duluth.mn.us
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 5, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
While it is unusual for there to be an invasion of northern owls in two consecutive winters, so far this season more than the normal number of NORTHERN HAWK and SNOWY OWLS have been reported, as was the case last year. So far I'm aware of about twenty HAWK OWLS being reported in northern Minnesota, most of these in the northeastern part of the state, and the new ones seen this month include two in Aitkin County, west of Duluth, one of these along C.R. 68 one mile west of U.S. Highway 169. County 68 turns west off of 169, 13 miles north of the State Highway 210 intersection. And the other in Aitkin County, 2.5 miles north of the town of Tamarack on Aitkin County Road 31. A third Aitkin County HAWK OWL, first seen in mid November, was also present last weekend, around the intersection of County Roads 18 and 5, 8 miles north of the town of Palisade.
Just northeast of Duluth, two HAWK OWLS were seen yesterday. One was on the Berquist Road, about a mile north of U.S. Highway 61, and the other at the intersection of Lismore and McQuade Roads. A third HAWK OWL was also relocated in Duluth this week, which had first been seen in November, on Rice Lake Road, about 1.5 miles north of Arrowhead Road.
SNOWY OWLS are also starting to show up more frequently in both northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and those reported this week in northeastern Minnesota include at least five observed in the Duluth/Superior harbor by Dave Evans on December 3rd. Various observers have reported two individuals since last week in the Port Terminals area.
Another SNOWY, reported up the North Shore near the stop light in Silver Bay in Lake County. And in Aitkin County, one has been along highways 169 and 210, about 4.5 miles NE of Aitkin.
GREAT GRAY OWLS have not been as easy to find, but two were reported recently. One of these on November 28, just north of the Sax/Zim Bog Area, on St. Louis County Road 16, just west of U.S. Highway 53. The other was seen closer to Duluth on December 2nd, on North Tischer Road, 1.7 miles north of Strand Road.
Other birds of note reported recently include a female or immature HARLEQUIN DUCK on Lake Superior in Cook County at Lutsen Resort. A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen December 2nd in the Duluth Harbor at the Ready Mix Building at the Port Terminal. And a first winter ICELAND GULL on December 2nd was relocated at the Superior Wisconsin landfill at the south end of Wisconsin Point, which had first been found in November.
More than the usual number of late lingering species seem to be around at present. Most interesting among these was a GRAY CATBIRD at Wisconsin Point December 2nd, and an AMERICAN WIDGEON in Cook County at Grand Marais December 1st. AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS have also been reported at various feeders this week, and several observers have been noting AMERICAN ROBINS, CEDAR WAXWINGS, PURPLE FINCHES and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES at various locations.
On the other hand, no one near Duluth has reported BOREAL CHICKADEES, VARIED THRUSH, SNOW BUNTINGS, PINE GROSBEAKS, or COMMON REDPOLLS recently. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have been scarcer than usual. But on the other hand, both species of CROSSBILLS are being seen on occasion. Therefore it is hard to predict now how well we'll do on our annual Duluth Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, December 21st. Those who have participated in recent years are currently being called and organized, and if you would like to join one of the birding parties out in the field that day, or to just report what you see at your feeder, give me a call. Next week's tape will include more information on this count, including the location of our standard fifteen mile diameter circle, the uncommon and rare species that we could use any reports of, and how to report what you see on December 21.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, December 12.