Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 16 1997 *MNDU9710.16 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 16, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Rick Schroeder (avsaxman@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 16, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
It has been yet another eventful birding week in Duluth and the vicinity, especially at Hawk Ridge, with recent sighting of RED- THROATED LOON, JAEGER, VESPER SPARROW, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, SURF SCOTER, SNOW BUNTING, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, and good flights of raptors at Hawk Ridge, including the first sightings of GOLDEN EAGLE and RED-SHOULDERED HAWK for the season. Plus, a record-breaking species count yesterday.
On many occasions over the years there have been one-day counts of fourteen species at Hawk Ridge, but yesterday, the fifteenth, a new record was set when fifteen species were recorded. These included all fourteen of the regularly occurring raptors, plus a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. In all yesterday the total was 2342, which was the biggest one-day count since September 20, and these included:
186 BALD EAGLE 30 NORTHERN GOSHAWK 1232 RED-TAILED HAWK 18 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK 1 GOLDEN EAGLE 2 PEREGRINE FALCON
Today's flight was almost as good at the ridge, with fourteen species recorded. The difference being no PEREGRINES were seen as of four p.m. The total today was over 2000, which included
38 NORTHERN GOSHAWK 1500+ RED-TAILED HAWK 2 GOLDEN EAGLE 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
The first GOLDEN EAGLE of the season was seen October 13th. Also of note was the record breaking count of 73 MERLINS on October 9.
Yesterday 52 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS flew by the ridge, and a flock of 18 PELICANS was also seen October 14 near the intersection of Rice Lake and Martin Roads. Today, two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS flew by the overlook. It had been several weeks since anyone has reported either species of CROSSBILL in Duluth or the vicinity.
One or more female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been seen in the pine plantation near Hawk Ridge for several days. One was seen again today. The location is near the beginning of the Pine Woods Trail, which begins off Skyline Parkway, .7 miles beyond the main overlook. This bird is moving around a lot, with recent sightings further west along the Pine Woods Trail, along the Plantation Road Trail, which runs between the Pine Woods Trail and Amity Creek, and just east of the Plantation Road.
The banding of NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS at Hawk Ridge has been continuing on an almost nightly basis. The best nights this week were Tuesday, when 53 were banded along with two LONG-EARED OWLS, and last night with 31 SAW- WHETS banded. So far this season over 600 SAW-WHET OWLS, plus 5 LONG- EARED OWLS have been banded.
In birding news away from the ridge, a RED-THROATED LOON and an unidentified JAEGER were seen at Park Point last weekend. Neither bird has been relocated. The loon was seen at the lake side of the point, about a half mile south of the recreation area, on the 11th. The jaeger was seen on the lake side out from 12th Street on October 12th. Today, a VESPER SPARROW was seen in the field along the airport runway at Park Point.
Finally, a flock of SURF SCOTERS was seen yesterday on Burlington Bay at the east side of Two Harbors. A flock of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS had also been seen there on October 12th. Also on the 12th the first SNOW BUNTING of the season was seen at Palisade Head, in Lake County.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, October 18th.
