Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 23 1997 *MNDU9710.23 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 23, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525 5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Barb Adams badams@.css.edu
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 23, 1997, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
There was almost an unscheduled update of this tape last Sunday since there were several rarities seen last weekend, most of these by our October Duluth Birding Weekend groups. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that the best of these rarities would stay around.
The highlights last weekend were a YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT at Park Point. Not one, but two SUMMER TANAGERS - - one at Stoney Point and the other near Grand Marais. All three SCOTERS and two THAYER'S GULL in the Grand marais area, and an unidentified JAEGER at Wisconsin Point.
Then, since last weekend, among other things, there was a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in Duluth, two probable THAYER'S GULL in Knife River, and the Stoney Point SUMMER TANAGER was reported again and a PHALAROPE, probably a RED PHALAROPE, was seen at Lake Winnibigoshish, northwest of Duluth.
The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, to my knowledge, was only the third record ever in Duluth and vicinity. It was found Saturday morning at the Park Point Recreation area near the restroom building. It was still present around noon on Saturday, but by Sunday, no one was able to relocate it.
Also on Saturday morning an immature, female SUMMER TANAGER was found in Cook County along Highway 61 at the Good Harbor Bay wayside, which is about 4 miles west of Grand Marais. This bird was present late Saturday afternoon, but I haven't heard if anyone has looked for it since Saturday.
Then on Sunday morning, a second SUMMER TANAGER was seen, this one at Stoney Point, which is located 10.5 miles up Scenic Highway 61, just northeast of Duluth. By noon no one was able to find it again at the location, which was near the intersection of Stoney Point Road and Alseth Road, about half way around Stoney Point. Although on Tuesday, the 21st, there was a probable report of it again near the same location.
Birders should be advised, for future reference, that the local resident who lives in the house northwest of the Alseth/Stoney Point Road intersection is quite intolerant of birders, even though they are only parked or walking legally along the road. Under no circumstances should anyone trespass onto this property.
Also, on Saturday in Cook County, all three SCOTERS were seen on Lake Superior at Paradise Beach which is located 13 miles east of Grand Marais. And in the Grand Marais harbor, two first-winter plumage THAYER'S GULLS were identified. SCOTERS have also been reported at other locations since last weekend at various locations on Lake Superior in Lake and Cook Counties, along with a few OLDSQUAWS. And two probable THAYER'S GULLS were seen yesterday, the 22nd, at Knife River in Lake County.
A female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen in Duluth on the 21st along Scenic Highway 61, just southwest of the McQuade Rd. intersection. It was in the company of six or so EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, but within an hour after the initial sighting this flock flew out of sight to the west, and they have not been relocated.
On the 18th, an unidentified JAEGER flew past Wisconsin Point in Superior.
And on Lake Winnibigoshish, which is located on the Cass/Itasca county line northwest of Duluth, an unidentified PHALAROPE, probably a RED PHALAROPE, was seen out from the town of Bena on October 20th. On the same day, there was an actual count, by Peder Svingen and Tony Hertzel, of 1080 COMMON LOONS, 2577 BONAPARTE'S GULL on the lake, along with a few SURF SCOTERS and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS.
Other birds of note reported since last weekend in Duluth were the first COMMON REDPOLLS, NORTHERN SHRIKE and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS this season, on October 19th; the first PINE GROSBEAKS of the Fall on October 20th, a few WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS at various locations this week along with some RED CROSSBILLS at Hawk Ridge on October 20th. And yesterday at the Ridge were the first BOREAL CHICKADEE of the season in Duluth, it was along the Pinewoods Trail, as well as two BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS. One of these flew northeast past the Ridge loop Trail toward the Pinewoods Trail and the other flew northeast past the main overlook.
And finally, the raptor flight at Hawk Ridge has been decent enough lately, with the best total recently, on the 19th, of a count of 1683. These included 1355 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 105 BALD EAGLES, 28 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, and 7 GOLDEN EAGLES. On the 20th, the highlights were 140 BALD EAGLES and 15 GOLDEN EAGLES. On the 21st, 8 GOLDEN EAGLES flew over. And yesterday at the Ridge, 41 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and 2 GOLDEN EAGLES were counted.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be next Thursday, October 30, although again this weekend there will be a lot of birders in Duluth and up the North Shore, who might turn up some additional rarities, so there could possibly be an unscheduled update on Sunday or Monday.
