Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 1, 1998 *MNDU9810.01 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 1, sponsored by the
Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
As evidenced by unscheduled updates of this tape on both last Friday and last
Monday, the past 7 days of birding in the Duluth area have been quit eventful,
and since Monday's update the birding has continued to be noteworthy,
highlighted by: a SMITH'S LONGSPUR or two plus a wide variety of sparrows
still at the 40th Avenue West Erie Pier area, a RED-THROATED LOON, WESTERN
GREBE and SURF SCOTER at Park Point, two PARASITIC JAEGERS still at Wisconsin
Point, and a best of all SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in Cook County spotted by
Dory Spence on September 29th in Tofte near the Holiday gas station along
Highway 61. Unfortunately I'm told that at least one birder was unable to
relocate the flycatcher yesterday.
After Steve Roman of the Twin Cities found a LARK BUNTING at the 40th Avenue
West area in Duluth on Monday morning, there were a lot of birders there
Monday afternoon and on Tuesday trying unsuccessfully to relocate it. However,
as a consolation one or two SMITH'S LONGSPUR were still there and relatively
easy to see on both Monday and Tuesday along the southeast side of the levy.
Also there on one or both of these days were at least 16 species of sparrows,
including VESPER SPARROW and LARK SPARROW, which are unusual in northeastern
Minnesota, along with several late BOBOLINKS.
I have not heard if anyone has checked 40th yesterday or today, but SMITH'S
LONGSPURS had been seen there since Saturday the 26th and may still be present,
and to reach the 40th Ave. West area, take the 40th Avenue West exit off of
Interstate 35, cross over to the bay side of the freeway and park by the
yellow gate just beyond the frontage road, and then hike down gravel road to
the dried up water impoundment.
Among all the rarities seen at Park Point or Wisconsin Point during
the three-day period September 24th to the 26th, were SABINE'S
GULL, LITTLE GULL, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, both POMARINE JAEGERS
and PARASITIC JAEGERS, a very early OLDSQUAW and also an early
THAYER'S GULL. To my knowledge, however, none of these have been
seen since the 26th, except for two PARASITIC JAEGERS which were
seen again yesterday at Wisconsin Point.
Also yesterday a WESTERN GREBE was seen on Lake Superior out from Canal Park
near downtown Duluth. A Juvenile RED-THROATED LOON was on the lake out from
the Park Point Recreation Area, and today a SURF SCOTER was seen on the bay
side of the Point at 33rd Street.
At Hawk Ridge the totals for the month of September have been added up, and
they are as follows:
TURKEY VULTURE - 730
OSPREY - 503
BALD EAGLE - 242
NORTHERN HARRIER - 713
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK - 11, 057
COOPER'S HAWK - 110
NORTHERN GOSHAWK - 26
BROAD-WINGED HAWK - 8,655
RED-TAILED HAWK - 429
AMERICAN KESTREL - 1,678
MERLIN - 176
PEREGRINE FALCON - 61
SWAINSON'S HAWK - 6
UNIDENTIFIED - 4;
for a monthly total of 24,400.
Adding in the 26 OSPREYS counted in August for a total of 529, this species
has set a record high for any season at Hawk Ridge. But on the other hand it
is certain that the BROAD-WINGED HAWK total will be a record low. With just
718 counted in August there have only been 9,383 BROAD-WINGS counted this
season, far below the previous low of 12,622 in 1987.
So far this season at the Ridge there have been only 8 days with counts over
1,000, only two days with totals over 2,000, and the highest count this year
was on September 21, with a modest total of 4,454 -- 3,734 of these
BROAD-WINGED
HAWKS.
On the other hand, the banding of owls at the Hawk Ridge Banding Station at
least has been doing well, with 50 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS netted last
night and 76 the night before.
Finally, there are still 4 places remaining for our annual October Duluth
Birding Weekend October 16, 17 and 18, with all proceeds going to benefit the
programs and research at Hawk Ridge. For more information on the schedule of
activities give me a call at 525-6930, or call the Hawk Ridge naturalist Dave
Benson at 728-5812.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime, which needs to be reported
on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday,
October 8, and as always if you have birds to report you may leave a message
after the tone.
Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline:
MnRBA. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words:
info end) to
mnrba-request@linux.winona.msus.edu
Sightings can be called in directly to the tape, (218) 525-5952, by leaving
a message after the tone at the end of the tape.]
From mnrba-owner@LINUX.WINONA.MSUS.EDU Fri Oct 9 07:06:02 1998
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Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 07:01:21 -0500 (CDT)
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 8, sponsored by
the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Once again the birding in Duluth this week has continued to be
interesting, with highlights since last weekend including WESTERN GREBE,
HARLEQUIN DUCK, all three SCOTERS, SANDHILL CRANE, FRANKLIN'S GULL,
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED and VESPER SPARROWS, SMITH'S
LONGSPUR, and RED and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL; all this plus a PACIFIC
LOON at Mille Lacs Lake and a good flight of both hawks and owls at Hawk
Ridge.
The WESTERN GREBE reported on last week's tape was relocated on October
4 on Lake Superior out from the Recreation Area at Park Point. Also on
the lake side of the Recreation Area on the third, two early HARLEQUIN
DUCKS were seen flying by. All three SCOTERS were seen on various days
this week at various locations at Park Point, with that SURF SCOTER
reported on last week's tape still present today, on the bay side at
33rd Street.
SANDHILL CRANES were seen both yesterday and today, migrating over Hawk
Ridge, with 20 yesterday and at least 12 today. Also at the Main
Overlook at Hawk Ridge, some early migrating BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen
about a week ago. This tape had reported on some even earlier Bohemians
at Hoyt Lakes in northern St. Louis County back on September 23.
A FRANKLIN'S GULL was found at Canal Park near downtown Duluth on
October 5.
Dave Benson found an unexpected NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW at the
40th Avenue West Erie Pier area on October 2, and this bird was
relocated there near the eastern corner on October 4. At least one
SMITH'S LONGSPUR was also present in the same area as of last weekend,
as they have been for at least the previous week.
A VESPER SPARROW was found today on Park Point, near the Sky Harbor
Airport buildings.
Both RED and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS appeared this week in Duluth after
several days' absence. A RED was found October 6 along Chester Creek,
and WHITE-WINGEDS were found yesterday migrating down the North Shore
near the Lakewood Pumping Station.
The migration of both hawks and owls at Hawk Ridge has been good on some
recent days. On the night of October 7-8, no fewer than 135 N. SAW-WHET OWLS
were netted at the Banding Station. At the Main Overlook yesterday the
first GOLDEN EAGLE of the season was seen, and today the first ROUGH-
LEGGED HAWK, along with a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, was counted.
Today was also the biggest flight day of the month so far at the Main
Overlook. As of 2:00 p.m. over 1000 hawks had been counted, including:
121 Turkey Vultures, 31 Bald Eagles, 600+ Sharp-shinned Hawks, 4 goshawks
and 200+ Red -taileds.
Finally, elsewhere in northeastern Minnesota, Tony Hertzel of the Twin
Cities found a PACIFIC LOON October 5 on the west side of Mille Lacs
Lake, near the Wigwam Bay Resort along Mille Lacs County Road 35.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, October 15.
[Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic
hotline: MnRBA. To learn more, send a message (the message being these
two words: info end) to
mnrba-request@linux.winona.msus.edu
Sightings can be called in directly to the tape, (218) 525-5952, by
leaving a message after the tone at the end of the tape.]
Date: October 1, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Craig Mandel, MnBird Volunteer
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
Message-Id: <199810091201.HAA14565@superior.computerpro.com>
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Oct. 8 Duluth Birding Report
Sender: owner-mnrba@LINUX.WINONA.MSUS.EDU
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Status: RO
Date: October 8, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiled and written by Kim Eckert
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