-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*June 3, 1999
*MNDU9906.03

-Birds mentioned

• Swan (species)
• Red-throated Loon
• Eared Grebe
• White-winged Scoter
• Virginia Rail
• PIPING PLOVER
• Whimbrel
• Red Knot
• RED PHALAROPE
• Thayer's Gull
• Three-toed Woodpecker
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
• NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Hooded Warbler
• Dickcissel
• American Tree Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Le Conte's Sparrow

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: June 3, 1999
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Transcriber: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, June 3, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

There was certainly a long list of rarities seen in NE Minnesota during the past week, with most of these during the May 29-31 Memorial Day Weekend. Among the many highlights were: flocks of RED-THROATED LOONS, EARED GREBE, a pair of PIPING PLOVERS, RED PHALAROPE, 2 RED KNOTS, WHIMBRELS, another SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER and another NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD all in Duluth; up the North Shore in Cook Co were some more RED-THROATED LOONS, THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, HOODED WARBLER and GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and elsewhere near Duluth were a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and a DICKCISSEL.

A flock of 12 RED-THROATED LOONS and a RED PHALAROPE in alternate plumage were seen almost simultaneously on the morning of May 29 on the L Superior side of Park Point south of the Recreation Area. Unfortunately the loons were seen for only a short time before flying north and out of sight, while the phalarope was several hundred yards out in the lake and difficult to identify. The phalarope was relocated later in the day at Hearding I on the bay side of Park Point but it has not been seen since then.

RED-THROATED LOONS, however, were seen again at Park Point yesterday when Karl Bardon of the Twin Cities saw no fewer than 26 individuals, certainly the largest number of this species ever seen in Minnesota. Two others were also seen today flying SW past Grand Marais.

An EARED GREBE was also reported last Saturday at Park Point, along with 2 RED KNOTS at the Recreation Area, and on the 31st some WHIMBRELS were at the Recreation Area. Even more significant were the 2 PIPING PLOVERS seen on the sandbars at Hearding I on both May 30 and June 1, raising hopes that they might nest there, but these plovers could not be relocated yesterday or today.

The second SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER in 2 weeks was in Duluth; this one was seen by Terry Frank yesterday evening near the corner of Scenic Hwy 61 and McQuade Rd, but it couldn't be relocated this morning. And the the fourth NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in 2 weeks in Duluth was seen on the morning of May 31 in Uwe Kausch's yard on Ryan Rd, but it was not seen again later in the day.

In Cook Co last weekend, a male THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen on the N side of the parking area at the South Brule R along the Gunflint Trail, which is about 15 mi N of Grand Marais. Also near here was a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER along the Lima Mountain Rd, 3/4 mi W of the Gunflint Trail, about 5 mi N of the South Brule R.

Much more unusual last weekend was the singing male HOODED WARBLER found by Molly and Ken Hoffman in their yard just W of Grand Marais, but they were unable to find it again later in the day. And a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was also quite unexpected in Grand Marais May 30 next to the Shoreline Motel; another Grasshopper Sparrow had also been seen at Park Point in Duluth on the 29th.

Other birds of note seen last weekend in Cook Co were: an UNIDENTIFIED SWAN on L Superior near Mile Marker 94; a late WHITE-WINGED SCOTER near Five Mile Rock E of Grand Marais; WHIMBRELS at both Five Mile Rock at at the Grand Marais harbor; and both VIRGINIA RAIL and LE CONTE'S SPARROW in a marsh along Co Rd 60, 2 mi E of the Gunflint Trail.

And four final sightings of interest were: a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE May 31 along U S Hwy 53, 1.5 mi N of Cotton in St Louis Co; a DICKCISSEL the same day in Carlton Co, although the exact location was not given; a very late AMERICAN TREE SPARROW June 1 at the Park Point Recreation Area; and a late THAYER'S GULL yesterday at Gull Bluff, which is just E of the Superior, Wis. landfill.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, this tape is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on June 11. The phone number is (218) 525-5952, and callers can leave a message if they wish after the tone at the end of the tape. Also note that a message can be left without having to wait for the Birding Report to end: after the tape starts playing, push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound and you can leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), the state bird club, as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .

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