Previous reports: January 6 13 20 27 , February 3 , December 19 23 30 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*February 3, 2000
*MNDU0002.03

-Birds mentioned

• Oldsquaw
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Spruce Grouse
• Ruffed Grouse
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Three-toed Woodpecker
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Gray Jay
• Black-billed Magpie
• Boreal Chickadee
• Varied Thrush
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Harris's Sparrow
• Snow Bunting
• Pine Grosbeak
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Hoary Redpoll
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: February 3, 2000
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, February 3, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Since last week's Birding Report, the birding in NE Minnesota has improved to the extent that the assortment of winter birds seen here recently was the probably the best it has been for 3 years. In fact, except for Gyrfalcon, Boreal Owl and Red Crossbill, virtually every Minnesota winter specialty was reported by someone last weekend, Jan 29-30:

For the first time all season, SPRUCE GROUSE were finally found in Lake Co, and they were seen at 3 locations. One of these spots was in the traditional area along Co Rd 2, 1.5 mi N of the Sand R, which is 3 mi S of Minn Hwy 1 or about 43 mi N of Two Harbors. More surprising was the group of 3 seen unusually far S on Co Rd 2, 0.9 mi S of the Co Rd 15 intersection, or only about 24.5 mi N of Two Harbors. But most impressive was the group of no fewer than 20 Spruce Grouse NE of Isabella on Forest Rd 369, 3 mi N of Forest Rd 172: 369 turns N off 172, 1 mi E of Isabella.

That NORTHERN HAWK OWL which was first seen in Aitkin Co at the town of Kimberly 2 weeks ago was relocated by various observers, although this owl has reportedly moved just W of Kimberly along Co Rd 56: it has most recently been seen between 1/4 mi and 1.2 mi W of town. Kimberly is on Co Rd 5, 3.5 mi S of Minn Hwy 210 (Co Rd 5 turns S off 210, 7.5 mi W of McGregor).

After no reports of any GREAT GRAY OWLS in nearly 2 weeks, there were sightings at 2 locations. Two Great Grays were relocated at the jct of Aitkin Co Rd 18 and Pietz's Rd, where owls had been seen earlier in January; this area is 4 mi E of U S Hwy 169 or 2 mi W of Co Rd 5. Another Great Gray was found in the Sax-Zim Bog along St Louis Co Rd 202 (or Owl Ave!), 4.5 mi N of Meadowlands or 2.5 mi S of Co Rd 52.

That SHORT-EARED OWL found in the Sax-Zim Bog 2 weeks ago was seen again among the hay bales just NE of the jct of Co Rds 155 and 29, which is 1/2 mi E and 1 mi N of Meadowlands. And, although this species is not normally found in N Minnesota in winter, 4 Short-eareds were also unexpectedly discovered in Aitkin Co, around the intersection of Co Rds 5 and 18, 8 mi N of Palisade.

Both THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were found, with Three-toeds at 2 Lake Co locations and Black-backeds at 4 locations in 3 counties. Both species were found together in the 2 Lake Co areas; one of these spots was along Co Rd 2 about 1/2 mi S of the Greenwood L public access (or about 33.5 mi N of Two Harbors). The other area was N of Isabella where a Black-backed had been found earlier in January: go E from Isabella on Forest Rd 172 for 1 mi, then turn left or N on Forest Rd 369 and go about 6 mi to a fork in the road, turn left here on Forest Rd 373 and go 1.5 mi until this road forks, then bear right here to stay on 373, and look for both woodpeckers between 1 and 1.5 mi from the last fork. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were also found at both these locations, and these are the only crossbills of either species reported since early January.

A new Black-backed Woodpecker was also discovered in Aitkin Co along the snowmobile trail just S of the jct of Co Rd 18 and Pietz's Rd, and another was found NE of Duluth along the Sucker R about 1/2 mi N of Old North Shore Rd (this road turns off Homestead Rd just N of Minn Hwy 61, and the river is 1/2 mi W of Homestead).

Three new reports of HOARY REDPOLLS were received, all of these in Lake Co: at a feeder in Isabella along Minn Hwy 1; at another feeder farther S on Hwy 1 near the RR tracks at Murphy City; and in Knife River along a street 1 block N and 1 block E of Emily's Cafe.

Also seen last weekend were several species which had been reported on previous Birding Reports: the OLDSQUAW at Canal Park near downtown Duluth; the SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in the Linds' yard near Gun L in Aitkin Co (turn W off Co Rd 5 on Twp Rd 380, which is 4.6 mi N of MN Hwy 210 or 3 mi S of Palisade, and go 3 mi W and 0.6 mi S); the SNOWY OWL on the bay ice in the Duluth-Superior harbor (it is usually seen W of Park Point, near either the Port Terminal or Barker's I in Superior); the two VARIED THRUSH at Nancy Bayle's feeder just NE of Two Harbors (for directions contact Dave Benson at 728-5812 or Mike Hendrickson at 626-2268); the HARRIS'S SPARROW which reappeared at Laura Erickson's feeder at the corner of 48th Ave E and Peabody St; and the SNOW BUNTING flock in the Sax-Zim Bog in the field SE of the jct of Co Rds 52 and 208.

And, finally, the following birds continue to be seen at various locations in NE Minnesota: ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (especially at Sax-Zim and in Aitkin Co), RUFFED GROUSE, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GRAY JAY, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE (also in Sax-Zim and Aitkin Co), BOREAL CHICKADEE, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, PINE GROSBEAKS, EVENING GROSBEAKS, and COMMON REDPOLL.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, the Duluth Birding Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on February 10. 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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