Duluth RBA

Duluth RBA phone number: 218-525-5952

Previous reports: March 30 , April 6 13 20 27 , May 3 9 11 18 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes 

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*May 21, 2000
*MNDU0005.21

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: May 21, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Sunday, May 21, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

This report is being updated today to report on the results of yesterday's Hawk Ridge Birdathon and St Louis Co Big Day. In all, about 50 birders on 17 teams saw a total of 202 species within the county yesterday, the 20th, with the team with the highest total finding 163 species.

The most significant highlights of the day included: 3 SNOWY EGRETS at the 40th Ave West Erie Pier area (these birds had been seen earlier in the week at Indian Point); a YELLOW RAIL heard in its near-traditional location in the Sax-Zim Bog area, along Co Rd 319, about 1.5 mi E of Co Rd 7; 3 GREAT GRAY OWLS in the Sax-Zim Bog (1 mi N of Co Rd 133 on Co Rd 7, 2.2 mi E of Owl Ave on Co Rd 52, and at the jct of Owl Ave and Co Rd 980); and 3 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS (1 on Lakewood Rd about 1/2 mi N of Lismore Rd, and the other 2 reported by Audrey Evers in the Aurora-Hoyt Lakes area).

Other birds of interest seen yesterday were: a nesting pair of TRUMPETER SWANS in the gravel pit pond just NW of the jct of Minn Hwy 194 and Canosia Rd; 2 OLDSQUAW on L Superior seen from the 8400 block of Scenic Hwy 61; a RUDDY DUCK on the Biwabik sewage ponds; a late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK near Meadowlands; PEREGRINE FALCON at the I-535 Blatnik Bridge; SHARP-TAILED GROUSE still at the Sax-Zim Bog lek SW of the jct of Co Rds 52 and 208; some WILLETS in a pond along Lester River Rd near the jct of Beyer Rd; a flock of 21 WHIMBRELS flying over Park Point (some were also seen today at Hearding I on Park Point); 1 or 2 HUDSONIAN GODWITS on the E side of Indian Point Campground (and 2 Hudsonians were present today, which call into question the reports yesterday of 1 Marbled and 1 Hudsonian there); a FRANKLIN'S GULL at Interstate I (which was seen today at the mudflats at the corner of I-35 and I-535); a WHIP-POOR-WILL heard along a side road just E of Meadowlands; a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in the Kausch's yard on the 5800 block of Ryan Rd; an EASTERN TOWHEE in the Sax-Zim Bog (the exact location was not reported); and a late LAPLAND LONGSPUR at the corner of I-35 and I-535.

Unfortunately, no one was able to find that LARK BUNTING which had been at Stony Pt as recently as May 17, or the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD which was seen up until the 19th at the Park Point Recreation Area. And there were a few birds seen today which were not reported by anyone yesterday: RED KNOT at Hearding Island, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO at Indian Point Campground, and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at the Park Point Recreation Area.

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 May 25. 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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