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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*April 5, 2001
*MNDU0104.05

-Birds mentioned

• Swan (species)
• Wood Duck
• Ring-necked Duck
• Greater Scaup
• Turkey Vulture
• American Woodcock
• Mourning Dove
• Great Gray Owl
• BOREAL OWL
• Townsend's Solitaire
• American Robin
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Common Grackle

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: April 5, 2001
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)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 5, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Several BOREAL OWLS have been heard calling on territory this past week in 2 areas by those doing owl survey routes in N E Minnesota: one area is along the E half of the Echo Trail just N of Ely in St Louis Co, and the other is along the N half of Lake Co Rd 2. This seems somewhat later than normal for so many Boreals to still be calling: in some years the peak calling period has been in early March, with almost none heard after the first of April.

A few GREAT GRAY OWLS are still being reported, with the most recent reports: along the Gunflint Trail in Cook Co; within the first mi of Lake Co Rd 3, just N E of Two Harbors; and along Minn Hwy 61 near Stoney Pt. Undoubtedly there are other Great Grays still out there which no one has reported on, and there have been no N Hawk Owl reports this week.

Surprisingly, Jim Lind saw that TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE again today in Knife River across the road from Emily's Cafe; this bird had successfully overwintered at this location, although no one had reported it since early March. About the only other winter-type specialty which is still being seen is BOHEMIAN WAXWING, flocks were reported in Duluth this week near Morgan Park, at the jct of Haines and Morris Thomas Rds, and along W Skyline Pkwy at Enger Tower.

A handful of new spring migrants has been reported this week, including TURKEY VULTURE, WOOD DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER SCAUP, AMERICAN ROBIN, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and COMMON GRACKLE. There have also been increased numbers of MOURNING DOVE and DARK-EYED JUNCO seen recently, although some of these may be overwintering birds rather than new migrants. Also seen this week N of Duluth was AMERICAN WOODCOCK, which had been reported in March in Carlton Co, and 2 unidentified SWANS were seen from the Enger Tower hawk lookout Apr 3 -- these could have either been Trumpeter or Tundra swans.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, this Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on April 12. The phone number for the Duluth Birding Report is (218) 525-5952, and callers can report bird sightings if they wish after the tone at the end of each tape. Messages can also be left without having to wait for the report to end: to do this, after the tape starts playing push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will stop, the tone will sound, and you can then leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) 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 SE, Minneapolis MN 55455; or send an e-mail to ; or visit the MOU web site at .

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