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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*April 19, 2001
*MNDU0104.19

-Birds mentioned

• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Goshawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Peregrine Falcon
• American Woodcock
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Boreal Owl
• Tree Swallow
• Winter Wren
• Hermit Thrush
• Cedar Waxwing
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• White-throated Sparrow
• House Finch

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: April 19, 2001
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 19, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The spring migration has continued to reach Duluth this week. In addition to larger numbers of individuals of species seen in the past few weeks, the following new migrants were reported this week: GREAT BLUE HERON, HERMIT THRUSH, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, TREE SWALLOW, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. WINTER WRENS are singing on territory as far north as the Gunflint Trail, and male AMERICAN WOODCOCK are displaying in many places.

Warren Nelson reported five SHORT-EARED OWLS along County Road 1 north of Aitkin on the 17th. The first two were just over the diversion ditch about six miles north of town. The other three were together another 3/4 mile north of the first two.

Frank Nicoletti has had a busy week counting hawks in West Duluth, including a day of 2237 raptors on April 14. This total included a one-day spring record of 637 TURKEY VULTURES, a record number of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS (38), 1178 RED-TAILED HAWKS, including 18 dark adults, plus three PEREGRINE FALCONS, and two NORTHERN GOSHAWKS.

BOREAL OWLS were heard again calling on territory along Lake Co Rd 2 this week, as well as along the Gunflint Trail; and another Boreal turned up dead this week in the 1100 block of east Fifth Street in Duluth. NORTHERN HAWK OWLS have been seen in a couple of locations in northeastern Minnesota this week. Birders who see nesting behavior by this species should be sure to document it.

Flocks of CEDAR WAXWINGS have turned up in several locations. Since Bohemian Waxwings were still being reported only a week ago, it is not unlikely that both species are present in Duluth this week. AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were again seen on the St. Louis River in Fond du Lac, and HOUSE FINCH have been seen building nests in Duluth.

Finally, it is not too early to start thinking about the annual Hawk Ridge Birdathon and St Louis Co Big Day which will take place on Saturday, May 19. For more information about joining one of the birding groups who will be out in the field that day, call Terry Wiens at 525-6158. Terry can also take your pledges based on the number of species seen that day, with all the proceeds for the benefit of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, this Report is normally updated once a week. The next scheduled update will be on April 25. The phone number forthe 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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