Previous reports: June 29 , July 12 19 , August 2 9 16 23 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*August 30, 2001
*MNDU0108.30

-Birds mentioned

• Black Vulture
• Swainson's Hawk
• Red Knot
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper
• Common Nighthawk
• Boreal Chickadee
• Gray-cheeked Thrush

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: August 30, 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, Aug 30, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

There was nearly an update of this Report on Tuesday, the 28th, to report on a first-state-record BLACK VULTURE which was seen and photographed that day as it twice passed over the Main Overlook at Hawk Ridge. Hawk counter Frank Nicoletti first spotted and photographed it about 11:45 a.m. as the bird came in from the direction of the lake and flew N behind the Ridge. Then about 12:30 the vulture unexpectedly reappeared to the NE, eventually came back over the Overlook to be seen by 4 observers, and flew SW towards the Duluth-Superior harbor area and out of sight. Unfortunately, no one relocated the bird later that day, but if it is seen again this Report would be updated ASAP. The Black Vulture had been considered long overdue to appear in Minnesota, since there have been several records of it elsewhere in nearby states.

Also of interest at Hawk Ridge this week was an earlier-than-normal imm SWAINSON'S HAWK on the 27th. There was also a flight that day over the Ridge of a few hundred COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, the biggest nighthawk flight had been on the 22nd when about 3,000 passed through the Duluth area.

At the Hawk Ridge Banding Station, Dave Grosshuesch has been netting good numbers of passerines, including the first GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH today; he has also banded a total of 22 species of WARBLERS this season -- the only warblers which regularly occur in Duluth yet to be banded this year are Black-throated Blue, Pine, Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped.

There seems to be an unexpectedly early movement of BOREAL CHICKADEES in Duluth and vicinity recently: last weekend two were found, one seen in Two Harbors and the other banded at Hawk Ridge, and another was in my yard on Congdon Blvd yesterday. Normally the first Boreal Chickadees aren't seen in Duluth or along the North Shore until October.

And some shorebirds of note have been reported, including a RED KNOT at Park Point Aug 23 and another knot (or the same bird) at Interstate Island on the 27th; and BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS at the Park Point Recreation Area on both Aug 23 and 29.

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 Sept 6. 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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