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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*March 17, 2004
*MNDU0403.17

-Birds mentioned

• Bald Eagle
• Northern Goshawk
• Golden Eagle
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Boreal Chickadee
• Northern Mockingbird
• Eastern Meadowlark

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: March 17, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 728-5030
Compiler: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Wednesday, March 17, 2004, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Dave Grosshuesch saw a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on Wednesday along the Stoney River Forest Road, about 5 miles south of Highway 1 in Lake Cty. Apparently the road is still drivable (truck traffic has been keeping it open this winter), but it is covered with deep washboards.

I saw a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD late yesterday at 12th Ave East and Superior Street in Duluth. The bird flew into the few trees behind the strip mall on the upper side of Superior Street. Then it flew over the apartments on First Street. With no choice but to walk around the apartments, I could not relocate the bird.

It has been a great spring for seeing GOLDEN EAGLES. Frank Nicoletti and Dave Carman have counted 48 Goldens at the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth since February 23, including 14 on Monday and 7 yesterday. They have seen 526 BALD EAGLES so far this spring. On Monday, they counted a record number of NORTHERN GOSHAWKS for the spring count: 5 birds, all adults. Ryan Brady reported seeing 18 GOLDEN EAGLES through the 13th at the Chequamegon Bay Hawkwatch in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Warren Nelson reported that 4 GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen in Aitkin Cty over the weekend. Two were seen on Pietz's Road 1.8 miles north of Cty Rd 18 (just south of the house). Another was on Cty Rd 18 1.1 miles west of Pietz's Rd, and the fourth was 1.3 miles west of Pietz's Rd on 18. The SNOWY OWL was seen again north of the town of Aitkin on Cty Rd 1, a mile north of the diversion channel. Warren also reported several BOREAL CHICKADEES at the Rabey Tree Farm at mile marker 186 on Hwy 200 between Hill City and Jacobson. He also reported an EASTERN MEADOWLARK.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, March 25.

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

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