Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

*MNDU9507.06

This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, July 6th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Last week's tape had reported on several birds of note being seen in the Sax-Zim Bog area northwest of Duluth in late June including YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS, BOREAL CHICKADEES, CONNECTICUT WARBLERS and LECONTE'S SPARROWS in various locations. In addition and more notably, GREAT-GREY OWLS were also seen and GREAT GREYS were again observed there this week. On July 4th one was relocated on St. Louis County Road 207, three tenths of a mile north of County Road 52 where three fledged juveniles had been found in June; 207 turns north off of 52, nine miles west of Cotton or 7 miles east of Toivola. And another GREAT GREY was seen along County Road 52 on the same day a mile and a half west of 207, and it was independently reported by other observers at the same location yesterday. In June a GREAT GREY, possibly the same individual, had also been seen a mile farther west on county Road 203 just south of County Road 52. Also of note recently in Sax-Zim was the PEREGRINE FALCON, unexpectedly reported on June 29th along County Road 52, 2-3 miles west of Cotton.

About the only other report of interest received this week comes from Mike Steppes who found several singing male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, on July 3rd along the Superior Hiking Trail in Cook County between Lutsen and Oberg Mountain. Last week's tape had also reported on some birds of note in Aikin County west of Duluth including YELLOW-RAILS, and SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS in the McGregor Marsh, southeast of the intersection of Highways 210 and 65 and a pair of LONG-EARED OWLS on County Road 18, 3.2 miles east of Highway 159, but it is not known if any of these are still being seen.

And in Cook County the birds of interest that were reported on were a female THREE-TOED WOODPECKER drumming on territory along the Gunflint Trail just north of the Southpool River which is about 15 miles north of Grand Marais, plus BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS at five locations along and near the Gunflint Trail including pairs of three nest sites. These were along the West side of the Gunflint Trail two tenths of a mile north of Forest Road 325 about 16 miles north of Grand Marais. Along the west side of the Gunflint Trail, just south of the North Spool River about 20 and 1/2 miles north of Grand Marais and along the south side of Forest Road 152 on the Lina Mountain Road about three miles west of the Gunflint Trail where a power line crosses the road; 152 turns west off the Gunflint about 20 miles north of Grand Marais. Again, however, I have nothing more recent on these Cook County sightings.

Finally, about the only bird known to be worth looking for in Duluth, would be that singing male CONNECTICUT WARBLER which still might be heard along Pioneer Road 1.3 miles east of Lakewood Road. Lakewood ends at a T at Pioneer 7 miles north of Highway 61.

Once again I will be out of town next week, so that the next scheduled update of this tape will be two weeks from now on Thursday, July 20th. In the meantime, if you have birds to report or if you'd like further birding information, you could call Mike Hendrickson in Duluth at 726-0840 or the Twin Cities Birding Report at (612) 780-8890. And as always you may leave a message after the tone.....Beep.

braway@css1.css.edu