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*MNDU9509.14
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: Sept. 14, 1995
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcribor: Joan Morrison
This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, Sept. 14, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Although nothing particularly unusual has been reported in Duluth or northeastern Minnesota, there has been a lot of migration going on here, especially at the Hawk Ridge Reserve and the Lakewood pumping station.
At Hawk Ridge, the hawk count has been generally low for the most part, due to unfavorable winds on most days, but, there were finally a couple of decent cold fronts with northwest winds and good flight days recently.
Back on Sept. 8th and 9th, daily counts went over 1,000 for the first time this season. On the 8th, 1,103 hawks were counted, highlighted by 31 OSPREYS, 30 BALD EAGLES, 301 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and 151 KESTRELS.
And on the 9th, the count was 1,012 which included 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS.
For the next three days the weather and the hawk totals were again on the dull side, but yesterday, the 13th, a very good flight developed with a total of 4,237 hawks, including 2,627 BROAD-WINGS, 1,224 SHARP-SHINS, 256 KESTRELS and 57 RED-TAILS. This flight continued into this morning and, as of 2 p.m., today's total was approximately 4,500 hawks, including 4,200 plus BROAD-WINGS and there was also a REd-SHOULDERED HAWK that was seen among them. It's hard to say whether or not this movement of BROAD-WINGS and other hawks will continue into this weekend for our annual September Hawk Weekend activities.
While tomorrow, the 15th, does not look very promising with a forecast of Southeast winds and a 40 percent chance of rain moving in in the afternoon, both Saturday and Sunday could be decent days. with partly cloudy skies and the possibility of westerly winds in the forecast.
There have also been some good, two-hour early morning counts at the Lakewood pumping station. The best count so far was this morning, with tallies of nearly 6,000 migrants which included 3, 415 BLUE JAYS and 1,840 warblers.
On the 12th, over 3,000 migrants were counted, including over 1,000 CEDAR WAXWINGS, over 900 BLUE JAYS and another 900 plus WARBLERS. Also at Lakewood Pumping Station, the first BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER of the season flew over on Sept. 8.
Other species of note seen recently include an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN which is still being seen at the 40th Ave. W. pier area, along with both GOLDEN and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and a variety of other shorebirds.
Unprecented numbers of Swainson's Thrushes, (?) which started showing up two weeks ago, are still being seen almost everywhere and in good numbers early in the week.
I've also received reports from other observers that the Swainson's Thrushes (?) have been unusally abundant elsewhere in Northeastern Minnesota and in Northwestern Minnesota as well. Also this week, the first migrant CANADA GOOSE flocks, HORNED LARKS,AMERICAN PIPITS, WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS and LAPLAND LONGSPURS were reported. Laast week's tape ran through the Hawk Week activities which will take place this weekend, Sept. 15, 16 and 17. If you missed any of this information, feel free to give me a call at 525-6930, or, come up the main overlook at Hawk Ridge where the same information is available. With all the birders coming into town this weekend, it's hoped that something unusual will turn up, and, if so, this tape will be updated as soon as possible with that information. Otherwise, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, Sept. 21.