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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *April 4, 1996 *MNDU9604.04 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date:April 4, 1996
Sponsor:Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports:(218)525-5952
Compiler:Kim Eckert
Transcriber:Deb Savageau mdebbrdr@cp.duluth.mn.us
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday April 4th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
There will be a MN Birding Weekend tour set for this weekend to look and listen for BOREAL OWLS in central Lake County, but unfortunately our prospects look pretty dim.
Steve Wilson of Tower reports that he was out last Sunday night doing a forty stop survey in that area and in spite of favorable weather conditions only one BOREAL OWL was briefly heard calling on territory and that was along County RD. 2 in the vicinity of Greenwood Lake. Steve also reports that as of last week, Bill Lane, another experienced owl researcher in Cook County had yet to hear a single BOREAL OWL calling so far this season in that county. The only other report of a BOREAL OWL on territory so far was one heard a couple weeks ago just east of Isabella on Forest Rd 172. Whether our continued cold temperatures or deep snow cover is delaying the owls territorial activities or if after this winter's extensive die-off of owls due to starvation, there just aren't enough owls left to nest remains to be seen.
Speaking of dead owls, the latest report of a dead BOREAL OWL comes from Rick Schroeder's yard on Munger Shaw Rd. near Twig on March 29th. Rick also reports seeing a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS on the 1st along Highway 2 just West of Midway Rd. plus a flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS last week in Cloquet in Carlton County near the corner of 14th St. and Washington Avenue.
Terry Wiens also had BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS this week in his yard on the Strand Rd. in Duluth between N. Tischer and Washburn Rd. Terry also reports seeing hundreds of RING-BILLED GULLS in the Duluth Harbor on April 1st along with an AMERICAN ROBIN that day in Gary/New Duluth.
Other signs of Spring include the RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD which arrived in Carla Larson's yard near Cotton north of Duluth on March 27th. And even more unusual were the reports of two GOLDEN EAGLES which are quite rare in northeastern MN in the Spring. Ben Yokel of Melrude, north of Duluth, saw an adult flying over his yard on March 30th and Deb Savageau reported the other flying over Glenwood Ave. near Skyline Parkway today in Duluth. Ben is also about the only one still checking the Sax-Zim Bog area on a regular basis and he reports that at least 3 NORTHERN HAWK-OWLS are still present again on St. Louis County Rd. 7 just south of Sax at the intersection of County Rd. 52 and 207, and County Rd. 319 about a mile E of County Rd.7. He also reports that at least one GREAT GRAY OWL is still being seen in that area near the intersection of County Roads 52 & 203. Although there are probably other GREAT GRAYS at other locations in Sax-Zim.
Finally, a RED-BELLIED WOOPECKER was seen today in Duluth along Skyline Parkway near the entrance to Chester Bowl.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday April 11th and as always if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone. --