Return to Home Page
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *April 11, 1996 *MNDU9604.11 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date:April 11, 1996
Sponsor:Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports:(218)525-5952
Compiler:Kim Eckert
Transcriber:Barb Adams badams@fac1.css.edu
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday April 11th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Even though there was little reason to expect that our Minnesota Birding Weekend group would see much of interest in Lake County last weekend, the birding was anything but uneventful. Although hardly any owls of any kind were calling, and the overall numbers of individuals and species were decidedly on the low side we found a pair of BOREAL OWLS that are now apparently nesting, both THREE-TOED and BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, plus SPRUCE GROUSE, a GREAT GRAY OWL and BOREAL CHICKADEES. The male BOREAL OWL was calling on the night of April 5th along Lake County Road 2 in the general vicinity of Greenwood Lake and as our group was watching it, a FEMALE BOREAL came in, the potential nest cavity was found and a lot of pair-bonding behavior was observed. More specific information on the location cannot be given out at this time because these owls are probably nesting and it would obviously be best at this time if their activities were not disturbed by visiting birders..
Except for brief and distant NORTHERN SAW-WHET and LONG-EARED OWL no other owls were found, rather were heard last weekend. Although we did see a GREAT GRAY by day along Cty Rd. 2, three miles south of Hwy 1. At the same location there were 4 SPRUCE GROUSE in the road plus a singing BOREAL CHICKADEE. We also found a THREE-TOED and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at the same location along St. Louis Cty Rd. 16, 13.2 miles east of the Cty Rd. 4 intersection. Another BLACK-BACKED was found in Lake County, four tenths of a mile up Spruce Rd.
Other observers were also in Lake Cty last weekend, and also seen was a flock of 8 SPRUCE GROUSE on the Spruce Rd. near the Outward Bound sign, another SPRUCE GROUSE on Cty Rd. 2 just north of Sand River 4.5 miles south of Hwy 1, a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on MN Hwy 1 at milepost 296 which is about a mile west of the Spruce Rd.
Meanwhile, in the Sax-Zim Bog area northwest of Duluth, there are still owls and other birds of note as there have been all winter. One NORTHERN HAWK OWL plus a GREAT GRAY were seen again along St. Louis Cty Rd 319 about a mile east of Cty Rd 7. And GREAT GRAYS were reported as recently as yesterday along Cty Rd 133, 5 miles west of Cty Rd 7, near the intersections of Cty Rd 980and 202, which is 5 miles north of Meadowlands, and on Cty Rd 52 about 5 miles west of 7. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were also spotted at three locations at Sax-Zim again this week on Cty Rd 28 about a half mile west of Sax, on Cty Rd 29 about three miles north of Meadowlands and also on Cty Rd 29 a half mile south and 3 miles west of Kelsey.
Warren Nelson reports that good numbers of SHARP-TAILED GROUSE are starting to display on their traditional leks just north of Gun Lake in Aitkin county and at least 14 GREAT GRAY OWLS are present at various locations, mostly along Aitkin Cty Rds 1,3,5, and 18. For further information on all those you could call Warren at 218-927-2458.
Meanwhile, back in Duluth and vicinity several observers have recently reported flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at various locations, Deb Savageau reported a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on April 6th, on Seven Bridges Rd between the second and third bridges. Yesterday, Laura Erickson and John Heid had a GREAT GRAY OWL at Stoney Point and as of today, that BLUE GOOSE was still being seen in the vicinity of Canal Park near downtown Duluth. And also today, two rarities were reported: four AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen flying over Woodland Ave. and that RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER reported on last week s tape was relocated by John Heid near the corner of 14th Ave. East and 4th St.
Prior to last week s tape only a handful of spring migrants had been reported in the Duluth vicinity. As all of that snow and cold temperatures had been making this one of the latest springs ever. The only migrants reported as of then were MALLARD, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-TAILED HAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, RING-BILLED GULL, MOURNING DOVE, NORTHERN FLICKER, AMERICAN ROBIN, SNOW BUNTING, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. And some of these species may have actually been overwintering birds.
But finally, along with some warmer temperatures, a long list of new migrants have been reported during the past week: on April 4 HOUSE FINCH, April 5, HOODED MERGANSER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, COMMON GRACKLE, April 6, PURPLE FINCH, on the 7th , GREAT BLUE HERON and TURKEY VULTURE, on April 8th, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK at Hawk Ridge and AMERICAN WOODCOCK, on the 9th, CANADA GOOSE and BROWN CREEPER, yesterday, PIED-BILLED GREBE, KILLDEER, and AMERICAN TREE, SONG and FOX SPARROWS, and today, the 11th, WOODDUCK, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, GADWALL, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, COOPER'S HAWK, YELLOW BELLIED-SAPSUCKER, EASTERN PHOEBE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.
Thanks to all the observers who have been calling in reports. I hope I haven't left any out. Callers are encouraged to keep reporting new migrants as they arrive this spring. The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, April 18, and as always, if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone. BEEP