Return to Home Page
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *January 16, 1997 *MNDU9701.16 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: January 16, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Barb Adams badams@fac1.css.edu
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander dac@skypoint.com
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, January 16, 1997, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Although severely cold temperatures and wind chills are now being added to the unusually deep snow cover in northeastern Minnesota there are still lots of birds of interest being seen this week, including GLAUCOUS GULLS and THAYER'S GULLS, BOREAL CHICKADEES, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, two VARIED THRUSHES and both CROSSBILLS. However, SPRUCE GROUSE, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, and COMMON REDPOLLS are all still scarce to non-existent and there is plenty of indication that all four northern owls are getting harder to find.
BOREAL OWLS are having the most difficulty, as dead individuals continue to be found this week. So far, I know of at least 15 to 20 which have been found, which probably died of starvation; this is after last winter when about 175 dead BOREALS were documented. Only a few live BOREAL OWLS have been reported this season, but they could either not be relocated the next day or they were later found dead.
The deep snow also seems to be moving GREAT GRAY OWLS around as they search for prey; and they often cannot be relocated. There are undoubtedly some still in the Sax-Zim bog area, but last weekend none could be located. Earlier this week, four individuals were seen along the North Shore -- just a short distance up the Lester River Road; on Scenic Hgwy 61 just northeast of Brighton Beach; also on Scenic Hghwy 61 just northeast of the French River; and at Stoney Point. But none of these could be relocated yesterday or the day before. In Aitkin Cty. west of Duluth, fewer GREAT GRAYS seem to be present now than earlier in January but since last weekend at least four individuals were found there. One on Cty Rd 64, 10.5 north of Tamarack; on Cty Rd 31 between 2 and 3 miles north of Tamarack; on Cty Rd 18, 1.5 miles east of Cty Rd 5; and on Cty Rd 5, 1.5 miles south of Cty Rd 18.
A few NORTHERN HAWK OWLS have still been present since last weekend but this species as well seems not as easy to find. The most recent sightings have been just northwest of Two Harbors in Lake County on Cty Rd 12, 4 miles west of Cty Rd 2; in the Sax-Zim bog on St. Louis Cty Rd 7, 3 miles north of Sax; and four individuals in Aitkin County on Cty Rd 6, 1 mile north of Tamarack; around the intersection of Cty Rds 18 and 5; and 2 HAWK OWLS on Cty Rd 1 at 8 miles north and at 10.5 miles north of Aitkin.
And the number of SNOWY OWLS is also down lately. In Aitkin Cty only two were seen last weekend along Cty Rd 1 at 3 miles north and at 7.5 miles north of Aitkin; as many as 10 had been present there earlier in January. And only one could be found last weekend on the Duluth side of the harbor area near the intersection of Interstate 35 and 535 and in Superior, WI only two were seen: near the hospital on Tower Ave. and on 28th St. between Catlin and Hill Avenues.
A few GLAUCOUS GULLS and at least one adult THAYER'S GULL were still at the Superior, WI land fill at the south end of Wisconsin Point yesterday but the total number of gulls there seemed much lower than in December.
BOREAL CHICKADEES were seen in the Sax-Zim bog last weekend along Cty Rd 52 about 5 miles west of Cty Rd 7 and on Lake County Rd 2 about 3 miles south of Minnesota Hgwy 1.
A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was relocated in Duluth last Saturday on the 2900 block of Greysolon Rd.
A VARIED THRUSH also turned up in Duluth last weekend and was still present today along the 6200 block of E. Superior St. Another VARIED THRUSH was still present recently present in Virginia in central St. Louis Cty at 2408 Dotty Lane.
The only BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS reported this week in Duluth have been in the vicinity of the intersection of Hgwy 61 and Lakewood Rd. But both species of crossbills are still present and quite vocal now. WHITE-WINGEDS continue to be seen at several locations and the best place for RED CROSSBILLS seems to be in central Lake County along Cty Rd 2 and Hgwy 1.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime that need to be reported on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, January 23.