-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *March 20, 1997 *MNDU9703.20 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: March 20, 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)
(paraphrased)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for March 20, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
As usual, at this time of year, there isn't much to report. The winter residents have left and it's too early for much spring migration.
There were no reports of GREAT GRAY OWLS or NORTHERN HAWK OWLS this week in the Duluth area but there still may be some in the Aitkin area, and Warren Nelson would be the person to contact.
There still owls in the Sax-Zim Bog area; the last reports were of NORTHERN HAWK OWLS at the intersection of Cty Rd. 7 & 52 and on Cty Rd 28 about 1.5 miles to 2 miles West of Sax.
There are still four SNOWY OWLS in the Duluth harbor area and one BOREAL OWL was found in a weakened condition from injury or starvation on the 1600 block of Rose Road near Pike Lake.
But there are clear signs of spring migration: March 17 -- PEREGRINE FALCON at the Port Terminal March 18 -- night calling of NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL at the intersection of Lakewood Rd. and Pioneer Rd. and also further north along St. Louis County Rd. 11 just east of Hoyt Lakes
--This is the time to listen for BOREAL OWL calling in Lake and Cook counties but because of the large die off last year and this year there may not be many left to nest.
-- Frank Nicoletti saw eight very early NORTHERN PINTAILS
-- one IMMATURE GOLDEN EAGLE was seen flying over Tower in northern St. Louis County
March 19 - - two GLAUCOUS and one adult THAYER'S GULL were seen at the Superior, WI landfill although the GLAUCOUS gulls may have overwintered in Superior.
Frank Nicoletti began his raptor watch on March 10 and since last weekend is spending 5 hours a day near Enger Tower on Skyline Parkway in Duluth. Since the 15th he has seen:
15 -- 1 BALD EAGLE 16 -- 4 BALD EAGLES 17 -- 44 BALD EAGLES, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK, 1 GOLDEN EAGLE, and 1 MERLIN 18 -- 29 BALD EAGLES, 1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK, 1 GOLDEN EAGLE 19 -- 20 BALD EAGLES, 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 1 PEREGRINE FALCON 20 -- 7 BALD EAGLES, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK
The next scheduled update of this tape is on Thursday March 27 and as always if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone.