-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*May 24, 1997
*MNDU9705.24

-Birds mentioned

Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: May 24, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Sr. Beverly Raway braway@fac1.css.edu
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth birding report for Friday morning, May 23rd, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

This tape is being updated today to report on a late lingering SNOWY OWL which was seen yesterday evening after Thursday's tape had been done and which would be of interest to any birders here during Memorial Day weekend. The owl, probably an immature female, was seen in the open area near the Northstar Steel building which is reached by taking the Garfield Avenue Port Terminal Exit off of Interstate 535 in the harbor and turning right just before the UPS Building.

To repeat the information on yesterday's tape, neither the WESTERN TANAGERS nor the possible SWALLOW TAIL KITE reported on last Sunday's tape could be relocated. Gary Peterson who lives on the 5300 block of Cass Road just northwest of Duluth saw the male WESTERN TANAGER on one day only May 18th, although there was a flock of RED CROSSBILLS seen there on the 19th. And the possible SWALLOW-TAILED KITE which was reported on May 17th on Manomin Lake near Bemidji in southern Beltrami County could not be found by Doug Johnson who looked for it the next day.

There were, however, a few birds of note reported this week including:

DICKCISSEL - in Virginia, Northern St. Louis County (reported by Nancy Jackson) May 21st, Parking lot Mesabi Community College, next to Silver Lake. OLDSQUAW - flock in Cook County (Dick Hulicheck Sp? from Twin Cities), May 17th, Tofte. MARBLED GODWITS - flock in Duluth (Molly Evans), May 21st, Interstate Island, in Duluth-Superior Harbor area West of I-535 Blatnik Bridge RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER - Duluth (Terry Wiens), at his feeder, 3200 block of Strand road. SWAINSON S HAWK - Duluth (Frank Nicoletti), adult dark morph, seen from Enger Tower, May 20th. AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS - Duluth, (Frank Nicoletti) also seen from Enger Tower May 20th

Raptor count about 13,500 so far for the season. The flight this week has been slow.

Best days in mid May have been on... May 9 -- 1,083 raptors May 10 -- 860 May 13 -- 1,008

On all three days, BROAD-WINGED HAWKS predominated.

Spring migrants continue to be very late in arriving and few and far-between. This week's migration has been even slower than last week which hardly seems possible. The only new migrants reported in Duluth and vicinity were:

@ CHIMNEY SWIFT @ LEAST FLYCATCHER @ EASTERN KINGBIRD @ SEDGE WREN @ VEERY @ BROWN THRASHER @ WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREO @ MOURNING WARBLER @ INDIGO BUNTING @ LE CONTE'S SPARROW

Reported in Carlton County:

@ UPLAND SANDPIPER @ YELLOW-THROATED VIREO

There are a lot of migrants yet to reported in Duluth and vicinity this spring and some of these missing species include: just about all the shorebirds, Black-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, most of the flycatchers, (only Least, Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Phoebe have been reported), Gray-cheeked thrush, Philadelphia Vireo, several species of warblers, Scarlet Tanager, and Bobolink.

But hopefully all this will change by Saturday, May 31st when, as reported on previous tapes, our 11th annual HAWK RIDGE BIRD-A-THON and ST. LOUIS COUNTY BIG DAY will take place. So far 15 birding teams which include about 50 birders have been organized and it is not too late to either join one of the birding teams who will be out that day or to make a pledge based on the number of species seen on the 31st for the benefit of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve.

There will also be a compilation brunch to which everyone is invited on Sunday, June 1st to add up the species and recognize the winning team. More information on all this will be given on next Thursday s tape, but in the meantime, to make a pledge or for more information call Terry Wiens at (218) 525-6158.

And the next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, May 29th... and as always if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone....

Return to Home Page