Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *November 6 1997 *MNDU9711.06 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 6, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologist's Union
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Rick Schroeder, MN Bird Net (avsaxman@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, November 6, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
There was an update of this tape last Sunday, primarily to report the presence of birds in the vicinity of the Grand Marais Harbor in Cook County. A female or immature HARLEQUIN DUCK, a first winter BLACK- LEGGED KITTIWAKE, and a first winter ICELAND GULL. It is not known if the HARLEQUIN DUCK or ICELAND GULL have been seen since Sunday, but the KITTIWAKE was reported again on Monday, the third.
Also seen last weekend up the North Shore, mostly in the vicinity of Grand Marais, were RED-NECKED GREBES, BLACK SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, OLDSQUAW, GLAUCOUS GULL and THAYER'S GULL, hundreds if not thousands of migrating COMMON REDPOLL, with a couple of HOARY REDPOLL found among them, and late lingering GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, TENNESSEE WARBLER, and unidentified MEADOWLARK.
As if all that weren't enough, last weekend Bill Teff also reported that a male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen near Ely along St. Louis County Road 88, just east of Shagawa Lake, on November 2nd, along with a BLACK- BILLED MAGPIE along County Road 88 at the Burntside River.
Since last weekend several other birds of interest were reported, especially the first BOREAL OWL and NORTHERN HAWK OWL this season, two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER still at Hawk Ridge. The BOREAL OWL was an immature banded last night at the Hawk Ridge banding station, and the NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen yesterday, the 5th, by Mike Hendrickson in the Sax/Zim Bog area northwest of Duluth along St. Louis County Road 7, 1 mile north of C. R. 52. This location is 6 miles west and 1 mile north of the town of Cotton.
Frank Nicoletti saw not one but two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in Duluth on November 4th. One was at the main overlook at Hawk Ridge, and the other was at the corner of Maxwell and West Tischer Roads. These are the 5th and 6th SOLITAIRES to be seen this fall in Duluth and up the North Shore.
That female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, possibly two of them, at Hawk Ridge, are still being seen as of today, in the pine plantation east of the main overlook. There was one sighting along the west end of the pine woods trail and a short time later there was another sighting east of the east end of the pine woods trail.
Also of note at Hawk Ridge was the unprecedented count of 1025 PINE GROSBEAKS which migrated past the main overlook on November 3. This is the highest one day count of this species ever recorded in Minnesota by a wide margin. Also seen on the 3rd at the ridge were nine late SANDHILL CRANES and over 100 COMMON LOONS which included a single flock of no fewer than 27 individuals.
And finally Don Kienholz saw a very late NASHVILLE WARBLER in his yard on Martin Road on November 4, but unfortunately it was found dead there the next day.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Monday, November 10. Hopefully this coming weekend will be as eventful as the last few.
