Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *December 4 1997 *MNDU9712.04 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: December 4, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Mike Engh (mikee@cadence.com)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth birding report for Thursday, December 4th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologistss Union.
There was a unscheduled update of this tape last Saturday primarily to report on a 1st winter LAUGHING GULL in the Grand Marais harbor; a BLACK- LEGGED KITTIWAKE at Two Harbors and a possible GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL at the Superior entry breakwaters at the south end of park point.
The LAUGHING GULL was present Nov 28, 29 and 30th but no one has been able to find it since then.
And, neither the KITTIWAKE nor the GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL have been seen again after they were first found last week. However, Peder Svingen found another apparant GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, a 1st winter immature in the Grand Marais harbor Dec. 1st. This bird was seen again there by Molly and Ken Hoffman on the 2nd, but a thorough search of the harbor by Karl Bardon Dec 3rd failed to relocate it.
At least one 1st winter ICELAND GULL along with a few THAYER'S GULL and GLAUCOUS GULLS were still there in Grand Marais yesterday.
Last Saturday's tape also reported on SPRUCE GROUSE being seen in Lake County on county road 2 near the Sand River about 4.5 miles south of the Mn Hwy 1 intersection. And since then another SPRUCE GROUSE was reported in Lake county; this one on Hwy 1 about 14 miles northwest of the county road 2 intersection.
Saturday's tape also mentioned a NORTHERN HAWK OWL being found last week at the eastern end of the Normana road which is .5 mile east of the north Fisher road intersection but I don't know if anyone has has tried to relocate it this week.
And Ben Yokel reported a GREAT GRAY OWL near his yard last week near Melrud north of the town of Cotton along the Young Lake road but he has not seen it since then. However, another GREAT GRAY was reported this week in the Sax Zim bog area along St Louis county road 213 northwest of Sax but the location was only given as being about .5 north of the Emerson residence.
Of note in Duluth this week was a late lingering COMMON LOON seen in the harbor near the convention center and an equally late HARRIS' SPARROW at the Wild Birds Unlimited store feeder near the Miller Hill mall.
Warren Nelson of Aitkin reports several birds of note in that county especially a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER whose workings can be seen on the trees on the north side of Mn Hwy 200 just east of mile marker 183 which is between Hill City and Jacobson.
Farther east on the south side of Two Harbors, or rather on the south side of 200, is the Rabey tree farm at mile marker 186 where good numbers of BOREAL CHICKADEES are present.
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE are being seen fairly consistently along township road 380. To reach this location turn west off of Aitkin county road 5, 3 miles south of the town of Palisade, go 3 miles west and 1 mile south.
And a SNOWY OWL was seen along country road 1, 7.5 miles north of Aitkin.
A reminder that the Duluth Christmas bird count will take place on Saturday Dec 20th. And birders are currently being contacted to participate. If you would like to take part either as a feeder watcher or as an observer out in the field that day give me a call at 218-525-6930.
It is also not too early to start watching for some of those birds which are often difficult to find on count day. Besides obvious rarities these include any water birds except for Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser, or Herring Gull; any hawks or owls; any woodpeckers except Downy, Hairy or Pileated; Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal, any sparrows except for House Sparrow, Snow Bunting, any black birds which would include Common Grackle, Purple Finch, either Red or White-winged Crossbills, Hoary Redpolls, and American Goldfinch.
If you see any of these between now and the 20th give me a call or leave leave me a message at tone at the end of this tape.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday Dec 11th.
