Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
|
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *January 15 1998 *MNDU9801.15 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: January 15, 1998
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, Jan 15th, sponsored by the MN Ornithologists Union.
It had been hoped that the sharply colder temperatures which came in last weekend along with a couple of recent significant snowfalls would stir up the birds a bit during this relatively quiet winter but so far the only effect seems to be to reduce the number of gulls present at the Superior, WI landfill. There had been estimates of 3000 or more gulls there through last week but on both Jan 10 and 12 only a few 100 gulls were seen with no sign of that 2nd winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. However, GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, ICELAND GULL, THAYER'S GULL, and GLAUCOUS GULL were all identified there on both days.
Otherwise since last weeks tape a few birds of note were reported including a possible GYRFALCON in the Duluth harbor, A SNOWY OWL relocated also in the Duluth harbor, a GREAT GRAY OWL in Aitkin county, HOARY REDPOLLS at 2 Duluth feeders, a flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Duluth and some SNOW BUNTINGS in Carlton county.
A large unidentified falcon was reported late last week as it chased some pigeons around the grain elevators on the Duluth side of the harbor. And obviously the hope is that it is still present and will turn out to be a GYRFALCON. So far no one has apparently relocated this bird since then and birders who go to look for it should not be confused by the RED-TAILED HAWK which has been wintering in the harbor.
Also in the Duluth side of the harbor a SNOWY OWL was seen again on the night of Jan 14 as it flew by in the vicinity of the Duluth convention center. This is the only SNOWY OWL which has been seen in NE MN for several weeks and it has been difficult to find.
Cindy Butler of Tamarack in Aitkin County saw a GREAT GRAY OWL on the afternoon of Jan 13th near her home on Aitkin County rd 64 10.5 miles North of Tamarack. From Tamarack turn North off of MN hwy 210 on county rd 6 and where 6 turns West continue North on county rd 31 which becomes county rd 64 after a few miles.
Cindy also saw a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS the same day along hwy 210 4 miles East of Cromwell in Carlton County.
HOARY REDPOLLS were seen at 2 Duluth feeders recently, one was at Judy Gibson's feeder last weekend which is located on Park Dr on the East side of Eagle Lake just North of Duluth. To reach Eagle Lake go North on Jean Duluth Rd from Glenwood St for 8 miles and turn left on Emerson Rd. The other HOARY REDPOLL was at my feeder on the 8200 block of Congress Blvd just East of the Lakewood Pumping Station yesterday the 14th but it has not reappeared today.
And Terry Wiens spotted a small flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS Jan 13th near the corner of Woodland Ave and Pleasant View Rd which is just South of Martin Rd.
Unfortunately I have no updates of any of the birds found and reported on last week so it is not known if they are still present. These include the SPRUCE GROUSE on Lake Cnty Rd 2 near the Sand River about 42 miles North of Two Harbors; the THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS in Lake county, one of these along the South side of MN Hwy 1 about a mile Northwest of the Cnty RD 2 intersection, and the other along the snowmobile trail North of the spruce rd 3.5 miles from hwy 1; the BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER also in Lake County on cnty rd 2 near a green house with feeders somewhere between Greenwood Lake and the Sand River; GREAT GRAY OWL on St Louis cnty rd 16 9 miles East of the cnty rd 4 intersection or 7 miles West of Fairbanks; the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the 2700 block of East 8th St in Duluth; the BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on West Knife river road NE of Duluth 1 mile West of the end of the Homestead Rd 6 miles North of hwy 61; or on the LONG-EARED OWL in the Sax Zim bog on St. Louis cnty rd 211 3 miles East and 1.4 miles North of Meadowland.
There has also been no recent news on that NORTHERN HAWK OWL seen 2 weeks ago in SE Koochiching county, on MN hwy 65 near mile marker 228 which is near the town of Silverdale. Unfortunately this the only NORTHERN HAWK OWL which has been reported anywhere in MN the last 2 weeks.
Because there will be a lot of out of town birders here during the next few weekends it would be especially appreciated if birders would report anything of interest. This includes any of the owls, SPRUCE GROUSE, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, HOARY REDPOLL, RED CROSSBILL or WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
Callers are also reminded they can leave a message without waiting for this message to end. To do this after the tape starts playing push 5 on your touch tone phone.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday Jan 22nd.
