Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *February 5 1998 *MNDU9802.05 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: February 5, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525 5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Barb Adams badams@.css.edu
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, February 5, 1998, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
This winter's birding in Northeastern Minnesota started out being generally described by everyone as quieter than normal and it is true that so far this season there have been no confirmed reports of GYRFALCONS; that SPRUCE GROUSE have been uncharacteristically hard to find on Lake County Road 2; that there have been no reports for several weeks of NORTHERN HAWK OWLS or BOREAL OWLS, and that no VARIED THRUSH have been reported at any feeders.
However the absence of most of these birds is not unusual and, since mid-January, every other winter specialty has been present, and all have been seen since last weekend.
These include the following: SHARP-TAILED GROUSE have been found by several observers in Aitkin County along Township Road 380, which turns West off of County Road 5, 4.6 miles north of Minnesota Highway 210. Look especially between 2 and 3 miles west of County Road 5.
Several GLAUCOUS GULL, a few first-winter THAYER'S GULL, and occasionally a first-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL are still at the Superior, WI, landfill at the South end of Wisconsin Point. But there have been no recent reports of ICELAND GULLS there.
Sometimes a good assortment of GULLS can be found on the Minnesota side of Lake Superior, just Northeast of Duluth between the Lakeview Castle restaurant and the French River.
Two SNOWY OWLS are still wintering in the Duluth Harbor. One of these is consistently seen on the bay ice between the Port Terminal and Park Point; and the other one is most often seen in the vicinity of the Duluth Convention Center.
GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be consistenly seen in the Sax-Zim Bog area Northwest of Duluth along St. Louis County Road 7. One area to look is between 2 and 2.5 miles North of Sax and the other is North of here a few miles in the vicinity of the Stone Lake Road, which turns East off of County Road 7, 1.5 miles South of Zim. There were also isolated sightings in the Sax-Zim Bog on County Road 213, 2 miles West and 3.25 miles North of Sax. And also in the vicinity of the junction of County Road 52 and Owl Avenue which is 4.5 miles East of Toivola.
In Aitkin County a GREAT GRAY was seen once or twice recently on the Pietz's Road, which is off of County Road 18, 4 miles east of US Highway 169.
Both THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS continue to be seen in Lake County on the Spruce Road, which turns North off of Minnesota Highway 1, 14 miles Northwest of the County Road 2 intersection. Look for a pair of THREE-TOEDS especially along the first half mile of this road and also look for a BLACK-BACKED at the beginning of the Spruce Road and about a quarter of a mile beyond the end of this road. Another BLACK-BACKED was seen recently on Highway 1 about 2 miles northwest of here at the driveway marked with Fire Number 9755.
Two or three BOREAL CHICKADEES have been present near Duluth for several weeks near the Tom's Logging Camp sign across the road from the Stoney Point Road. And the best place to find this bird in the Sax-Zim Bog continues to be in the vicinity of the County Road 52 and Owl Avenue intersection mentioned earlier.
The most consistent area lately for BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS has been on the North edge of Duluth along the Jean Duluth Road between the Martin and the Strand Road, and along the Strand Road, 1 to 2 miles East of Jean Duluth Road. But BOHEMIANS have also been seen recently in the town of Palisade in Aitkin County, at various locations in Ely in Northern St. Louis County, in Two Harbors along First Street, near the water treatment plant, in Duluth along Superior Street about a half-mile West of Lakewood Road, and also in Duluth on the North edge of Lester Park.
The HARRIS' SPARROW which had been at the feeders at the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Duluth has not been seen in a couple weeks. But two others are still present. One of these, along with an EASTERN TOWHEE, has been at the corner of 29th Avenue East and Jefferson Street. It is most often seen between Leif Brusch's (not sure on this name, sorry) yard and the railroad tracks. And the other HARRIS' SPARROW is still at Lisa Messerer's feeder at 2009 West 8th street.
SNOW BUNTINGS were seen recently at the Park Point Recreation area in Duluth and in Aitkin County near the Township Road 380 and the County Road 5 intersection mentioned earlier.
The best place to find RED CROSSBILLS recently has been in the vicinity of Isabella in Lake County; look especially along the Menowan Lake Road which turns North off of Highway 1 about 6 miles West of Isabella.
Judy Gibb's feeders on Park Drive on the East side of Eagle Lake still has a HOARY REDPOLL on a regular basis. Again, to reach Eagle Lake, go 8 miles north on Jean Duluth Road from Glenwood Street and turn West on Emerson Road. A HOARY REDPOLL or two were also seen at a feeder on the east side of Palisade in Aitkin County.
And the other winter finches, including PINE GROSBEAKS, EVENING GROSBEAKS, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, COMMON REDPOLLS, continue to be seen at various feeders and at other locations in Duluth and in Northeastern Minnesota.
Because I will be out of town for most of the month of February, the next time I will be updating this tape will not be until Thursday, March 5th. It is hoped that there will be an update or two by Mike Hendrickson or possibly someone else.
If you have birds to report, you can still, as usual, leave a message after the tone at the end of this tape since these messages will still be monitored; or you can call Mike Hendrickson directly at 626-2268 or Dave Benson at 728-5812; who can also provide you with additional and up to date birding information.
And also, note for future reference, that callers can leave a message on this tape, without having to wait for this message to end. To do this, after the tape starts playing, touch "5" on your touch-tone phone; the tape will then stop, the tone will sound, and you could then leave your message.
