Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *March 19 1998 *MNDU9803.19 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: March 19, 199
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Rick Schroeder (avsaxman@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, March 19, 1997, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists Society.
So far the month of March continues to be colder than normal, and virtually nothing is to be reported in the line of spring migrants. However, several typically winter species continue to be seen, including NORTHERN HAWK OWL, GREAT GRAY OWL, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL in Lake County, a few thousand gulls which are still at the Superior land fill, and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS which are still being seen in Duluth and vicinity.
There is now apparently a pair of NORTHERN HAWK OWLS along Lake County Road 2 in the vicinity of the Greenwood Lake public access, which is about 34 miles north of Two Harbors. And it is hoped there might even be a nesting record this spring. Only one of these individuals had been seen at this location in February and early March.
Also from County Road 2 this week comes the report of a GREAT GRAY OWL about 4 miles south of Greenwood Lake, or 30 miles north of Two Harbors. A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and some WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were also reported on County Road 2; some were in the vicinity of Greenwood Lake, but the exact locations were not given.
Carl Barden of the Twin Cities revisited the Superior Wisconsin land fill at the south end of Wisconsin Point last weekend, and again saw several GLAUCOUS GULL and THAYER'S GULLS along with at least one first winter ICELAND GULL. He also studied a gull which he felt might possibly be a GLAUCOUS WINGED/HERRING GULL hybrid. To reach the land fill go south all the way through Superior on Highway 2 and 53 and turn east at the sign which reads Moccasin Mike Road, Wisconsin Point, Lake Superior.
At least two observers have reported seeing white winged gulls flying along Park Point this week, and it is much more likely these would be GLAUCOUS GULL rather than ICELAND GULLS.
And finally various observers in and around Duluth have been reporting CEDAR WAXWINGS in recent weeks. However it is more likely they are actually seeing BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, since CEDARS do not normally winter here, and since the first spring migrant CEDARS do not normally come into this area until late May.
The most recent reports of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS come from the back side of Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, along Amity Creek, and from Frank Nicoletti's Enger Tower spring hawk watching site. Again, because of the relatively cold weather lately, Franks counts of migrating raptors most days have been uneventful so far this month.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday, March 26.
