Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *November 5, 1998 *MNDU9811.05 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, November 5,
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Unfortunately, the generally dull birding situation in Duluth and
along the North Shore of Lake Superior reported on last week's tape
has continued into this week, as the variety of species and numbers
of individual birds in the area are still quite low. However,
there were a few isolated reports of rarities recently, including
a possible RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, an AUDUBON'S-type YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, 2 PACIFIC LOONS, THAYER'S GULL, GREAT GRAY OWL, and both
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS and BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS.
Yesterday morning, November 4, an unidentified HUMMINGBIRD appeared
in a yard on the 2300 block of East 3rd Street in Duluth. From
the description it sounds like it might have been a Rufous Hummingbird,
of which there are several previous Minnesota records. However,
the bird was apparently not seen yesterday afternoon or today, so
its identity will probably not be determined.
Esther Gesick and Bill Marengo of the Twin Cities found an "AUDUBON'S"
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER on October 31 in Grand Marais in Cook County,
but it could not be relocated the next day. This western form,
which had once been considered a separate species (and may be
again), has been sighted several times previously in Minnesota.
Also on October 31 a PACIFIC LOON was seen by many observers on
the Burlington Bay side -- or east side -- of Two Harbors in Lake
County. This bird was apparently still present on November 2.
On the 2nd another PACIFIC LOON was seen on Mille Lacs Lake at
Garrison in Crow Wing County. This bird had previously been found
there in mid-October.
On November 1 a first winter THAYER'S GULL was found in the Grand
Marais Harbor.
On the same day Warren Nelson of Aitkin saw a GREAT GRAY OWL along
Aitkin County Road 18 just east of Pietz's Road, 4 miles east of
U.S. Highway 169, which is a traditional site for this species.
Warren also reports that SHARP-TAILED GROUSE are being seen
consistently in Aitkin County just west of Gun Lake. To reach this
location, go north from MN Highway 210 on Co. Rd. 5 for 4.5 miles,
turn west on Township Road 380 for 3 miles, then turn south for
0.5 miles and look for the grouse along the driveway on the east
side of the road.
At Hawk Ridge a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has been seen a few times
recently down the hill from the Main Overlook, and BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKERS were also seen at Hawk Ridge November 1, both migrating
past the Main Overlook and in the pine plantation along Skyline
Parkway 0.7 miles beyond the Main Overlook.
Other birds of note seen recently in Duluth include a late unidentified
SWALLOW on November 2, the first BOREAL CHICKADEE of the season
November 4 at Hawk Ridge, a NORTHERN CARDINAL seen yesterday at
Stony Point, and BLACK SCOTERS October 30 at the Park Point Recreation
Area.
Other birds seen last weekend up the North Shore of Lake Superior
include a BLACK SCOTER at Grand Marais, good numbers of migrating
RED CROSSBILLS at several locations with just a few WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER in Grand Marais, a few NORTHERN SHRIKES, a couple of BOHEMIAN
WAXWING flocks, and a lone COMMON REDPOLL -- but, again, the number
of birds seen overall was disappointing.
Finally, the hawk totals for the month of October at the Hawk Ridge Main
Overlook have been added up, and they include:
569 T. Vultures
5 Ospreys
1391 Bald Eagles (peak of 317 on Oct. 19)
170 N. Harriers
6696 Sharp-shinneds
55 Cooper's
143 N. Goshawks (peak of 23 on Oct. 20)
27 Broad-wingeds
7557 Red-taileds (peak of 1537 on Oct. 20)
39 Rough-leggeds (a lower number than usual)
33 Golden Eagles
169 Am. Kestrels
161 Merlins (peak of at 32 on Oct.18)
6 Peregrines
4 Red-shouldereds;
for a monthly total of 17,027, with a season total since mid-August of 43,196.
The next scheduled update of this tape will be two days earlier than usual,
on Tuesday, November 20.
[Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic
hotline: MnRBA. To learn more, send a message (the message being these
two words: info end) to
mnrba-request@linux.winona.msus.edu
Sightings can be called in directly to the tape, (218) 525-5952, by
leaving a message after the tone at the end of the tape.]
Date: November 5, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiled and written by: Kim Eckert
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
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