Previous reports: July 1 , September 2 9 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*September 16, 1999
*MNDU9909.16

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• American White Pelican
• Great Egret
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper's Hawk
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Swainson's Hawk
• POMARINE JAEGER
• Franklin's Gull
• Black-backed Woodpecker

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: September 16, 1999
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Transcriber: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, September 16, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

That POMARINE JAEGER found last week on the lake near downtown Duluth was last reported on Sept 12 from Canal Park, so it is probably no longer in the area. Two unidentified JAEGERS were also reported Sept 11 over the lake from 12th Street on Park Point.

A PACIFIC LOON, probably an adult in basic (winter) plumage, was found on Lake Superior on Sept 13, and it was still present at the same location yesterday morning, the 15th. Look for it in the vicinity of the Duluth Tent and Trailer Campground, which is about 3/4 mile beyond the Lakewood Pumping Station. I also received a second-hand report of another (or the same) Pacific Loon yesterday evening at the Lester River. Also unusual along the North Shore this week were a GREAT EGRET on Sept 13 flying along the Highway 61 expressway, about a mile beyond the Lester River, and a FRANKLIN'S GULL on the 15th at Knife River in Lake Co.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was seen in the pine plantation along the Pinewoods Trail at Hawk Ridge last weekend. This trail begins off Skyline Pkwy, 3/4 mile beyond the Main Overlook, and a Black-backed is found in these pines almost every fall.

But the most significant news comes from the Main Overlook itself, where no fewer than 46,819 HAWKS were counted Sept 15. This represents the second largest flight day in Hawk Ridge history, with the record day being 49,615 on Sept 18, 1993. Yesterday's flight included 44,884 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, which is also the second largest number ever for that species at the Ridge (the Broad-winged record of 47,922 also occurred on Sept 18, 1993).

A record high count of 43 COOPER'S HAWKS also occurred (the previous one-day high was 37), and yesterday's counts of 172 NORTHERN HARRIERS (record high 216) and 11 SWAINSON'S HAWKS (record high 34) were both apparently the second highest one-day totals at Hawk Ridge.

The Sept 15 totals were:

T. Vulture 306 Osprey 41 Bald Eagle 115 N. Harrier 172 Sharp-shinned 947 Cooper's 43 N. Goshawk 3 Broad-winged 44,884 Red-tailed 92 Am. Kestrel 190 Merlin 9 Peregrine 6 Swainson's 11

Total 46,819

Today there was a residual flight of Broad-wingeds, with about 6,500 counted, and today's overall total was around 7,000. Also of interest at the Main Overlook this week were the large numbers of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS being seen: 38 flew over on Sept 14, and no fewer than 67 pelicans were counted yesterday, the 15th (which is probably an all-time record high for northeastern Minn.).

With the forecast for southerly winds for the next day or so and a chance of rain moving in by Sunday, the outlook for a good hawk flight does not all that favorable during our annual Hawk Weekend activities Sept 17-18-19. The Friday evening program begins at 8:00 p.m., with refreshments and registration beginning at 7:00 p.m., and the location is at U.M.D.'s Chemistry Bldg, Room 200 (which is the same location as last year).

Three Saturday morning birding field trips meet at 7:00 a.m.: the 40th Avenue West field trip meets at the Perkins Restaurant parking lot at the 40th Ave West exit off I-35; the Park Point trip meets at the main parking lot in the Recreation Area; and the North Shore field trip meets at the Lester Park parking lot on Lester River Rd, just north of Superior Street (note this is a different location from that previously published).

During the day at Hawk Ridge itself on both Saturday and Sunday, besides the usual hawk watching, there will be scheduled nature hikes, trips to the observation blind at the Banding Station, and an optics display courtesy of National Camera Exchange.

On Saturday evening at U.M.D.'s Kirby Ballroom, following a buffet dinner which begins at 7:00 p.m., the program will include a silent auction, a summary of the day's checklist of birds, and the annual Guess-the-Number-of-Hawks contest. (Advance reservations needed for the dinner; those not at the dinner may come just for the program.)

On Sunday morning, the same three birding field trips meet again at 7:00 a.m. A Weekend registration fee is charged for those attending the evening programs at U.M.D.; there is no charge for the birding field trips or the activities at Hawk Ridge.

With so many birders in town this weekend, it is possible something unusual will be found; if so, this tape would be updated on Sunday evening, Sept 19, with that information. Otherwise, this tape is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on September 23. The phone number is (218) 525-5952, and callers can leave a message if they wish after the tone at the end of the tape. Also note that a message can be left without having to wait for the Birding Report to end: after the tape starts playing, push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound and you can leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), the state bird club, as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .

Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.

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