Duluth RBA

Duluth RBA phone number: 218-525-5952

Previous reports: October 21 28 , November 4 11 18 24 28 , December 2 9 16 19 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide 

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*December 23, 1999
*MNDU9912.23

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: December 23, 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, December 23, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

[As callers to the tape-recorded Birding Report are aware, there have been some technical problems with the message difficult to hear at times. If this situation does not improve, the machine may have to be repaired and the taped birding report would be temporarily out of service. If this happens, however, birding information would still be available from the Twin Cites birding report at 612-780-8890 or toll free at 800-657-3700. It will also still be posted on MOU-net, the listserve of the Minn. Ornithologists' Union, and on the MOU's website. You can also call Dave Benson -- who will be doing the December 30 birding report -- at 218-728-5812; or Mike Hendrickson at 218-626-2268.]

For the first time in 3 years, it looks like this will be a decent winter for northern owls in Minn. During the past few days, 4 GREAT GRAY OWLS and a currently reliable NORTHERN HAWK OWL have been reported. A SNOWY OWL was also seen in Duluth last weekend which might still be present, and that quite unexpected CAPE MAY WARBLER found on the Dec 18 Duluth Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was -- even more unexpectedly -- still alive as of yesterday.

The Great Grays reported on the Dec 16 Birding Report have apparently not been relocated by anyone: these had been seen along Aitkin Co Rd 18, in the Sax-Zim Bog near the intersection of St Louis Co Rds 29 and 204, and in Duluth along Rice Lake Rd near the airport. However, since the 16th, 4 more Great Grays have been reported: as reported on last Sunday's Birding Report, one of these was seen Dec 18 on the Duluth CBC on the archery club road which turns W off Eagle Lake Rd between Eagle L and Lismore Rd (this owl has not been reported again since then); in the Sax-Zim Bog 2 Great Grays were seen -- one of these on Dec 19 at the jct of Co Rds 52 and Owl Ave / Co Rd 203, and the other on Dec 21 on Co Rd 7, 2.4 mi N of Sax; and the 4th Great Gray was on Dec 19 along St Louis Co Rd 110, about 3 mi E of Hoyt Lakes.

The previously reported Northern Hawk Owl, which was first seen on Dec 13, was relocated on both Dec 21 and 22, so it will hopefully remain in the area for awhile yet. The location is in central St Louis Co along MN Hwy 135, about 1 mi W of Biwabik near the railroad overpass.

The Snowy Owl on the Dec 18 Duluth CBC was seen on the bay ice between the Port Terminal and Park Point, and it is also hoped that this owl will remain in the area during the coming weeks.

That amazing Cape May Warbler from the Duluth CBC was still surviving as of yesterday, despite temperatures well below zero most of this week, at the Plagemann feeder at 5101 North Shore Dr. This feeder is at the corner of Scenic Hwy 61 and 96th Ave E, and Mr Plagemann has said he welcomes birders to his yard to look for it -- although the feeder is visible from the road.

Besides the Great Gray and Snowy owls and Cape May Warbler, the best finds on the Dec 18 Duluth CBC were: late-lingering SNOW GOOSE, GREEN-WINGED TEAL and PEREGRINE FALCON in the Duluth harbor; a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL seen hunting along Skyline Pkwy at Hawk Ridge; a BOREAL CHICKADEE at the same location as the Cape May Warbler; and a HOARY REDPOLL at the Dawson feeder on the 5900 block of Arnold Rd. Also of note were a late GOLDEN EAGLE along W Skyline Pkwy, an ad THAYER'S GULL and a 2nd-winter hybrid GLAUCOUS GULL X HERRING GULL in the harbor, the only GRAY JAY unexpectedly at Park Point, a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS at Eagle L, and the only WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS unexpectedly at Canal Park.

Also belatedly reported was a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, which brings the CBC total to 55 species. Note as well that several species which are normally found on most Duluth counts were not reported by anyone on the 18th. These include Bufflehead, Glaucous Gull, Mourning Dove, Great Horned Owl, Brown Creeper, Varied Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, White-throated Sparrow, Com Grackle and Red Crossbill. If you are aware of any of these being seen in the Duluth area on Dec 18, please contact count compiler Jim Lind in Two Harbors at 834-3435, or e-mail him at .

Partly due to unfavorable weather, both the Dec 19 Two Harbors CBC and the Dec 20 Sax-Zim Bog CBC had relatively few significant finds. At Two Harbors 38 species were found, including BUFFLEHEAD, THAYER'S GULL, a late SONG SPARROW, and 2 HOARY REDPOLLS (seen at a feeder on Shilhon Rd, about 1 mi W of Homestead Rd). There were 24 species on the Sax-Zim count -- although no owls were seen, 2 late NORTHERN HARRIERS and higher-than-normal numbers of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were recorded.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, the Duluth Birding Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on December 30. 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 .



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