-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*April 30, 2009
*MNDU0904.30

-Birds mentioned -Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: April 30, 2009
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 834-2858
Compiler: Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 30th, 2009 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Twenty-six RED-THROATED LOONS flew past Karl Bardon and others at the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth on the 25th. This is one of the earliest spring dates for this species, as well as one of the highest counts in the state. Peder Svingen also saw three RED-THROATED LOONS on the same day flying north at the Lafayette Square 31st Street access on Park Point. Jan and Larry Kraemer saw a RED-THROATED LOON at Wisconsin Point on the 25th. On the 28th, 21 RED-THROATED LOONS migrated past the West Skyline Hawk Count site.

Peder Svingen found a WILLET on the 30th at the Lafayette Square 31st Street access on Park Point. He saw two first-cycle ICELAND GULLS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL on the 24th at the Superior landfill. On the 25th he saw GREAT-BACKED GULL, THAYER'S GULLS, GLAUCOUS GULLS, and one of the ICELAND GULLS at the Superior landfill. Flocks of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS continue to be seen by several observers around the Duluth area, including 166 seen on the 25th at the West Skyline Hawk Count.

Cindy Edwardson had two VESPER SPARROWS on the 25th in her yard near the UMD campus. Another VESPER SPARROW was seen on the 30th at a feeder on the 300 block of 2nd Avenue in Two Harbors. Gordy Martinson still has a male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER coming to his feeders near Oak and Maxwell Street in Lakewood Township.

Carol Tveekrum had a record-early INDIGO BUNTING on the 24th at her feeders in Schroeder, Cook County. Carol also reported seeing several flocks of LONG-TAILED DUCKS in the area.

New arrivals this week include AMERICAN BITTERN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, BONAPARTE'S GULL, BROWN THRASHER, PINE WARBLER, CHIPPING SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and SWAMP SPARROW.

The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is looking for observations and locations of nesting raptors in the city of Duluth. Reports should be sent ASAP to assure time for nesting observations to occur. Please contact Frank Nicoletti either by phone at (218) 724-0758 or by e-mail at fnicoletti@hawkridge.org

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, May 7th.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum, e-mail us at mou@moumn.org, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. --====1241146554====--