-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*December 18, 2008
*MNDU0812.18

-Birds mentioned
Long-tailed Duck
Peregrine Falcon
Thayer's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Carolina Wren
Eastern Bluebird
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: December 18, 2008
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 834-2858
Compiler: Jim Lind ([log in to unmask])

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 18th, 2008
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be reported from northern Minnesota,
especially in the Sax-Zim Bog. Sparky Stensaas relocated one on the 18th
on the Nichols Lake Road, 1.5 miles east of CR 7, and Ben Yokel saw one
on West Melrude Road (CR 59), 1.5 miles east of US Highway 53. Ben also
had a report of a GREAT GRAY OWL along the East Melrude Road, about two
miles north of the Comstock Lake Road (CR 52). Sparky found a NORTHERN
HAWK OWL on the 18th at the Sax Road (CR 28) and CR 7. He also found at
least two BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS along the McDavitt Road (CR 213) 3.5
miles south of the Zim Road (CR 27). Dave Alexander and Frank Nicoletti
found single NORTHERN HAWK OWLS along US Highway 71 in Koochiching
County just south of Big Falls and just north of Little Fork.

Gary Kuyava found a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 13th at the passenger
entrance to the Duluth International Airport at the north end of Haines
Road. Dave Alexander and Frank Nicoletti saw what may have been the same
individual on the 16th along the road into the landfill off Rice Lake
Road (CR 4) in north Duluth. Mike Heib reported a SNOWY OWL on the 18th
along the St. Louis River at 40th Avenue West. Peder Svingen saw one on
the 17th at the Port Terminal near the cement plant. Peder also saw two
PEREGRINE FALCONS on the 18th on the Blatnik Bridge.

Kim Eckert found a LONG-TAILED DUCK on the 18th at the mouth of the
Lester River in east Duluth. Peder Svingen saw a first-cycle GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL, an adult GLAUCOUS GULL, and an adult THAYER'S GULL at
Canal Park on the 16th. A NORTHERN FLICKER was reported earlier this
week at a feeder along Stuart Circle near the UMD campus.

Sherry Miner saw a CAROLINA WREN on the 12th at her home on Wabana Lake
in Itasca County. Ken Zimmer photographed an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on the
18th on Audrey Lane at McKinney Lake in Itasca County.

The Duluth Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 20,
2008. The rescheduled Two Harbors Christmas Bird Count will be held the
next day on Sunday, December 21. Anyone interested in participating in
either count should contact compiler Jim Lind at (218) 834-3199 or by
e-mail at [log in to unmask]

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Monday, December
22nd.

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 [log in to unmask], or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org.