-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*February 5, 2009
*MNDU0902.05

-Birds mentioned
Gadwall
White-winged Scoter
Barrow's Goldeneye
Spruce Grouse
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Boreal Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Bohemian Waxwing
Hoary Redpoll
Evening Grosbeak
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: February 5, 2009
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 834-2858
Compiler: Jim Lind ([log in to unmask])

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, February 5th, 2009
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was relocated by Peder Svingen on the 1st on
Lake Superior near 21st Avenue East in Duluth. Peder also found a
first-cycle ICELAND GULL, a third- or fourth-cycle GREAT BLACK-BACKED
GULL, and an adult and two first-cycle GLAUCOUS GULLS behind the WLSSD
wastewater treatment plant off 27th Avenue West. He also saw a GADWALL
on the 1st at Canal Park. Frank Berdan reported an apparent WHITE-WINGED
SCOTER on the 1st along Scenic Highway 61, 0.3 mile southwest of the
McQuade Road (CR 33). The TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE along the Flynn Road (CR
282) was relocated on the 4th, 0.6 mile east of the McQuade Road.

A BOREAL OWL was found on the 31st west of Two Harbors along the Valley
Road (CR 11). Dave Zumeta heard a calling NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL in
Carlton County on the 4th at the Cloquet Forestry Center along CR 5.
Rebecca Schubert saw a SNOWY OWL on the 31st on an ice floe at Park
Point in Duluth.

A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen on the 4th along Scenic Highway 61, 0.2
mile west of the Larsmont Road. Another was seen on the 3rd in Two
Harbors at the golf course along CR 2. Paul Sundberg found a NORTHERN
HAWK OWL on the 1st along MN Highway 61 in Silver Bay at the AmericInn.
Kim Eckert found one west of Two Harbors along the Stanley Road (CR 9),
0.7 miles east of the county line. Karen Sussman found one on the 31st
north of Chisholm along MN Highway 73 at mile marker 111. Harry Hutchins
found a NORTHERN HAWK OWL in Carlton County on the 4th along MN Highway
73 at mile marker 27, just north of Cromwell. It was seen again on the
5th by Shawn Conrad. The NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the Airport Road was
relocated by Margaret Rakowski on the 31st, 0.25 mile east of the Haines
Road. Debbie Waters and others saw what may have been the same bird on
the 31st on the Stebner Road just east of U.S. Highway 53.

Jan Green found a HOARY REDPOLL on the 3rd at her feeders along the Old
North Shore Road in Duluth Township. One was seen on the 2nd on the 300
block of 2nd Avenue in Two Harbors. Shawn Conrad saw one on the 30th in
Itasca County at the Effie Café near MN Highways 1 and 38. Mike
Hendrickson had six HOARY REDPOLLS on the 1st at feeders in the Sax-Zim
Bog: two along the Admiral Road (CR 788), one along the Arkola Road (CR
52), one along Owl Avenue (CR 203), and two at the Blue Spruce Road (CR
211).

Most of the other species of interest in the Sax-Zim bog continue to be
seen at the usual locations, although GREAT GRAY OWLS have become more
difficult to find. Mike Hendrickson found one on the 3rd at Owl Avenue
(CR 202) and Correction Line Road (CR 29), and Debbie Waters and others
briefly saw one along the McDavitt Road on the 31st. The NORTHERN HAWK
OWL along CR 7 within 0.5 mile of the Sax Road (CR 28) continues to be
seen, as well as the one along the McDavitt Road, 1.2 miles north of the
Sax Road. Both AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER and BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKERS are still being seen along the McDavitt Road, 3.1 miles
north of the Sax Road. BOREAL CHICKADEES and HOARY REDPOLLS are being
seen at the feeding station along the Admiral Road (CR 788), 3.8 miles
north of the Sax Road. Up to five BOREAL CHICKADEES have been seen at a
feeder along the Arkola Road, a mile east of Owl Avenue. EVENING
GROSBEAKS are being seen at the feeders along the Blue Spruce Road (CR
211) a mile north of CR 133.

Kim Eckert and others found a SPRUCE GROUSE in Lake County on the 30th
along MN Highway 1, 12 miles northwest of CR 2 at mile marker 299.1.
They also saw an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER along the Spruce Road,
0.6 mile east of MN Highway 1, which was relocated on the 3rd by Mike
Hendrickson. Mike also saw four SPRUCE GROUSE on the 3rd along Lake
County Road 2, 1.5 miles south of CR 15. Bill Tefft saw a BOHEMIAN
WAXWING flock in Ely on the 1st at the west end of Washington Street.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, February
12th.

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.