-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *March 23, 2012 *MNDU1203.23 -Birds mentioned Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Tundra Swan Gadwall American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Hooded Merganser Sandhill Crane Purple Sandpiper Horned Lark Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird Lapland Longspur Yellow-rumped Warbler American Tree Sparrow Song Sparrow Harris's Sparrow -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: March 23, 2012 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind ([log in to unmask]) This is the Duluth Birding Report for March 23rd, 2012 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. A PURPLE SANDPIPER was photographed by Heidi Pinkerton on the 17th at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, but it has not been relocated. From the main park entrance, follow the signs to the campground and take the gravel trail heading east towards the lake from the campground parking lot. The bird was seen at the base of the small island southwest of the lighthouse. A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was found by Eric Daigre on the 15th in the Grand Marais harbor and it was still present on the 20th. Andy Nyhus saw two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the 18th east of Grand Marais along MN Highway 61 at Five Mile Rock, and two LONG-TAILED DUCKS at Agate Bay in Two Harbors. Al Loken saw eight GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on the 17th at Mud Lake in Gary New-Duluth. Dave Carman and Peder Svingen saw two SANDHILL CRANES on the 17th at the West Skyline Hawk Count. Kim Eckert still has an overwintering HARRIS'S SPARROW in his neighborhood near UMD along the 1900 block of West Kent Road. New arrivals in the area during the past week include SNOW GOOSE, TUNDRA SWAN, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREATER SCAUP, LESSER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, HORNED LARK, WINTER WREN, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and SONG SPARROW. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, March 29th. 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.