-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *May 25, 2013 *MNDU1305.25 -Birds mentioned Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Red-throated Loon Eared Grebe Western Grebe Green Heron Virginia Rail Sora Semipalmated Plover American Avocet Whimbrel Red Knot Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Wilson's Phalarope Little Gull Black Tern Common Nighthawk Olive-sided Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Sedge Wren Gray-cheeked Thrush Golden-winged Warbler Connecticut Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Canada Warbler Lark Bunting Scarlet Tanager Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: May 25, 2013 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind ([log in to unmask]) This is the Duluth Birding Report for May 25th, 2013 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. A state-high count of 377 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS was tallied in Duluth on the 22nd, with 271 seen by Greg Garmer at Leif Erikson Park, and 106 counted by Karl Bardon at the same time at Park Point. A state-high total of 27 SURF SCOTERS was also seen on the 22nd, as well as seven BLACK SCOTERS and 98 RED-THROATED LOONS. Yet another record was broken on May 20th with 1,447 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS counted at Park Point. Cold, wet, and windy weather caused extended fallout conditions at Park Point between the 19th and the 22nd. Peder Svingen, Mike Hendrickson, and Jan and Larry Kraemer saw 24 warbler species on the 19th, and had record high counts of 43 VEERIES and 135 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. Karl Bardon saw 25 warbler species on the 21st, including a record-high count of 452 PALM WARBLERS. An adult LITTLE GULL was seen by Mike Hendrickson on the 21st near the Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point and Peder Svingen found an immature LITTLE GULL on the same day on the Minnesota side of the Superior Entry. Both birds were seen on the 25th by Jan and Larry Kraemer near the end of Park Point. Mike Hendrickson saw 11 RED-THROATED LOONS on the 21st and a WESTERN GREBE on the 18th at Park Point. JG Bennett reported a RED KNOT and EARED GREBE at Park Point on the 23rd. Jan and Larry Kraemer saw a flock of 19 WHIMBREL fly over Park Point on the 22nd. They also saw a WILSON'S PHALAROPE on the 21st in Kingsbury Creek in west Duluth. A LARK BUNTING was reported on the 18th in Grand Marais near the Sven and Ole's restaurant, but I don’t have any other details. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS have been reported at several spots in northeast Minnesota during the past week, including Two Harbors, Babbitt, Moose Lake Road east of Ely, and Grand Lake Township north of Duluth. The WESTERN GREBE at Burlington Bay in Two Harbors was still present on the 22nd, and two EARED GREBES were seen on the 22nd at Agate Bay. Steve and Jo Blanich found an AMERICAN AVOCET in Aitkin County on the 18th west of Aitkin on Eagle Street, 0.8 mile west of mile post 42874. Another was seen in Crow Wing County on the 21st along the shore of Mille Lacs Lake in Garrison. Recent spring arrivals in the past week include GREEN HERON, VIRGINIA RAIL, SORA, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, BLACK TERN, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, PHILADELPHIA VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO, SEDGE WREN, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER, SCARLET TANAGER, and BOBOLINK. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, May 30th. 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.