-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *February 18, 2016 *MNDU1602.18 -Birds mentioned Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Spruce Grouse Red-necked Grebe Black-legged Kittiwake Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull American Three-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Gyrfalcon Bohemian Waxwing White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Hoary Redpoll -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: February 18, 2016 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind ([log in to unmask]) This is the Duluth Birding Report for February 18th, 2016 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. An immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was found by Beko Binder and Keith Bailey on the 15th at Agate Bay in Two Harbors, but it has not been seen since the 15th. This may be same individual seen in recent weeks in Duluth, which was last reported on the 12th. An ICELAND GULL and two THAYER'S GULLS were seen flying over downtown Two Harbors on the 12th, and both species are still being seen at Canal Park in Duluth on a regular basis. Clinton Nienhaus and others found a female-plumaged HARLEQUIN DUCK on the 13th at Agate Bay in Two Harbors, but it has not been seen since the 13th. Brad Abdenroth and Tony Lau found a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on the 16th at Burlington Bay in Two Harbors and it was seen again on the 17th. Doug Kieser and Scott Meyer saw a RED-NECKED GREBE at Burlington Bay on the 15th. Eight LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen at Burlington Bay on the 17th and 12 were seen at Agate Bay on the 18th. Clinton and others saw an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER and a SPRUCE GROUSE on the 13th along Lake County Road 2 at the Sand River. Mike Hendrickson saw a SPRUCE GROUSE and two HOARY REDPOLLS on the 13th along CR 2 at the north end of Greenwood Lake. Sparky Stensaas saw a SPRUCE GROUSE on the 16th on the Spruce Road, 0.2 mile east of MN Highway 1. Aaron Steed saw three BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS along the Spruce Road on the 17th. A juvenile gray morph and a gray adult male GYRFALCON have both been reported around the grain elevators in the Duluth Port Terminal and near the Peavey elevator and Connor's Point off US Highway 53 in Superior. The GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW at 44th Avenue East and Regent Street in the Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth was reported as recently as the 15th. Birders are welcome to look for the bird but the homeowner asks observers to stay on the sidewalk and not venture into his yard. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW has also been seen in the same neighborhood. A flock of 225 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS was found by Richard Hoeg on the 18th along Scenic Highway 61 on the east side of the McQuade Road public access. A large flock continues to be seen on the West Knife River Road between the App Road and the north end of the Homestead Road in Duluth Township. Other flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have been reported in the past week at the Lakewood Pumping Station, along Valhalla Drive and at Chester Park near UMD, along East Arrowhead Road in the Woodland neighborhood, at Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors, and in Ely. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, February 25th. This report is compiled from MOU-net postings, local eBird checklists, various Facebook group pages (some of which may require joining), and personal contacts. Please follow the links below for the most up-to-date information: MOU-net: http:[log in to unmask] eBird: http://ebird.org/ebird/places Facebook group pages: Minnesota Ornithologists Union: https://www.facebook.com/groups/moumn.group/ Minnesota Birding: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mnbirding/ Minnesota Rare Bird Alert: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570731239835376/ Northeast Minnesota Birding: https://www.facebook.com/groups/177159692431348/ Sax-Zim Bog: https://www.facebook.com/groups/saxzimbog/ Duluth Phenology: https://www.facebook.com/groups/duluthphenology/ Information about bird sightings may be sent to the Duluth Rare Bird Alert at [log in to unmask] 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, write us c/o the Bell Museum, e-mail us at [log in to unmask], or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org.