This is the Duluth Birding Report for Wednesday, May 19th, 2004, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Several rarities were reported this week in Northeastern Minnesota. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, none of the following are still being seen: Steve Foss had a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at his feeders in Ely; the last report was from the 14th. The PAINTED BUNTING in Hoyt Lakes was last seen on the 13th. Maya Hammady reported a BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK seen at her feeders in Grand Rapids on the 13th and 14th. Dave Lothner saw a male SUMMER TANAGER at Prairie Portage on the Canadian border on the 15th. Shawn Conrad reported a LARK BUNTING from Nashwauk on the 16th, and at Wisconsin Point, Kristi Bond reported a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL on the 17th. In Duluth, Peder Svingen found an adult ROSS' GOOSE at Interstate Island, along with 65 MARBLED GODWITS on the 17th. The same day, a dozen species of shorebirds were at other locations in Duluth, including 5 HUDSONIAN GODWITS at Hearding Island and a flock of WHIMBRELS at 40th Ave W. Mike Hendrickson found a RED-THROATED LOON on the 14th. In Lake Cty, Peder found a dozen species of shorebirds on the 18th, including 22 WHIMBRELS and 1 RED KNOT at Knife River. Denny Martin found a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Knife River and two NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. In Cook Cty, Dory Spence reported a FIELD SPARROW and a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD from Schroeder on the 17th, Josh Watson reported a LAPLAND LONGSPUR from Grand Marais on the 15th, and Suzanne Gucciardo saw 14 LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Grand Marais on the 14th. Audrey Evers reported a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER from Hoyt Lakes on the 13th and 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES at the Biwabik sewage ponds on the 15th. Michele McDowell found a PIPING PLOVER north of Aitkin on the 18th. This report will be updated on Friday at 5:30 on the phone line only with stakeouts for the Hawk Ridge Birdathon. It will be updated again on Sunday with results from the birdathon. 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 of Natural History, 10 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, or send an e-mail to to m...@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.
