This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, February 10, 2005, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Bill Marengo, Esther Gesick, and Nadilia Gomez found a GYRFALCON on the 6th in Aitkin Cty at the intersection of Cty Rds 5 and 18. The bird flew south and has not been reported since. Steve and Jo Blanich had a BOREAL OWL in their yard in the town of Deerwood in Crow Wing County on the 8th. Another Boreal was seen at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge on the 8th near the Rice River Bridge. Mike Hendrickson found another Boreal in the town of Cotton on the 7th. The bird was in the trees across the road from the highway maintenance garage along Cty Rd 52 (Arkola Rd) just west of Hwy 53. GREAT GRAY OWLS and NORTHERN HAWK OWLS are still abundant across northeastern, north central, and east central Minnesota, though they are apparently not out in daylight as much as they were earlier in the season. Warren Nelson and others reported that there were fewer Great Grays and Hawk Owls in Aitkin Cty over the weekend, although one could still see dozens in a day's birding. Warren also reported seeing SNOW BUNTINGS at several locations and 2 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS at the Rabey Tree Farm along Hwy 200 in northern Aitkin Cty. Dan Amerman reported that several large flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have been in the Lester Park neighborhood at the far east end of Duluth over the past few days. He also reported seeing WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK at least three times along Seven Bridges Road. Sparky Stensaas saw a flock of over 600 Bohemian Waxwings in Moose Lake in Carlton Cty on the 6th. Mike Hendrickson reported both RED CROSSBILLS and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS at the Cloquet Forestry Center Office. From Duluth Take I-35 south to Hwy 210 and go west to Co. Rd 5, then north on Co. Rd 5 for 2 miles. The 2 HARLEQUIN DUCKS are still at Agate Bay in Two Harbors. A HOARY REDPOLL has been seen at a feeder along Cty Rd 9 west of Two Harbors. COMMON REDPOLLS are abundant in Duluth. BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been seen by several observers again this week on the footpath that goes west from McDavitt Rd in Sax-Zim, 2.6 miles north of the Sax Rd. Tom Auer reported 7 LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Grand Marais on the 6th. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, February 17. The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030. 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 to m...@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.
