January 2012 & 2011 Duluth MBWeekends

Note: There have been several other winter MBWs based in Duluth since the 1980s; for additional information about these, contact eckertkr@gmail.com.

DULUTH III & DULUTH IV MBWs SUMMARY  /  January 7-8 and January 14-15, 2012

The highs on both days of Duluth III were around 30, a mere 10 degrees or so above normal....nice enough, but a bit disappointing. After all, the prevailing averages on days on either side of the weekend had been more like those of early April rather than January: with high temperatures in the 40s, it was more like 25 degrees above the norm!

Still, we managed to brave the elements and started out with an unsuccessful Varied Thrush vigil, with only a glimpse by me to show for our efforts. But our luck quickly changed with that N Hawk Owl along Hwy 61 in Lake Co, as we were relieved to find this bird which had eluded birders on the two previous days. After lunch, we returned to Duluth to study gulls (6 species) at Canal Park, before a quick run up to the Sax-Zim Bog. Though none of the Great Grays seen that morning reappeared, there was a brief look by a few at a Hoary Redpoll, and everyone had prolonged views of a cooperative Boreal Chickadee or two.

Our 6:00 am start on Sunday was rewarded with a male Spruce Grouse standing in the road in the traditional area up on Lake County Rd 2. We then headed towards Isabella where some feeders along Hwy 1 provided numerous Pine Grosbeaks (plus a few Evenings briefly seen by some) and great looks by all at a classic and unambiguous Hoary Redpoll. The workings of an Am 3-toed Woodpecker seen the day before a couple miles away were much in evidence, though the bird itself was a no-show, but still we had brief views of both crossbills along this road.

As we returned to Duluth, a call from Peder Svingen alerted us that he and Karl Bardon relocated the 4th-state-record Glaucous-winged Gull which had not been seen for a week, and it was still waiting for us when we arrived at Canal Park, for our 7th gull species on this MBW – and a new addition (#356) to our all-time composite list! (In addition, our total of 41 species netted $205 for the Sax-Zim Bog Brrrdathon – thanks to those of you who donated to the cause.) 

On the Duluth IV MBW, the weather on Saturday was close to normal and less newsworthy, though on Sunday afternoon the temperatures reached into the balmy 30s. And it was still disorienting to have little or no snow on the ground except for those measly few inches up around Isabella.

This second weekend had a more exciting start than the first one as I spotted a Snowy Owl along Garfield Ave en route to the meeting place, and everyone was scrambled together in time to return to the site and see the owl nicely at close range. As I later learned from Dave Evans, it was an adult female, good ol' number 23, banded as an adult by in 2008. As we watched the owl, a Peregrine flew over in pursuit of an an eagle and perched high on one of the grain elevators. (We later heard that other birders had seen something about the same time at the same place – probably this bird – which they reported as a Gyrfalcon.)

Next, the Varied Thrush proved no more cooperative than on Duluth III, but the N Hawk Owl was still there. It had moved a mile or so to a less conspicuous perch by the Gooseberry River bridge and caught a small mammal or two in the snow-free grass as we watched. Back in Duluth, before listing all 7 gull species at Canal Park (again including the Glaucous-winged with Peder's assistance), we learned that the male Barrow's Goldeneye seen back on the Duluth CBC was relocated on the lake at 23rd Ave East, and it was still there for us.

Our afternoon up in Sax-Zim provided a Hoary Redpoll still at the feeders on Blue Spruce Rd (this time all of us saw it well), and Boreal Chickadees were still coming to the suet on Admiral Rd, but once again we were unable to spot any Great Grays at dusk in the three areas we tried.

Our pre-dawn Spruce Grouse run on Sunday was not the success it had been on Duluth III. Three other birding vehicles there also came up empty, possible because of an unexpected and unusual number of "aliens" driving the same road. Next, the feeders at 9440 Hwy 1 were not as active as the week before, but this time that Am Three-toed a few miles away eventually came into view just as we were about to give up. Back in Duluth, most again tried in vain for that Varied Thrush before heading home, but a nice and unexpected consolation there was an obvious male Hoary Redpoll. 

         

BIRD LIST 

III = seen on Duluth III MBW (41 species + 1 leader-only)

IV = seen on Duluth IV MBW (45 species)

Mallard     III, IV

Bufflehead     III, IV

Common Goldeneye     III, IV

Barrow's Goldeneye     IV

Common Merganser     IV

Red-breasted Merganser     IV

Ruffed Grouse     III, IV

Spruce Grouse     III

Bald Eagle     III, IV

Red-tailed Hawk     III, IV

Rough-legged Hawk     III, IV

Peregrine Falcon     IV

Ring-billed Gull     III, IV

Herring Gull     III, IV

Thayer's Gull     III, IV

Iceland Gull     III, IV

Glaucous-winged Gull     III, IV

Glaucous Gull     III, IV

Great Black-backed Gull     III, IV

Rock Pigeon     III, IV

Snowy Owl     IV

Northern Hawk Owl     III, IV

Downy Woodpecker     III, IV

Hairy Woodpecker     III, IV

American Three-toed Woodpecker     IV

Pileated Woodpecker     III, IV

Northern Shrike     IV

Gray Jay     III, IV

Blue Jay     III, IV

American Crow     III, IV

Common Raven     III, IV

Black-capped Chickadee     III, IV

Boreal Chickadee     III, IV

Red-breasted Nuthatch     III, IV

White-breasted Nuthatch     III, IV

American Robin     III

Varied Thrush     III (leader-only)

European Starling     III, IV

Cedar Waxwing    IV

White-throated Sparrow     III

Dark-eyed Junco     III, IV

Northern Cardinal     III, IV

Pine Grosbeak     III, IV

Red Crossbill     III

White-winged Crossbill     III, IV

Common Redpoll     III, IV

Hoary Redpoll     III, IV

Pine Siskin     IV

American Goldfinch     III, IV

Evening Grosbeak     III

House Sparrow     III, IV

*          *          *

Great Gray Owl silhouette at sunset, Sax-Zim Bog / Linda Sparling photo

DULUTH III MBW SUMMARY  ~  JANUARY 8-9, 2011 

The sun has now officially set on the 2010-2011 MBW season, our 25th year, and I think we went out in style! I admit it was too cold & windy & relatively birdless in Duluth on Saturday morning, but the wind died down and the birding definitely picked up in the afternoon in the Sax-Zim Bog. Before leaving town, in Duluth we did manage a distant, fly-by, seen-by-a-few Peregrine Falcon, and there was a nice side-by-side view of Iceland and Thayer's gulls, but little else. (We had hoped that Friday's N Saw-whet Owl would remain in place overnight, but no such luck.)

But in the Bog, there was certainly plenty to see, highlighted by that completely unexpected Am Three-toed Woodpecker on McDavitt Rd. Also on McDavitt were that N Hawk Owl and not one, but two, Great Grays in hunting mode as the sun set. We also had time to track down several Ruffed Grouse, a Rough-legged Hawk, N Shrike, Gray Jay, Black-billed Magpie, a couple of Boreal Chickadees at Admiral Rd's suet feeders, a few Snow Buntings (seen by those in the Brett & Janice vehicle), and Pine Grosbeak.

At dawn on Sunday, most of us elected to do the pre-dawn drive up Lake Co Rd 2 to Hwy 1, Spruce Rd, and Ely.

Sure, it was cold (Ely's low that morning was -22), but it was calm, and the birding did not disappoint. Of course, those two Spruce Grouse were certainly our best find (one of them was especially close & confiding), and in Ely that cooperative Varied Thrush was waiting for us, along with a lone Bohemian Waxwing, some Evening Grosbeaks, plus our best looks at Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls.

On the way back to Two Harbors, Jim Lind et al. spotted another N Hawk Owl along Hwy 1, while back in Duluth (now sunny and +20 degrees) Glaucous and Great Black-backed gulls were waiting for some of us at Canal Park. Meanwhile, Jerry & Jim and David & Ann elected to visit Aitkin Co on Sunday, despite the absence of Proper Adult Supervision, where Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker (found by Jerry & Jim on Hedbom Forest Rd), and another Varied Thrush were added to our composite list. (Also note that Dave Johnson turned up a Townsend's Solitaire eating crabapples on Monday in downtown Duluth by the county courthouse!)

Thanks to all of you for picking up a BirdNation brochure (http://www.birdnation.org; a.k.a. Friends of Sax-Zim Bog), and I hope a few of you consider sending Sparky Stensaas your support. Of course, special thanks is due to Jim Lind who ably filled the role so often manned by Craig Mandel – although Jim failed miserably to provide me with any reason for firing him! As always, thanks to all for coming along, especially MBW first-timers Bruce Christiansen (now well on his way to lifer #2,000), Cyndi Elias, Elizabeth & Ted Heston, Dan Lorenz, David Luth & Ann Inouye, Jim Peterson, and Mark Tervo. And finally, thanks to Ray & Linda who (perhaps unknowingly!) generously contributed photos for this summary.  

BIRD LIST (47 species, not incl. Friday's N Saw-whet Owl or Monday's Townsend's Solitaire)

American Black Duck

Mallard

Common Goldeneye

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Ruffed Grouse

Spruce Grouse

Bald Eagle

Rough-legged Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Herring Gull

Thayer's Gull

Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Rock Pigeon

Mourning Dove (Aitkin Co only)

Northern Hawk Owl

Barred Owl (Aitkin Co only)

Great Gray Owl

[Northern Saw-whet Owl - seen by Conny & Susan on Friday]

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Aitkin Co only)

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

American Three-toed Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker (Aitkin Co only)

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Shrike

Gray Jay

Blue Jay

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

[Townsend's Solitaire - seen by Dave Johnson on Monday]

American Robin

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Bohemian Waxwing

Snow Bunting

Pine Grosbeak

Purple Finch

Common Redpoll

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Evening Grosbeak

House Sparrow

PHOTO GALLERY (images presented in chronological order)

Northern Saw-whet Owl, Duluth / Kim Eckert photo. Although not present

during the MBW, it was seen by MBWers Conny & Susan the day before,

January 7.

Ruffed Grouse, Sax-Zim Bog / Ray Tervo photo

Northern Hawk Owl, Sax-Zim Bog / Ray Tervo photo

American Three-toed Woodpecker, Sax-Zim Bog / Ray Tervo photo

Boreal Chickadee, Sax-Zim Bog / Ray Tervo photo

Spruce Grouse (immature male), Lake County / Kim Eckert photo. Note white 

barring on tips of upper tail coverts and limited amount of rust on tail tip; 

according to the Geographic and Sibley field guides, these are features of 

the "Franklin's" subspecies of the western U.S.-Canada, which does not

occur in Minnesota.

Bohemian Waxwing, Ely / Linda Sparling photo