This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, September 8th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
An adult LITTLE GULL was found by Peder Svingen on September 2nd, near Lafayette Square on the lakeside of 31st Street on Park Point. It was relocated on the afternoon of the 3rd and again on 4th. Peder also found a juvenile SABINE'S GULL at the same location on the 4th, and a juvenile RED KNOT on the 3rd on the lakeside of Park Point southeast of the airport. This may be the same individual found by Ryan Brady on August 26th. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SANDERLINGS, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and two BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were also seen by several observers on Park Point over the weekend. On September 3rd Janet Riegle found AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, STILT SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS at 40th Avenue West, in the wetlands between the railroad tracks and the freeway. A female ORCHARD ORIOLE was reported by Rebecca George on the morning of the 6th at the corner of 47th Avenue East and Tioga Street in East Duluth. HORNED GREBES were found at Knife River on the 6th, and Peder Svingen saw a RED-NECKED GREBE at Park Point and the first AMERICAN PIPITS of the season on the 3rd. An AMERICAN COOT was seen on Lake Superior on the 7th by Tom Auer. Two GREAT EGRETS are being seen daily at the Two Harbors golf course ponds, where one had been seen since August 29th. A separate individual was seen this morning flying past Hawk Ridge in Duluth. Two SWAINSON'S HAWKS were seen at Hawk Ridge on the 6th and SANDHILL CRANES flew by the Ridge on the 3rd and the 7th. A record-high 271 passerines were banded on the 7th at the banding station, taking this fall's total over last fall's, with nearly two months left in the banding season. Also on the 7th, hundreds of dead songbirds were found by boaters, fishermen and DNR personnel on Lake Superior between the Brule River and Grand Marais in Cook County. The birds were found floating among leaves, branches and other debris about a quarter to half mile from shore. The cause is not known, but it may have been due to a localized weather event. Anyone who might have additional information from the area can call the Duluth RBA or post the information to MOU-net. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, September 15th. 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 to [email protected], or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org.
