Bob Russell and I birded with Phil Stouffer (a visiting birder from LSU) around Duluth & vicinity today and saw a Great Gray Owl along the Hedbom Forest Rd, 3.7 mi W of the state forest road sign/gate. It was out hunting along the N side of the road about 4:30 pm. Other birds of note seen today:
- N Hawk Owl / still present on Rice Lake Rd, ~1/4 mi N of Martin Rd (in deciduous trees on E side of road) - Black-backed Woodpecker / in Sax-Zim Bog on Blue Spruce Rd, 0.6 mi N of CR 133 - Horned Lark / unexpected spring migrant along Floodwood Rd, ~1/2 mi E of Hedbom Forest Rd sign/gate - Boreal Chickadee / in Sax-Zim Bog on Blue Spruce Rd, 0.3 mi N of CR 133 (a few Com Redpolls also present) - White-winged Crossbill / in Sax-Zim Bog on Arkola Rd / CR 52, 1.1 mi E of Owl Ave - Evening Grosbeaks / in Sax-Zim Bog at 2 feeders along Nichols Lake Rd (just W of Hwy 53 & on the E side of the lake; Pine Grosbeaks also present) Besides the Horned Lark, other possible signs of spring today were a few Canada Geese in the Duluth harbor (which I don't think had been present since January?) and a Dark-eyed Junco in my yard (none present in the neighborhood until today). Kim Eckert
