[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, July 30, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, July 30
sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may
also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

As the summer birding season winds down, the weather is getting warmer,
and the birds are not singing much anymore, but instead are
concentrating on storing up energy for the long migration, and getting
young birds ready to fly south. Shorebirds are reappearing after their
brief breeding season in the far north. A few areas in the northwest
have habitat for shorebirds- there is some habitat available and in use
by birds in the interior of Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, some at
Hamden Slough NWR, and there are shorebirds at the Roseau River WMA in
northern Roseau County. Other spots are the potholes in farm fields
which appear and reappear as rains keep them moist, and which are
somewhat unpredictable.

>From Otter Tail County, Dave Sorgen found a TURKEY VULTURE and a
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO on July 22nd.

Becker County species reported by Craig Mandel included a WESTERN
KINGBIRD seen along US highway 10 1.5 miles east of CR 24 on July 22nd.
Mary Wyatt reported that she had six species of warblers at her water
feature in the yard this weekend. At Hamden NWR there were 19 GREAT BLUE
HERONS on the weekend, and ten species of shorebirds were increasing in
numbers. A COMMON LOON was seen in a lake near to the Hesby Wetland.

Craig Mandel led a group which birded in Norman County on the weekend of
July 23 -25th. Among the birds found there was a pair of TRUMPETER SWANS
with four cygnets one mile north and 3/4 of a mile west of the
intersection of CR 40 and CR37. Six GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS were
observed along the west side of CR 28  a half mile south of CR 39. A
LEAST BITTERN was heard calling on the east side of CR 40 one mile south
of CR 29. A pair of SHORT-EARED OWLS, first seen by Ron Erpelding, was
found on the west side of CR 158, three-quarters of a mile north of
CR39. A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE  was seen near the intersection of CR 27 and
CR 24. For this bird go 1.25 miles east and one quarter mile south of
the above intersection. LE CONTE'S SPARROWS were also heard in Norman
County in the Neal WMA.

In Mahnomen County, the Craig Mandel group saw a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE
along CR 12, one half mile north of CR 13.

In Pennington County, Wayne Koland found a BALD EAGLE in a field along
Johnson Drive near Thief River Falls on Thursday.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, Kari Odefey did
a shorebird count on July 25th.  She recorded 437 individuals on Middle
CCC Pool including 9 KILLDEER, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 258 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 23 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 47 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 25 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS, and 29 DOWITCHER sp. Also in Marshall County, Linda
Lindemoen reported that the MERLINS have nested again in her yard, and
there are now six of them flying about in her yard northeast of
Newfolden.=20

>From Roseau River WMA, Melanie Torkelson reported a pair of TRUMPETER
SWANS on Pool 2, and 100-200 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS on Pool 1 east. A
pair of BALD EAGLES with one juvenile was seen on the Roseau River. A
GREAT GRAY OWL has been seen one mile northwest of the headquarters.

Thanks to Craig Mandel, Maggie Anderson, Kari Odefey, Dave Sorgen, Linda
Lindemoen, Wayne Koland, Mary Wyatt, Melanie Torkelson, and Alex Wendorf
for their reports.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than
Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com OR call the Detroit Lakes
Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders
please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took
place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the
subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report
is Friday, August 6, 2004.