Detroit Lakes RBA

Detroit Lakes RBA phone number: 1-800-433-1888

Previous reports: March 31 , April 0 15 20 28 , May 0 11 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore


-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*May 26, 2001
*MNDL0105.26

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: May 26, 2001
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Betsy Beneke (BetsyBeneke@lakesnet.net)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, May 25th, sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lakes Area Birding Club. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

A WHITE-EYED VIREO was found at the Buffalo River State Park in Clay County by Doug Johnson on the 24th. The bird was still present on the 25th. Location is at the far end of the picnic area parking lot to the south of the paved bicycle trail. It was moving around low in the trees and shrubs along the edge of the pond.

A CERULEAN WARBLER was still present and singing on territory at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Becker County on the 21st after being found by David Sorgen on the 19th. Location is at the dip in the road just before stop number 9 on the Blackbird Auto Tour Route.

A pair of PEREGRINE FALCONS are nesting on the Community First Bank building at Main Ave. and 4th St. in Fargo. The nest box is on the letter "F" and can best be seen from the parking lot of the Wells Fargo Bank. The male is also seen most afternoons roosting on the tall communications tower across the road.

At the Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge, several shorebirds continue to be seen in the Bisson Lake area which is at the junction of Becker CRs 13 and 14 west of Callaway. Species include: KILLDEER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILLET, MARBLED GODWIT, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER and DUNLIN.

The 5th Annual Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds was held May 18-20th. A total of 175 species were recorded during the weekend's field trips which went to Hamden Slough and Tamarac NWR's, Rothsay Prairie Complex, Felton Prairie/Ulen City Park and Itasca State Park. Highlights were American and least bitterns, 16 waterfowl species, Swainson's hawk, peregrine falcon, sandhill crane, 19 shorebirds species including 8 Hudsonian godwits, black-backed woodpecker, loggerhead shrike, 22 species of warblers including the cerulean and evening grosbeak.

Doug Jenness birded Clay County on the 19th and compiled a list of 70 species. Some interesting sightings included EARED GREBE at the American Crystal Sugar ponds, along with 10 species of shorebirds, and at the Felton Prairie were COMMON LOON, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, SWAINSON'S THRUSH and CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR ...and six trillion mosquitos.

On the 22nd, some birds reported by Blane Klemek from the Wetlands, Pines and Prairie Audubon Sanctuary in Polk Co. included: Wilson's, Canada, Magnolia, blackpoll and Cape May warblers, Philadelphia vireo, gray-cheeked thrush and nesting black-billed magpies.

At the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, a number of pools are in drawdown this summer and should provide good shorebird habitat. Check at the office for current information.

Beth Siverhus reported from the Warroad, Roseau County, area on the 25th. Birds in the area included: MOURNING WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, SCARLET TANAGER, WOOD THRUSH, HERMIT THRUSH, RED-EYED VIREO, and BLUE-HEADED VIREOS. Also, the GREAT GRAY OWL is regularly on its fence post perch off of CR 5, six miles south of Warroad. Beth also reminds everyone that the forest tent caterpillar population has exploded in the north, with caterpillars and their webs everywhere in the woods. The good part about the defoliation is that the warblers are easier to see!

The far northwest counties in Minnesota experienced cold temperatures into the 30's with rain and even snow mid-week. A number of tree, barn and cliff swallows were found dead in the region.

Thanks also to Steve & Diane Millard, Glenn Browne, Jeanie Joppru, Shelley Steva, Gary Tischer, Eddy Edwards, Connie Norheim, Sally Hausken, Bob O'Connor, Spencer Meeks, Dorothy Russell and others I may have missed!

If you have interesting birds to report, contact Betsy Beneke by e-mail, no later than Thursday each week, at: betsybeneke@lakesnet.net OR call the Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992.

The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, June 1st.




Return to Home Page