Detroit Lakes RBA

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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*October 28, 2004
*MNDL0410.28

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: October 28, 2004
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 29, 2004 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.

The last week's wet and gloomy weather seems to have speeded up the migration, and at the same time kept some birders inside. There are fewer reports this week, but we are getting second hand reports of owls. Please keep a look out for northern owls, as this is shaping up to be an invasion year. News from the north indicates that the rodent population has crashed, so owls will be moving south for food. Gretchen Mehmel reports that small mammal surveys in the Red Lake WMA indicate that the rodent populations have also hit a low there, so we hope there won't be starving when we see them.

Duane and Marilyn Olson reported a SNOW BUNTING from southern Becker County near Cormorant on October 27th.

>From Benjamin Fritchman who was birding in Clay County on October 23rd comes a report of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 113 AMERICAN PIPITS feeding in a yard in the northern part of the county, and a large flock of LAPLAND LONGSPURS numbering in the hundreds.

Bill Unzen observed a RED-BREASTED MERGANSER on Lake Bemidji in Beltrami County on October 23rd, and also found two BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on the campus of BSU in the city of Bemidji .

In Polk County, Bruce Flaig reported TRUMPETER SWAN, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. On a North Dakota listserve a SNOWY OWL was reported by Dick Kappedal about 10 miles east of East Grand Forks in Polk County this week- I have no confirmation , or news of anyone else finding this bird.

Two EARED GREBES spent much of the week at the 8th Street bridge over the Thief River in Thief River Falls in Pennington County.

I have a secondhand report of a SNOWY OWL seen on October 19th in Excel township of Marshall County two miles west from CR 12 along CR 7, and 2 1/2 miles south. Mary and Steve Broten saw a flock of 20-30 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS about six miles south of Newfolden on October 23rd. At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on October 24th, I found two BALD EAGLES, a MERLIN, two GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and a flock of twenty SNOW BUNTINGS. A large assortment of AMERICAN COOTS and ducks that included a large number of AMERICAN WIGEON was also there. Diana Morkassel has four immature and two adult NORTHERN CARDINALS at her place near Warren, along with RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, HARRIS'S SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and other migrants.

Melanie Torkelson reported that one of the employees of the Roseau River WMA found a GREAT GRAY OWL one mile east of the intersection of CR 118 and State Highway 89. This report was received October 28th, but the date of the sighting was not given.

Thanks to Bill Unzen, Benjamin Fritchman, Mary Broten, Duane and Marilyn Olson, Cliff Steinhauer, Melanie Torkelson, Diana Morkassel, and Bruce Flaig 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, November 5, 2004.




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