Minnesota Detroit Lakes RBA

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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*November 23, 2006
*MNDL0611.23

-Birds mentioned -Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: November 23, 2006
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, November 24, 2006 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.

Happy Thanksgiving! What a lovely mild week it has been, but the forecast promises colder weather for next week. This winter may be a very interesting birding season, as some less usual species are being reported throughout Minnesota, including northern specialties such as northern woodpeckers, gray jays, Townsend's Solitaires and others. Be on the lookout for these birds as you go about your daily routines. Martin Kehoe reported this week from the Beltrami Island State Forest that the populations of voles and mice are "extremely abundant" in the forest which bodes well for the species that feed off them.

In Lake of the Woods County in recent weeks, Martin Kehoe observed many SPRUCE GROUSE, RUFFED GROUSE, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, more than normal numbers of calling BARRED OWLS, at least one GREAT GRAY OWL, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, many NORTHERN SHRIKES, COMMON REDPOLLS, and PINE GROSBEAKS.

Larry Wilebski, northwest of Lancaster in Kittson County, continues to report several GRAY JAYS on his property and today, a flock of live WILD TURKEYS made a Thanksgiving appearance.

From Beltrami County, Pat Rice and Mary Lou Marchand reported on the species on Lake Bemidji. They saw a SURF SCOTER on November 18, and three LONG-TAILED DUCKS and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on November 22. Other species seen there included 2 SNOW GEESE, 2 TUNDRA SWANS, CANVASBACKS, REDHEADS, BUFFLEHEADS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, and COMMON MERGANSER. On November 22, they visited a home on Lake Movill where there was a VARIED THRUSH which had arrived on November 17. Other species seen in Beltrami County this week included RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, HARRIS'S SPARROW, and PINE SISKIN.

In Marshall County, John Braastad reported a very cold BELTED KINGFISHER at the Moose River along MN 89 on November 19. At Agassiz NWR on November 18, I found BALD EAGLES, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, one NORTHERN HARRIER, two NORTHERN SHRIKES, several GRAY JAYS, and, in the northeast part of the refuge, a flock of PINE GROSBEAKS.

At our feeder east of Thief River Falls in Pennington County, I see a GRAY JAY every couple of days. I assume he is visiting daily, but I am not at home in daylight much of the time to see him.

Jesse Audette at his building site near Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County reported that he is still seeing GRAY JAYS nearly every day.

Bruce Flaig in Polk County reported his first of the season COMMON REDPOLL on November 19.

From Clay County comes a report of a GRAY JAY in the yard of Jerry and Jewell Dahl on both November 18 and November 19. The Dahl's live 4 miles east of Felton on the east side of the Felton Prairie complex.

Tom and Sheryl Smith found two CACKLING GEESE at Lake Alice in Otter Tail County on November 20. They also had TREE SPARROWS in their yard southwest of Fergus Falls. Alma Ronningen reported a BROWN CREEPER on November 19 and on the 20th, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and 20 WILD TURKEYS that wandered through the yard! I guess that no one had told the birds that this was not a good time to be showing themselves!

Thanks to Alma Ronningen, Bruce Flaig, Jerry and Jewell Dahl, Jesse Audette, John Braastad, Larry Wilebski, Martin Kehoe, Mary Lou Marchand, Pat Rice, and Tom and Sheryl Smith 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, December 1, 2006.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County

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