[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, August 29, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, August 29,
2003 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 weather seems more like fall this week, and the migration through
Northwest Minnesota continues. Warbler migration seems spotty with large
numbers of species being reported from some areas, while others have
seen virtually none.

Four BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were discovered at Agassiz National
Wildlife Refuge last weekend- three at the east side of Thief Bay Pool,
and one along Marshall County Road 7 just east of the headquarters in
South Pool.

Mary Wyatt reported from Becker County this week that the warblers are
migrating through that county in large numbers. She had 13 species
including GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, CERULEAN WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER,
and CANADA WARBLER.  Three species of thrush  were seen- VEERY,
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, and SWAINSON'S THRUSH. She also observed juvenile
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, and several INDIGO BUNTINGS. At Hamden Slough
COMMON MOORHENS  and SORAS are still being seen.

Red Lake County sightings of note were nine species of shorebirds at the
Red Lake Falls wastewater treatment ponds on August 23rd. These included
one 	juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER.

In Pennington County, a family of nine GRAY PARTRIDGE was observed on
August 23rd near the Thief River Falls  wastewater treatment ponds.
These were 0.1 mile west of 120th Ave. NE along 160th St. NE. On August
28th, I found a single MOURNING WARBLER skulking in the black currant
bushes in our yard near Thief River Falls.

The Agassiz NWR shorebird survey of August 24 revealed that the dry
weather has taken its toll on the habitat, as the number of shorebirds
had dropped considerably with  1277 birds of 18 species reported this
week. For sheer numbers the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS topped the list at
434 birds with LESSER YELLOWLEGS  running a close second at 418
individuals. One BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 37 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 27
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 85 STILT SANDPIPERS, and 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES
were among the species counted in addition to the Buff-breasted
Sandpipers reported above.=09

Thanks to Mary Wyatt and Peder Svingen for their reports.=09

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, September 5, 2003.