[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, December 26, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, December 26,
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.

Happy Holidays everyone! Weather-wise this has been the quietest
Christmas in many years, good for traveling and comfortable for the
birds. Feeders have not been very busy this week as a result.

Most of the reports received this week have mentioned PILEATED
WOODPECKERS, and COMMON REDPOLLS. A surprising number of WILD TURKEYS
were found on or around the dates of several CBC's in the area- is this
a reflection of the preoccupation with turkey at this time of year?

Randy Chaffee from Polk County reported the usual winter visitors in
small numbers at his feeders - namely PILEATED WOODPECKER,
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE.

Pat Rice sent in some of the sightings of the Bemidji CBC held on this
past weekend. They include CANADA GOOSE, COMMON GOLDENEYE, RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, CEDAR WAXWING, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and
COMMON REDPOLL.

Kay Hartness reported that the Detroit Lakes CBC in Becker County found
a surprising CHUKAR on their count along Highland Drive. This bird is no
doubt a released or escaped bird, but interesting to see none-the-less.
Also in Becker County, Karen Merry reported a possible COOPER'S HAWK
visited her yard, and also two  PILEATED WOODPECKERS and two NORTHERN
CARDINALS.=20

Mel and Elaine Bennefeld saw two BALD EAGLES, and a PILEATED WOODPECKER
on the Ponderosa Golf Course in Clay County on December 19th. Connie
Norheim, while scouting for the Fargo-Moorhead CBC on December 19th,
found 30 WILD TURKEYS in the yard and on the deck of a home on N. Miller
Drive in Moorhead. At the Crystal Sugar lagoons, she reported four
COMMON GOLDENEYE, and two LESSER SCAUP. It should be noted here that the
group received special permission to bird this area which is normally
closed to the public for the Christmas Bird Count.The Fargo-Moorhead CBC
the next day reported NORTHERN GOSHAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN, GRAY
PARTRIDGE, GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN, WILD TURKEY, EASTERN SCREECH OWL,
BARRED OWL, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, NORTHERN SHRIKE, HARRIS'S SPARROW,
and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL among the species seen on the Clay County
side of the Red River.

Kay Hartness saw AMERICAN COOT and RING-BILLED GULL among the waterfowl
in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail  County on December 20th. Roland Jordahl
reported that TRUMPETER SWANS were still present in the county on
December 21st.

In Douglas County, Susan Wiste reported a male NORTHERN CARDINAL in her
yard 10 miles west of Alexandria.

Thanks to Randy Chaffee, Joe Gartner, Susan Wiste, Kay Hartness, Bob
O'Connor, Roland Jordahl, Pat Rice, Karen Merry, Mel and Elaine
Bennefeld, and Connie Norheim 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, January 2, 2004.