[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, July 4, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, July 4, 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 landscape in the northwest is lush with the new growth of June, and
loud with the squawks and peeps of baby birds everywhere. The weather
has mostly been kind this year to brooding birds and the results are
visible in every nook and cranny.

A  EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE, first reported by Grace Mayta, was refound by
Peder Svingen on June 30th. This is  the first sighting of this species
in Pennington County.=20

Peder and I did a survey of shorebirds at Agassiz National Wildlife
Refuge, Marshall County, on Sunday, June 29. Among them we found a
WILSON'S PHALAROPE with three young chicks. A few returning shorebirds
were also present including LEAST SANDPIPERS, and  one SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHER. A total of 264 shorebirds were found. One AMERICAN AVOCET
was seen on Thief Bay Pool, but the other bird and the chick were not
located.  Three BUFFLEHEAD broods were seen. In the course of doing some
point counts, I had a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK fly over me, and I also found a
BLACK-AND- WHITE WARBLER. On June 30th, Shelley Steva and I located the
MERLINS that have returned to nest in the same yard in Newfolden that
they nested in last year. It appears that they are feeding young.

Six GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS were observed along a minimum maintenance
road going north from 190th St. NW  two miles west of CR10 in Pennington
County on June 28th. This is in Numedal Township. In the same general
area, we also found a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, a SHORT-EARED OWL, and a
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER is coming fairly regularly
to our feeder in rural Thief River Falls.

In Beltrami County , Carol Schumacher reported four WESTERN GREBES on
Blackduck Lake. Other birds seen in the county included  MERLIN, UPLAND
SANDPIPER,GRAY JAY, SCARLET TANAGER, several species of warbler
including  GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, and EVENING GROSBEAK.

Becker County birds of note seen by several individuals this week
include the COMMON MOORHENS that are possibly nesting at Hamden Slough
NWR. Other Becker County birds reported this week included GREATER
YELLOWLEGS at Hamden Slough, and COMMON LOON, TRUMPETER SWAN, and 13
species of warblers at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.

Rick Hoyme birded Felton Prairie in Clay County on June 28th, and
reported the "usual suspects": UPLAND SANDPIPER, WESTERN KINGBIRD,
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR, and ORCHARD ORIOLE.

Thanks to those who sent in reports this week. Have a great fourth of
July!

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, July 11, 2003.