[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, July 18, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, July 18, 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.

It hardly seems possible but the southward migration has undeniably
begun as the first returning shorebirds are being seen in increasing
numbers. The recent survey of shorebirds numbers at Agassiz National
Wildlife Refuge revealed only slightly fewer shorebirds than last week
and the same number of species. A total of  1707 birds were tallied of
16 or 17 species.

At Agassiz NWR in Marshall County, of particular interest were 7
probable LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, July 12 being an early date for them.
Other shorebirds seen there included 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS, at least one of
which was clearly a juvenile bird. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SOLITARY
SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were also there.

I caught a glimpse of the EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE at Northwest Technical
College in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, tonight as I drove home
from work. This bird is somewhat hard to locate but can be heard cooing
if one is in the right neighborhood. A MERLIN was observed perched on a
power pole along Johnson Drive also.

Pat Rice reported 2 EVENING GROSBEAKS at her feeder in Bemidji, Beltrami
County, on July 11th. She also had PURPLE FINCHES with young. There were
many RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS at the feeders also.

In Norman County, Dennis Martin found YELLOW RAILS  and NELSON'S
SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS at the Neal WMA, over 2 miles east of Highway 32
on County Road 39. The same species were found in Mahnomen County one
mile west of Highway 59  on CR 113, and two miles south, then west on
the dead end road. As of July 12th , these birds were still singing.

At least one of the COMMON MOORHENS in Becker County at Hamden Slough
NWR was seen on two occasions this week.

Nancy Jackson was birding in Clay County on July 12th, and reported two
UPLAND SANDPIPERS and a family of GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS at Felton
Prairie. She also reported a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER on the
Ottertail-Wadena County line on July 9th.

In Ottertail County, on July 13th, Nancy Jackson reported a BLACK-BILLED
CUCKOO, and on the 15th, BLACK TERNS. Alma Ronningen had a NORTHERN
CARDINAL in her yard on July 15th, and at Lake Alice rookery in Fergus
Falls, she reported DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS,GREAT EGRETS, GREEN
HERONS, and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS. Dave Sorgen reported nesting
YELLOW WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, and many
other summer resident species.

Thanks to Nancy Jackson, Alma Ronningen, Dennis Martin, and Pat Rice 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, July 25, 2003.