[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, June 6, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, June 6, 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 looks as if the birds this year read the calendar, and saw the end of
the spring season. This week it is summer in the northwest- most if not
all the migrating warblers have moved to their breeding grounds, and the
many shorebirds that were in the area have moved out. Even last weekend
shorebirds counts at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge and at Hamden
Slough were way down from the week before, indicating a large movement
of birds on the south winds we had. Duane and Marilyn Olson in Becker
County had an interesting report of COMMON LOONS and a CANADA GOOSE pair
successfully raising families on the same muskrat mound. Apparently,
some disputes were seen but at the end of the day, both pairs raised
their broods to the point where the nest was no longer an issue.

That said, some interesting birds were found this week. In looking for
the ibis reported last week at Hamden Slough, Bob O'Connor found instead
a COMMON MOORHEN. As of Monday, the bird was still there. To get there
from Hamden Slough Headquarters: go east from the headquarters building
past the lake and turn left (north) at the next corner. Follow the road
over the hill about 0.7 mile where you will see a small lake on the left
and a pond on the right. The bird was in the pond on the right side of
the road. That is the same area where the ibis seen last fall was
located for those of you who went there then. The latest ibis was never
refound.

In Kittson County on June 2nd, Peder Svingen located a BLUE-GRAY
GNATCATCHER at Lake Bronson State Park on the west side of the park
where a trail follows a stream below the dam.

A NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was observed by Peder Svingen in Roseau
County also on June 2nd.

>From Beltrami County, Pat Rice reported some shorebirds at Kolkin's Pond
at the intersection of CR 404 and 407; she saw LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
SPOTTED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, and DUNLIN. Also
in Beltrami County, Carol Schumacher reported SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER,
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, and GRAY JAY. At Itasca
State Park, she found LEAST BITTERN, VEERY, HERMIT THRUSH, and SCARLET
TANAGERS.

In Marshall County at Agassiz NWR a CLARK'S GREBE was found with WESTERN
GREBES on Headquarters Pool. Nests of WESTERN GREBES, RED-NECKED GREBES,
FRANKLIN'S GULLS, FORSTER'S TERNS, and BLACK TERNS are being found. The
first broods of MALLARDS and AMERICAN COOTS are being seen on the
refuge. VIRGINIA RAILS and SORAS are common there. An AMERICAN AVOCET is
also nesting there this year.  A SHORT-EARED OWL and a WILLOW FLYCATCHER
were observed on the Maakstad  hiking trail on June 3rd. The marshes are
alive with the calls of YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS and many other species
too numerous to mention.=20

Pat Rice birded in Cass County this week, and reported GREEN HERON,
GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, SCARLET TANAGER, INDIGO BUNTING, and 9 species
of warblers on May 30th along the Wood Tick Trail.

Shelley Steva found a NORTHERN CARDINAL at Oak Knolls Golf Course in Red
Lake Falls, Red Lake County, on May 29th.

A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was spotted by Shelley in Polk County on May 30th.

Paul Spreitzer and Sally Heuer were in Clay County  on May 31st where
they found MARBLED GODWIT, CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR, and GRASSHOPPER
SPARROW at Felton Prairie, a RED-NECKED GREBE along CR 3, and BLACK
TERNS. Rick Gjervold spotted an AMERICAN BLACK DUCK at the Buffalo River
crossing  on CR 87; he saw two GRAY PARTRIDGE fly across the same county
road further east.

Becker County birds reported by Paul Spreitzer and Sally Heuer included
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, SEDGE WREN, VEERY, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, and
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. Shar Legenhausen reports that a baby
COMMON LOON was born the weekend of June 1st in Tamarac National
Wildlife Refuge.

Thanks to Shelley Steva, Peder Svingen, Bob O'Connor, Rick Gjervold, Pat
Rice, Carol Schumacher, Shar Legenhausen, Kari Odefey, Paul Spreitzer,
and Sally Heuer 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, June 13, 2003.