[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, May 30,2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, May 30, 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.

As the weather warms up and the songbirds come flooding in, now the
shorebirds are appearing in large numbers. Peder Svingen found nearly
1200 at Agassiz NWR on May 23rd, and Karl Bardon counted over 1300 on
May 27th. The species distribution had changed also indicating that
daily changes are occurring. This year the shorebirds are concentrated
on the large areas of habitat; due to the general dry condition in the
area not many small temporary wetlands are available in farm fields.

Of note this week is the pair of AMERICAN AVOCETS apparently nesting on
Thief Bay Pool at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County.

A possible GLOSSY IBIS has been reported  from Bisson Lake at the north
end of Hamden's Slough in Becker County on the 28th. It is unknown if
anyone has been able to verify if this is indeed a second state record
of the Glossy or if it is the more usual White-faced Ibis, or indeed if
it is still there. If anyone sees the bird , please report it. At Hamden
Slough, Mike Murphy reports that Eagle Pond and Hesby Wetland are in
drawdown and attracting good numbers of shorebirds. These wetlands are
about a half mile north or northeast of the refuge office. Bisson Lake-
3 miles west of Callaway and "frog Pond" also have many shorebirds
including nesting AMERICAN AVOCETS.=20

Among Norman County birds reported this week are 54 YELLOW RAILS, 51 of
them in a  single mile of CR 39 two miles west of  MN highway 32. These
were heard by Tony Hertzel and Peder Svingen during a day of birding in
the county.

Two GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS were found by Peder Svingen and I on May
24th; one was in southeastern Pennington County, one in southwestern
Beltrami County, and both were singing.

Ray Hunt reported two TRUMPETER SWANS near Lancaster, Kittson County,
this week.

Beltrami County birds reported by  Jim Lind along County Road 111 ( the
Waldo Road),  about 6 miles northwest of Kelliher, include a female
SPRUCE GROUSE, 2 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, BOREAL CHICKADEE, CONNECTICUT
WARBLER, and GRAY JAY.

In Marshall County, shorebirds are the headliners.At Agassiz NWR  Peder
Svingen found 17 species highlighted by the avocets mentioned above as
well as 233 SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS which may be a record high count for
Minnesota, also 33 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, 337 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 113
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS,  95 DUNLINS and several other species- all on
May 23rd. Karl Bardon had 19 species including 43 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS,
50 MARBLED GODWITS, 6 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 3 RED KNOTS, 352 SEMI-PALMATED
SANDPIPERS, 223 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS,  609 DUNLINS and others. LEAST
BITTERNS were first seen and heard at Agassiz the week of May 19th.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS have also been seen on the refuge by Gary Tischer.
Maggie Anderson saw 2 EARED GREBES there on May 27th.

 In the course of a survey, I found several singing GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS
just north of the Wetland, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in
northern Polk County on May 25th. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were also heard
dancing in the area.

Pennington County birds observed this week include RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
and BONAPARTE'S GULL found on the Thief River Falls wastewater treatment
ponds on May 24th. Other birds seen in the county include COMMON
NIGHTHAWK, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER,
GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, LARK SPARROW,  and 18 species of warblers
highlighted by GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and CONNECTICUT WARBLER.

In Clay County, Rick Gjervold saw a flock of DUNLINS west of the Buffalo
River crossing on Clay County Road 87  on May 21st. Mel and Elaine
Bennefelk sighted an INDIGO BUNTING at the bird feeders at the Ponderosa
Golf Club on May 27th.

Sally Hausken reported INDIGO BUNTING in Becker County on May 26th.
Virgene Grubb reports that she has EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, HOUSE WRENS , and
AMERICAN ROBIN nesting in her yard already.

Roland Jordahl also had an INDIGO BUNTING to report, this one in
Ottertail County on May 21st, so these beautiful birds are definitely
returning to the northwest this week. Among other birds reported by
Roland  were TURKEY VULTURE, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK,  GREAT-CRESTED
FLYCATCHER, and BROWN CREEPER.

Douglas County birds reported by Susan Wiste were a pair of BLACK TERNS
along County Road 27, 1 mile north of the intersection with Minnesota
Highway 27, approximately 8 miles west of Alexandria.

Thanks to Jim Lind, Andrew Longtin, Sally Hausken, Roland Jordahl, Rick
Gjervold, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld, Peder Svingen, Tony Hertzel,  Karl
Bardon, Kari Odifey, Virgen Grubb, and Mike Murphy 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 5, 2003.