[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, November 7, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, November 7,
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.

Winter birding is upon us as evidenced by the cold fingers and the
shivering. Still a few hardy- or foolish- birds hang around hoping I
think that summer is not over. The first Snowy Owls were sighted this
week, and many migrating BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS  were on the move this week.

This week I have the first report of SNOWY OWLS- five of them were
reported by Heidi Hughes in Polk County on November 4th. The birds were
seen on the north side of CR 41 between US highway 75 and CR 14. They
could not be relocated on Wednesday, November 5th.

Roland Jordahl reported from Otter Tail County sightings of BALD EAGLE,
RED-TAILED HAWK, and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. A  COMMON LOON was seen on Lake
Lida this week. Several people reported flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS in Otter
Tail County, and HORNED LARKS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, HARRIS'S SPARROW,
and FOX SPARROW were also reported. Tom and Sheryl Smith found a late
WILSON'S SNIPE in Fergus Falls on November 4th.

Becker County birds reported by Mary Wyatt included RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, and
DARK-EYED JUNCO.

Donna and Leon Thoreson reported from Polk County on November 4th that
they observed a flock of 150 SNOW BUNTINGS near Eldred. In the yard they
have PILEATED WOODPECKER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, and 2
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Heidi Hughes reports that a MERLIN nested on the MSUM
Crookston campus this year and is still harassing the ROCK DOVES there.
She also observed ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, and
LAPLAND LONGSPURS in Polk County. At the Crookston wastewater treatment
ponds there were still a few CANADA GEESE, SNOW GEESE, and TUNDRA SWANS
hanging around the small area of open water remaining. A NORTHERN SHRIKE
was seen near the Memorial Cemetery on November 2nd. Heidi also reported
that a SHORT-EARED OWL was hit by a car south of Crookston and was taken
to a rehabilitator. Randy Chaffee in Climax has a RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, and several PINE SISKINS in his yard.
He also watched a PRAIRIE FALCON take a bird at his feeder.

Shelley Steva reported 50 SNOW BUNTINGS, and 5 LAPLAND LONGSPURS in Red
Lake County, as well as a RUSTY BLACKBIRD in Plummer. On November 2nd an
EARED GREBE was found at the Red Lake Falls wastewater treatment ponds.
On the same day, 75 TUNDRA SWANS  were found in that county, as well as
BOHEMIAN WAXWING, CEDAR WAXWING, SNOW BUNTING, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.
On the 3rd, Peder Svingen found a PINE GROSBEAK in the town of Red Lake
Falls, and a small flock of COMMON REDPOLLS at the WMA southeast of the
town.

On November 4th in Beltrami County, Pat Rice had a RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER, FOX SPARROW, and 5 PINE GROSBEAKS at her feeder. Another
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was at the feeder of Katie Haws near Blackduck.
Katie counted 30 BALD EAGLES along Lower Red Lake feeding on deer
carcasses.

Pennington County birds seen on November 2nd included HORNED GREBE and
COMMON GOLDENEYE seen on the Red Lake River near Thief River Falls. A
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has also been coming to our feeder near the city.

On November 2nd, the last shorebird survey of the season at Agassiz NWR,
Marshall County, showed conclusively that they have left the area, as we
found only 2 individuals still trying to find food along the mostly
frozen mudflats- a GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and one WILSON'S SNIPE. Raptors
were the story there on Sunday- a total of 19 BALD EAGLES, 25
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 1 RED-TAILED HAWK, and 1 GOLDEN EAGLE were observed,
and a surprise PRAIRIE FALCON zipped across CR 7 near the headquarters
as we stopped to scope the ducks on Headquarters Pool. Also in Marshall
County, I learned that a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS has nested at a home
near Warren, and the family is still being seen regularly.

Thanks to Roland Jordahl, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Shelley Steva, Pat
Rice, Katie Haws, Peder Svingen, Alma Ronningen, Teresa Jaskiewicz, Mary
Wyatt, Tom and Sheryl Smith, Randy Chaffee, and Heidi Hughes  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, November 14, 2003.