[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, September 12, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, September 12,
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 sunshine left the northwest this week and was replaced by clouds and
strong south winds. A little rain fell but not very much, and the wind
is starting to take the leaves down. Migration appears to have stalled,
but clearing skies and a probable wind shift bodes well for this
weekend's birding. In short, something's gotta give!

There were few reports this week but still some interesting sightings.
Two CASPIAN TERNS were found by Shelley Steva and I at the Crookston
wastewater treatment ponds in Polk County on September 7th.

On the 6th, a first county record NORTHERN PARULA  was found at Old
Treaty Crossing State Wayside near Huot in Red Lake County, and Peder
Svingen spotted a female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER there also.=20

In Becker County, Dr. Steve Stromstad found what appeared to be a pure
white "albinistic" cormorant  at Big Cormorant Lake on the 8th. Mary
Wyatt reported that she is still seeing 13 species of warblers in and
around her yard. A WOOD THRUSH, and two immature RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS
have also been there. At Hamden Slough NWR the COMMON MOORHENS are still
around at the same location previously reported. At the headquarters, a
COOPER'S HAWK was chased away by the BARN SWALLOWS who have a nest with
three late nestlings still in it. At a residence north of Hamden, an
immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen.

In Red Lake County, other birds observed on the 6th included BLACK TERN,
BARRED OWL , and PURPLE FINCH. After much intensive birding, 11 species
of warblers were found.

At the Crookston wastewater treatment ponds in Polk County, in addition
to the terns mentioned above, we found SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, LEAST
SANDPIPERS, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, RING-BILLED GULL, PALM WARBLER, AND
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER on September 7th. Shelley Steva found GREAT EGRETS
in the Grand Marais River along Polk County Road 19 on the 11th.

In Pennington County, on the 7th, at the Thief River Falls wastewater
treatment ponds, there were HERRING GULLS, and BLACK TERNS, and hundreds
of NORTHERN SHOVELERS.

The story from Marshall County as always this time of year is the
shorebirds at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge. The weekly survey on
September 6th tallied 2260 individuals of 18 species. Included in that
total were 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, 691 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 697
STILT SANDPIPERS (the largest number ever counted at Agassiz), 103
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, and 3 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS. The numbers are
starting to go up again. In addition to these birds, other species seen
included BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, SNOW GOOSE, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK,
COOPER'S HAWK, and MARSH WREN.

Four SNOW GEESE were found on the 6th at the Karlstad wastewater
treatment ponds in Kittson County. Since two of them were clearly
immatures, it leaves one to wonder just where they nested. Also in the
county a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen on a power pole.

Thanks to those who sent in reports this week. Please send in your
sightings as they all help to give us an idea of how the migration is
progressing, in addition to helping those who are looking for certain
species.

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, September 19, 2003.