[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, August 6,2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, August 6
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 northwest had a much desired week of wonderful weather this past
week. Many young birds took the first lessons in survival, feeders were
busy with parent birds teaching their young how to take advantage of the
free meals found there, and shorebirds continue to move into the area on
the southward migration.

Roseau County species reported by Randy Prachar of the Roseau River WMA
included four juvenile BALD EAGLES , a SWAINSON'S HAWK, and a MERLIN
along the Roseau River. An OSPREY  was seen at the Pool 2 spillway, and
there are gathering numbers of shorebirds, CLIFF SWALLOWS, and BLACK
TERNS at the WMA.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, there were
nearly 1100 shorebirds of 14 species present on Middle CCC Pool on
Monday, August 2nd. Included in this total were 70 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
and 447 LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

In Pennington County there were seven SANDHILL CRANES in a field along
Johnson Drive near Thief River Falls on August 4th.

Nancy Jackson found a RED-NECKED GREBE family with three very young
babies at Hitterdahl Pond in Clay County on July 30th.

There were two reports of NORTHERN CARDINALS in Becker County. Dave and
Betty Hochhalter have had a pair around their place all summer, and
Millie Gildersleeve saw a pair feeding nine babies at the feeder at her
home on Cotton Lake near Tamarac NWR on July 5th.

The John Ellis family did some birding in Douglas County on the weekend,
and they reported a CATTLE EGRET on Pelican Lake, a SNOW GOOSE at the
Osakis wastewater treatment ponds, and an OSPREY at Swim Lake. A RUDDY
TURNSTONE was at the Osakis wastewater treatment ponds, an AMERICAN
WOODCOCK in the northeast part of the county; sparrows included a
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.

Thanks to Dave and Betty Hochhalter, Nancy Jackson, Jesse Ellis, Millie
Gildersleeve, Randy Prachar, and Alex Wendorf 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, August 13, 2004.