[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, August 13, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, August 13
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.

Weather has seemingly returned to fall conditions this week in the
northwest; a welcome rain came through with a cold front, and  the cold
has lingered all week. It promises to improve on the weekend. Reports
this week have centered on young birds and shorebirds who are on the way
south again.

Shelley Steva was birding at Bisson Lake in Becker County on August 10th
where she found 75 shorebirds. These included many PECTORAL SANDPIPERS,
9 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 20 WILSON'S PHALAROPES.=20

Polk County species reported by Bruce Flaig in the southeastern part of
the county were a COMMON LOON chick, and two young RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS.=20

In Pennington County, Shelley Steva saw a MERLIN in Thief River Falls,
while Sue Braastad reported 15-20 PINE SISKINS at her feeder near Thief
River Falls on August 10th.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, shorebirds
continue to gather on Middle CCC Pool in the interior of the refuge. On
Sunday, I found twelve species there with the majority being LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, PECTORALS, and peeps. Numbers of WILSON'S SNIPE appeared to
be increasing.=20

Pat DeWenter in Bemidji, Beltrami County, reported a pair of PILEATED
WOODPECKERS feeding two young at her feeder. Two female BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKERS came to the feeder of Pat Rice in Bemidji on August 4th,
while on the 6th, she had a visit from 15-20 PINE SISKINS. It is
interesting that these usually winter visitors are showing up at this
time- hope it is not a sign of an early fall.

Thanks to Pat DeWenter, Pat Rice, Bruce Flaig, Shelley Steva, Alex
Wendorf, Mary Wyatt, and Sue Braastad 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 20, 2004.