[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, August 27, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, August 27,
2004 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.

Two killing frosts over much of the northwest were a great and
unpleasant surprise this week. In addition recent rains have made August
the greenest I have ever experienced. It is indeed a strange year, and
even migration patterns seem to have been affected by the unseasonable
cold, wet weather.

Susan Wiste reported spotting a BALD EAGLE over the north end of Mill
Lake near Alexandria in Douglas County on August 19th. On the 26th, she
had a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, and a RED-EYED VIREO in her yard.

>From Otter Tail County Alma Ronningen reported a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
in the yard on August 19th. Dan and Sandy Thimgan remarked on the large
numbers of BALTIMORE ORIOLES coming to their oriole feeder this week.

Mary Wyatt  in Becker County reported that the water has gone down in
the part of Bisson Lake north of CR 14, but there is still some on the
east part of Frog Pond at Hamden NWR. A few species of shorebirds are
visible there.=20

Pat Rice in Bemidji in Beltrami County reported four species of gulls
there on September 21st : BONAPARTE'S GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, HERRING
GULL, and FRANKLIN'S GULL. She also reported a CASPIAN TERN, COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT, and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. Eight species of shorebirds were
observed in Beltrami County also. On the 20th, she saw a RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRD and PINE SISKINS in the yard. Pat DeWenter reported a
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER with young, also BALTIMORE ORIOLES, and
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS.=20

In Polk County, Nathaniel Emery observed COMMON NIGHTHAWKS milling
around the practice field at UMC in Crookston. He also found a NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH in the area.

A surprise find in Pennington county were the two COMMON REDPOLLS that
came to the feeder of Sara Blix just west of the town of Thief River
Falls. Another fall visitor on the weekend in our yard just east of the
city was a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.

Gary Tischer called in a few sightings from Agassiz National Wildlife
Refuge in Marshall County. He reported that the SANDHILL CRANES numbers
are starting to build with more than 100 being seen in a field just west
of the refuge. A few GREAT EGRETS are being seen around the refuge. Most
interesting of all, a GREAT GRAY OWL has been seen along  CR 7 at the
east end of the refuge on August 17th and 18th. Presumably this is the
same one that was seen earlier in the year.

Thanks to Nathaniel Emery, Pat DeWenter, Pat Rice, Susan Wiste, Alma
Ronningen, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Alex Wendorf, Sara Blix, and Mary
Wyatt 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, September 3, 2004.