[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, December 3, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, December 3,
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.

Finally, the first real snow has arrived, and now the northern landscape
is pure white. The last two days have been clear, and cold with less
wind than usual. Rivers, lakes, and other areas of open water are
turning solid, and there is a noticeable decrease in the goose
population around the area.

Owls are again the big news this week. From Lake of the Woods County,
Gretchen Mehmel sent in a secondhand report of two GREAT GRAY OWLS at
Long Point on Lake of the Woods on November 27th. These were spotted by
a resident there. Jeff Birchem picked up a dead one that had been shot
near Warroad. Two more were picked up by Beth Siverhus after being hit
by cars, and sent to the Raptor Center for rehabilitation. One was found
east of Clementson along MN 11, and one was picked up 6.5 miles south of
Warroad on CR12.

Melanie Torkelson reported from Roseau County that several GREAT GRAY
OWLS were seen within a mile of the Roseau River WMA between November
22nd and December 1st. On November 30th, one was spotted one mile east
of the intersection of CR 118 with MN 89. Another GREAT GRAY OWL was
reported by Steven Reynolds along Mickinock Creek on November 26th, a
half mile east of Roseau CR8, in Palmville Township. This is five miles
southwest of Wannaska. He also saw a BALD EAGLE along Mickinock Creek
that day.

Pat Rice reported from Beltrami County that she had a BLACK-BACKED
WOODPECKER in her yard in Bemidji on November 23rd. This is the second
report from Pat of that species in her yard. She also reported a BROWN
CREEPER, COMMON REDPOLLS, PINE SISKINS, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES in the
yard.=20

In Pennington County, Shelley Nyland  saw a SNOWY OWL on her way to work
on December 2nd, eighteen miles straight east of the 7 Clans Casino
along CR 3. This morning I had CEDAR WAXWINGS in the yard, and we are
getting regular visits from a PILEATED WOODPECKER every morning about
eight to our feeder near Thief River Falls.

Matt Mecklenburg  reported that a NORTHERN SHRIKE appears to have set up
residence near the office at Bluestem Prairie in Clay County.

In Otter Tail County, Alma Ronningen saw a NORTHERN SHRIKE in the county
several times this week. She reports that there are lots of COMMON
REDPOLLS, PINE SISKINS, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES around the feeder this
year.

Susan Wiste  reported from Douglas County, that she had PURPLE FINCH, as
well as twelve PINE SISKINS, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES at the feeder. On
the 2nd, there was a single WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at a bird feeder on
the west side of Lake Carlos north of Alexandria.

Thanks to Susan Wiste, Steven Reynolds, Matt Mecklenburg, Pat Rice,
Gretchen Mehmel, Shelley Nyland, and Alma Ronningen for their reports.
Please keep those reports coming, and especially report all sightings of
northern owls as a database of those records is being compiled. For
those, the more exact the location, the better.

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, December 10, 2004.