[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, February 20, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, February 20,
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.

With the coming of warmer weather, longer days, and the nearing of the
breeding season for some species, the birding has improved in this part
of the state. Prominent in the reports have been owls, and several
grouse species.

Linda Sparling reported several over wintering TRUMPETER SWANS on the
Otter Tail River near Rush Lake just west of highways 78 and 108 in
Otter Tail County on February 13th. In Wilkin County, she observed four
SHORT-EARED OWLS in the Rothsay Prairie area near the prairie-chicken
lek. Several birders saw more than twenty GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS
along 300th Ave. between CR 26 and 200th Street, and many more were near
the traditional lek. Conny Brunell saw a GOLDEN EAGLE along CR 176 east
of the junction with CR15. Other species seen in that area included
HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, and LAPLAND LONGSPURS. Rick Gjervold
reported some of the same birds in the Lawndale area, and four GRAY
PARTRIDGE just north of Lawndale.

>From Becker County, Marion Jacobson spotted a BALD EAGLE by the
Strandvik Church south of Lake Park. Dave and Betty Hochhalter have a
pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS coming to their feeder near Detroit Lakes.
Among the other birds at their feeders are several PINE SISKINS, a
species that has not been reported very commonly this winter.

Doug Johnson found BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS  in the fruit trees on the west
side of Bagley in Clearwater County on February 15th.

In Beltrami County, Doug Johnson reported a HOARY REDPOLL at his feeder
northeast of Bemidji on Big Bass Lake on the weekend. A MERLIN  has seen
hunting near the grain elevators by the railroad tracks in downtown
Bemidji on Friday, February 13th.

At the Gully fen, a surprise find was a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on
February 15th. Other interesting birds were the 14 or 15 COMMON RAVENS
cruising over the fen. Donna and Leon Thoreson reported that they are
now feeding almost 200 SNOW BUNTINGS in their yard near Climax in Polk
County. A CEDAR WAXWING was seen in their yard last weekend and among
the other birds at their feeders is a single HOARY REDPOLL.  A NORTHERN
SHRIKE came to hunt at their feeders this week. Many GREATER
PRAIRIE-CHICKENS and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were reported from the area in
Polk County just south of the Glacial Ridge Project along County Roads
44, 45, and 46. A considerable number of SHORT-EARED OWLS were hunting
over the prairies in the same area. One prairie-chicken was found by
Doug Johnson right along US Highway 2 near the sign for Rydell NWR west
of Erskine. On February 15th, at the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies
Audubon Sanctuary, a DARK-EYED JUNCO, and a HOARY REDPOLL were
discovered at the sanctuary feeders. Along the county road just south of
the sanctuary, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was found perched in a tree. Eight
GRAY PARTRIDGES were seen along that same road near the sanctuary
boundary.  In Crookston, the MERLIN is still harassing the pigeons at
the  MSU campus. A NORTHERN CARDINAL stopped at a feeder in Gentilly on
February 15th.=20

Shelley Steva saw SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in Red Lake County on Wednesday,
one mile east of the intersection of US highway 59 and Red Lake County
1.

Beth Siverhus reported RUFFED GROUSE, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PINE
GROSBEAKS in her yard in Roseau County this week. Bob and Adele Powell
observed a BALD EAGLE along Roseau County Road 2 near Highway 11 on the
15th. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH is coming to their feeder.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be seen in the Beltrami Island State Forest
near Norris Camp. Tim Driscoll found a BARRED OWL near the fire tower in
the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area on February 13th. Both of these
sightings were in Lake of the Woods County.

Thanks to Bob and Adele Powell, Rick Gjervold, Conny Brunell, Dave
Hochhalter, Tim Driscoll, Beth Siverhus, Doug Johnson, Donna and Leon
Thoreson, Marion Jacobson, and Linda Sparling 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, February 27, 2004.