[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, January 9, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, January 9,
2003 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 the really cold weather, many of today's reports
concerned birds seen at feeders. A few hardy birders did get out and
sent in some good reports, showing that the birds are out there if we
only look for them.

The Baudette Christmas Bird Count in Lake of the Woods County held on
January 2nd turned up 23 species including BALD EAGLES, BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS, PINE GROSBEAK, and COMMON REDPOLL.

In Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Grace Mayta reported that the
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE showed up at her feeder on January 2nd. This is
the same feeder where the dove was first seen in Thief River Falls last
spring. This bird apparently knows where to look when the pickings get
slim. On the 3rd, we had a visit in our yard by a group of BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS looking for the crabapples that remain on our trees.

Mary Broten  reported from Marshall County on January 5th that she had
sighted a GREAT HORNED OWL, COMMON RAVEN, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and COMMON
REDPOLL in Marshall County this week.

Polk County birds reported by Lori Becker were a pair of SHORT-EARED
OWLS seen in a field just east of the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies
Audubon Sanctuary on New Year's Day. A GREAT HORNED OWL was found
perched in a tree near the entrance to the sanctuary. Tom Feiro reported
a RED-SHAFTED FLICKER, and a NORTHERN CARDINAL on January 5 at a feeder
in Gentilly. Around 200 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS were counted by Jason
Eckstein at Glacial Ridge on January 8th. Randy Chaffee in Climax
reported some of the usual winter feeder birds including RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER and PURPLE FINCH.

Pat Rice in Beltrami County had a BROWN CREEPER, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and 50
COMMON REDPOLLS at her feeder on January 7th. In Cass County, she found
a NORTHERN SHRIKE along highway 371 between Walker and Cass Lake.

Sally Hausken reported a BALD EAGLE on the south side of US highway 10
in Becker County on December 31st.

Rick Gjervold made a trip to Rothsay Prairie on January 8th. He observed
a dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN. A GREAT
HORNED OWL was seen perched in a tree along the highway just north of
Lawndale.

Tom Smith in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, reported a RING-NECKED
PHEASANT and a MOURNING DOVE among the birds visiting his feeder on New
Year's Day.

Thanks to Randy Chaffee, Pat Rice, Jason Eckstein, Tom Feiro, Mary
Broten, Tom Smith, Lori Becker, Jenny Moorman, Grace Mayta, and Rick
Gjervold 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, January 16, 2003.