[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, January 23, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, January 23,
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.

It continues to be a very cold week in Northwest Minnesota, and both
people and birds are trying to stay warm.

Bryan Newman  reported a sighting of two mature GOLDEN EAGLES flying
over Highway 59 between Erhard and Elizabeth in Otter Tail County on
January 19th. From Pelican Rapids , Wayne Runningen reported a PILEATED
WOODPECKER, and 50-60 COMMON REDPOLLS visiting a local feeder.
Twenty-five TRUMPETER SWANS were seen by Alma Ronningen on the Otter
Tail River. She also saw no less than 30 WILD TURKEYS south of Maplewood
State Park on the 18th. At her feeder on the 19th were a NORTHERN
SHRIKE, and eighty- three COMMON REDPOLLS. Teresa Jaskiewicz reported up
to 100 COMMON REDPOLLS at her feeder. Two AMERICAN ROBINS and three
MOURNING DOVES are visiting a feeder northeast of Elizabeth.

>From Douglas County, Susan Wiste reported a flock of 150- 200 SNOW
BUNTINGS  along CR 27 northwest of Alexandria. At her feeder she had a
male NORTHERN CARDINAL on the 16th.

Bruce Jacobson flushed a SNOWY OWL from a tree in his yard in
northeastern Becker County on January 15th. An AMERICAN KESTREL perched
on the bird feeder of Maureen Gibbon in the eastern part of the county
on the 18th.=20

Mel and Elaine Bennefeld spotted an AMERICAN ROBIN  and a RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER in Clay County along the Red River near Moorhead on Friday
the 16th.

Polk County sightings reported by Heidi Hughes included PILEATED
WOODPECKER, twelve AMERICAN CROWS, and several flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS.

Shelley Steva found ten CEDAR WAXWINGS in Plummer, Red Lake County, on
the 16th. In southern Pennington County she saw seventy-five SNOW
BUNTINGS along Highway 59 a mile south of the Seven Clans Casino.

Gretchen Mehmel reported a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at the base of the
Blueberry Hill Tower in Lake of the Woods County on January 18th. Other
birds at Norris Camp included NORTHERN SHRIKE, GRAY JAY, and PINE
GROSBEAK. On January 20th, she also saw  a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, and a
PILEATED WOODPECKER in Lake of the Woods County.

Thanks to Shelley Steva, Marion Jacobson, Maureen Gibbon, Gretchen
Mehmel, Bryan Newman, Wayne Runningen, Alma Ronningen, Mel and Elaine
Bennefeld, Teresa Jaskiewicz, Susan Wiste, and Heidi Hughes 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 30, 2004.