[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, November 26, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, November 26,
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.

Winter is coming gradually to the northwest so far, and everyone is
bracing for the blast that is usual at this time of year. The migrants
have left, and now we are seeing the winter visitors, and hungry owls
are making their way to the open grasslands looking for prey.

Five SNOWY OWLS were reported this week from Marshall, Polk,  and Roseau
Counties. Connie Omdahl saw one on November 16th, 2-3 miles southwest of
the Wetland, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in Polk County. Cliff
Steinhauer reported one in Marshall County just southwest of the
intersection of CR 12 and CR 7 on November 19th. A third was seen by
Jodie Graham in New Maine township southwest of Middle River on November
23rd. Another was reported by Dave Myhrer on November 22nd at Agassiz
National Wildlife Refuge along the Tamarack Trail in the northwest part
of the refuge. From Roseau County, Steven Reynolds reported one along CR
4 three miles east of Greenbush on November 20th. A LONG-EARED OWL was
seen by Bill Unzen in the city of Bemidji near Lake Bemidji on November
20th. The same day, Bill found the GREAT GRAY OWL reported last week by
Jerry Bonkoski along Highway 72 in Beltrami County at milepost 41. Three
GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen November 25th, by Zeann Linder and me  in
Roseau County. The first was found along MN 89 a half mile south of its
intersection with CR18. One was found along MN 89 one mile north of CR18
near CR 122 , and a third was seen along CR 4 less than a mile east of
CR9.  A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen on November 20th by Bill Unzen, also
along Highway 72, between mileposts 25 and 26.=20

A COMMON RAVEN was seen by Benjamin Fritchman in Todd County just east
of Staples on November 19th. This species continues to expand its winter
range.

Susan Wiste reported DARK-EYED JUNCO and SNOW BUNTINGS from Douglas
County on November 19th.

>From Otter Tail County Roland Jordahl  reported several BALD EAGLES,
RUFFED GROUSE, and NORTHERN SHRIKE on November 19th.

Mike Murphy reported from Hamden Slough in Becker County that the open
water still present due to the moderate weather condition still held
about 2000 ducks and 4000 geese as of November 18th, but he predicted
that the open water would be frozen over by the weekend. Among the ducks
were MALLARDS, GADWALLS, and NORTHERN PINTAILS.

In Clay County on November 22nd, Benjamin Fritchman  reported a late
GREAT BLUE HERON east of Moorhead. At the Moorhead wastewater treatment
ponds he saw about 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and a female NORTHERN PINTAIL.
Elsewhere in the county, he saw  BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN SHRIKE, and SNOW
BUNTINGS.

In Norman County, Ben found a BALD EAGLE and SNOW BUNTINGS  on November
22nd.

A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen by Benjamin Fritchman near the Wetlands, Pines,
and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in Polk County along 190th St. NW. At a
WMA south of East Grand Forks, a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE was found. A BALD
EAGLE and a flock of twenty CACKLING GEESE rounded out the list of
species seen in Polk County on November 22nd.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, Gary Tischer
reported that the geese had nearly all left the refuge. A few MALLARDS
remained; at least six BALD EAGLES are being seen regularly, and a new
nest is being constructed by one pair. A dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
was seen in Marshall County along MN highway 89 on Thanksgiving Day.

Pat Rice and Doug Johnson were in Cass County on the 20th where they
observed 24 TUNDRA SWANS on Lake Winnibigoshish.

In addition to the owls mentioned above, in Roseau County, Zeann Linder
and I found SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, AMERICAN CROW,
COMMON RAVEN, COMMON REDPOLLS, and EVENING GROSBEAK.

As well as the owls reported above, Bill Unzen found a THREE-TOED
WOODPECKER in Beltrami County on the same tree as the Northern Hawk Owl
between mileposts 25 and 26 along Highway 72. There were also GRAY JAYS
in the county. A flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, a few SNOW BUNTINGS, and
two PINE GROSBEAKS were observed in Beltrami County on November 25th.

In Lake of the Woods County, Bill Unzen found a flock of 60 BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS south of Baudette. On one of the many deer carcasses he saw in
Lake of the Woods and Beltrami Counties, he found all five Minnesota
corvids and four BALD EAGLES. Gretchen Mehmel saw a NORTHERN SHRIKE in
Lake of the Woods County on November 21st.

Thanks to Mike Murphy, Roland Jordahl, Pat Rice, Gretchen Mehmel,
Benjamin Fritchman, Gary Tischer, Connie Omdahl, Cliff Steinhauer, Jodie
Graham, Steven Reynolds, and Bill Unzen 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, December 3, 2004.