[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, October 8, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 8,
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 has been a great week weather-wise, but migration activity seems to
have slowed a bit. Fall colors this year seem to be somewhat subdued but
are progressing. Windy conditions have blown off many of the colored
leaves, while the green or greenish ones continue to hang on.=20

In Lake of the Woods County, Gretchen Mehmel saw a SPRUCE GROUSE and a
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE near Norris Camp in the Beltrami Island State Forest
on October 3rd.

Here in Pennington County, I saw a MERLIN fly across US Highway 1 at the
east edge of Thief River Falls on October 4th. DARK-EYED JUNCO numbers
are increasing at the feeder, and a few WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are
scratching among the fallen leaves.

Pat DeWenter in Bemidji, Beltrami County, reported that hundreds of
DARK-EYED JUNCOS have moved into that area, and about twelve PURPLE
FINCHES are also coming to her feeder.

CACKLING GEESE were reported from both Clay County and Wilkin County on
October 3rd. Those in Wilkin County were found at the Breckenridge
wastewater treatment ponds, while those in Clay County were at the
Barnesville wastewater treatment ponds and in the Felton Prairie area. .

Also at the Breckenridge wastewater treatment ponds in Wilkin County
were 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and one AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, and a
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was observed at the Rothsay Wildlife Management Area -
all on October 3rd.

Thanks to Gretchen Mehmel, Peder Svingen, and Pat DeWenter 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, October 15, 2004.