[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, January 7, 2005

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, January 7,
2005 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.

If we had any previous doubts, we cannot now doubt that it is winter
here. There were numerous reports of low temperatures as low as forty
degrees below zero this week. Also this is certainly the Midwest, as
those lows came on the heels of an ice storm. If you don't like the
weather here, just wait a minute.

Benjamin Fritchman reported from Todd County on the Long Prairie CBC
held on New Year's Day. Thirty-seven species were tallied. Highlights
included several MALLARDS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK, BARRED
OWL, HORNED LARK, BROWN CREEPER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN ROBIN,
BOHEMIAN WAXWING, CEDAR WAXWING, SNOW BUNTING, COMMON REDPOLLS, HOARY
REDPOLL, and PINE SISKINS.

>From Otter Tail County, Eddy Edwards reported on the Battle Lake CBC
held on January 2nd where forty-two species were found.  They included a
record count of 468 TRUMPETER SWANS, record numbers of NORTHERN
PINTAILS, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 17 NORTHERN CARDINALS, and a record number
of RUSTY BLACKBIRDS.

On January 2nd, Doug Johnson found one of the GREAT GRAY OWLS  reported
earlier in Hubbard County four miles south of MN 200 on MN 64 1/4 mile
south of the Forest Edge Winery.

In Beltrami County, Doug Johnson reported that the GADWALL is still
present at the Mississippi River inlet to Lake Bemidji on January 3rd.
Katie Haws found a GREAT GRAY OWL on December 26th, east of Island Lake
thirty miles north of Bemidji along MN 89, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE near
Nebish. Jack Armstrong on the way home to Illinois on December 30th
observed about 120 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Kelliher. =20

On January 6th, many small flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS were seen in Polk
County between Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks.

A flock of about fifty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in a single tree
along 8th Street in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, on the morning
of January 6th.

Cliff Steinhauer saw a GREAT GRAY OWL on January 4th hunting in sections
one and two of Excel township of Marshall County.

Thanks to Eddy Edwards, Cliff Steinhauer, Doug Johnson, Katie Haws, Jack
Armstrong, and Benjamin Fritchman 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 14, 2005.