[mou] Itasca/Beltrami/Koochiching Counties - Bird Report - 6/26 - 29, 2008

[CRAIG MANDEL]

June 26 - 29, 2008

I enjoyed a long weekend birding trip to Itasca, Beltrami and Koochiching 
counties and with the help of Shawn Conrad, participants of the Minnesota 
Birding Weekend group I was leading and those who have previously reported 
there sightings from the area our group found 135 species of birds.  Many of 
the species of birds observed, either had young with them or were observed 
carrying food.  We also found a couple Least Sandpipers, which would most 
likely be the first fall migrants of the season.  Take care if you plan to 
bird the area in the near future, as many of the roads in Koochiching county 
were very muddy.  So after a brief try on the Twomey Williams Forest Road, 
we chose to spend the rest of the time birding only on paved or very well 
maintained Gravel county roads in Koochiching county.  Here are some of the 
species that were observed over the weekend:

American Bittern - 6:00am - Koochiching county - Bird in flight in the town 
of Northome.
Merlin - 11:30am - Itasca county - Scenic State Park - Picnic area - several 
birds were heard here and one was observed eating
                                                                     a small 
songbird.
       - 6:00am - Koochiching county - Northome - A single bird was observed 
sitting in a tree at the intersection of Hyw. 71
                                                  and CR 15.
Least Sandpiper - 10:30am - Beltrami County - CR 40, about 1 mile West of 
the county line.  There were lots of flooded fields
                                              along CR 40 and one had a pair 
of Least Sandpipers in a muddy area.
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 6:30am - Itasca County -  Grand Rapid's - Ha-Car 
Place - One Eurasian Collared-Dove was still
                                                                   present 
at this location.  Which has been previously
                                                                   reported 
by Shawn.  Please note that if you try for this
                                                                   bird, do 
not trespass into yards.
Whip-poor-will - 10:30pm - Itasca County - Bovey - Several birds were heard 
and one briefly seen on the North side of town
                                                   along a bike trail.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 7:30am - Itasca County - CR 48, just South of 
the Alder Road.
                            8:00 - 10:00am - Koochiching County - Big Bog 
SRA - Bog Board Walk Trail - Five Yellow-bellied
                                                                  Flycatchers 
were observed or heard along this board walk
                                                                  trail. 
Three were observed a little before the midway point
                                                                  and two 
were heard near the end of the trail.
Blue-headed Vireo - This species was observed in all three counties.
Gray Jay - 9:00am - Beltrami County - Big Bog SRA - Several adult and three 
immature birds were observed about 1/3 of the way
                                                    out from the start of 
the trail.
Black-billed Magpie - This species was observed in all three counties.
Warblers - 17 species of Warblers were observed over the weekend.  Here were 
some of the better places for seeing and hearing
           Warblers.
Beltrami county - Big Bog SRA - Eleven Species - Including Magnolia, 
Black-throated Green, Palm, Connecticut and Mourning
                                                 Warblers.
Itasca County - Scenic State Park - Fourteen Species - Including Northern 
Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Pine, Palm,
                                                       Connecticut and 
Mourning Warblers.
Le Conte's Sparrows - Seen and heard in all three counties.

Craig Mandel
Minnetonka, MN - Hennepin County
EgretCMan at msn.com