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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*February 26, 2004
*MNDL0402.26

-Birds mentioned

• Bald Eagle
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Golden Eagle
• Merlin
• Gray Partridge
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Wild Turkey
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Horned Lark
• American Robin
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Cedar Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Red-winged Blackbird
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: February 26, 2004
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, February 27, 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.

This week has been a mild week throughout the area, and signs of spring are all around, even though we are sure to have some more cold and snow in March. Most of the snow buntings have moved north, some horned larks, and longspurs are being reported. The grouse family is starting their courtship displays. Owls are also pairing off and getting ready to raise a family.

>From Norris Camp in Lake of the Woods County, Gretchen Mehmel reported that several GREAT GRAY OWLS have been sighted in the forest. On Sunday and Monday, she saw one north of the Norris firetower, and June and Ell-kay Foss saw three along the Winner and Faunce-Butterfield roads on Monday on their way to work. GREAT HORNED OWLS are hooting near Norris Camp also.

In Roseau County, Gretchen Mehmel saw two SHARP-TAILED GROUSE about three miles west of Hayes Lake State Park on Tuesday, February 24th. Rissa Foss saw a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER in her backyard south of the park over the weekend.

Shelley Steva saw SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in Red Lake County one mile east of the intersection of US highway 59 and County Road 1 on February 18th. On the 23rd, there were ten BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in the town of Plummer.

Lori Becker reported from the Wetland, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary that the COMMON REDPOLLS have greatly increased in numbers this week, and fifteen CEDAR WAXWINGS showed up to clean up the remaining fruit at the sanctuary in Polk County. Mike Christopher in Crookston spotted the local MERLIN hunting around town this week. Donna and Leon Thoreson near Climax reported that most, if not all, of the snow buntings that were in their yard departed with the coming of the warm weather. Instead they now have several HORNED LARKS, and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Randy Chaffee reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE near the golf course at Climax on the 26th.

In Norman County on Sunday, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld saw a BALD EAGLE along County Road 39 and 33 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS along Highway 32 south of Twin Valley. More GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS were seen along CR 39 east of Borup, and along CR 27 west of Twin Valley.

Clay County birds spotted by the Bennefeld's on Monday included three WILD TURKEYS two miles north of Moorhead on County Road 1. At Bluestem Prairie along CR 85 they found 37 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. On Tuesday, they found a NORTHERN SHRIKE at the Ponderosa Golf Club.

Benjamin Fritchman birded in Wilkin County on the 21st where he observed numerous GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS in the Rothsay area. Other species seen there included three ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, SHORT-EARED OWLS, HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and three RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Rick Gjervold also was in Wilkin County this week at the Waterfowl Production Area west of Highway 9 and south of CR 26 where he found both RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, and GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS. He also reported two GOLDEN EAGLES there. In the Lawndale area he spotted nine GRAY PARTRIDGE, and a BALD EAGLE.

On his way through Long Prairie on the 21st, Benjamin Fritchman saw a MOURNING DOVE, AMERICAN ROBIN, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS in that Todd County town.

Thanks to Gretchen Mehmel, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld, Randy Chaffee, Shelley Steva, Rick Gjervold, Benjamin Fritchman, Lori Becker, Mike Christopher, and Donna and Leon Thoreson 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, March 5, 2004.

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