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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*July 23, 2004
*MNDL0407.23

-Birds mentioned

• Common Loon
• Red-necked Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Great Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
• Wood Duck
• Common Moorhen
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson's Phalarope
• Franklin's Gull
• Great Horned Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
• Bobolink

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: July 23, 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, July 23, 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.

There are a few more reports this week as the busy holiday weekend is over, and the vacations and class reunions are getting fewer. As well the birding is changing seasons as the young are appearing, and the shorebirds are starting to come back from their northern breeding grounds. That is a sobering thought- that the southward migration is already in progress for many species!

>From Roseau River WMA in northwestern Roseau County, Melanie Torkelson reports that the COMMON LOONS are beginning to stage on Pool 1, and the drake WOOD DUCKS are gathering in the Pool 2 wild rice beds. Shorebird numbers are increasing on the drawdown on Pool 1 East.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County, Maggie Anderson reported nine species of shorebirds on Lower CCC Pool in the interior of the refuge. They included both yellowlegs, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, STILT SANDPIPERS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, as well as KILLDEER, and WILSON'S PHALAROPES. In addition, there was a GREAT EGRET on the west side of Agassiz Pool, and both BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and FRANKLIN'S GULL young are being seen around the refuge.

During the first week of July, Diana Morkassel reported a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER feeding young in Beltrami County north of Bemidji near Puposky.=20

Mary Wyatt had some interesting news from Hamden NWR in Becker County. Two COMMON MOORHEN young have been spotted on Homstad Pool in the refuge. These birds are the same size as the young raised at the Hesby wetland there last summer at the same time, so it is assumed that the birds nested at Hamden again this year. She did not say that the adults have been seen yet. Also a CATTLE EGRET was found at the Eagle wetland, and spotted again at the Homstad location later this week. A GREAT HORNED OWL was seen at the refuge, and there is a singing NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW north of the parking lot at Bisson Wetland. Shorebird numbers are increasing, and it appears that the BOBOLINKS have had a good year there as large numbers are being seen.

Alma Ronningen reported a pair of SANDHILL CRANES in Otter Tail County near Dent.

At Pelican Lake in Grant and Douglas County, Keith Pulles found five CATTLE EGRETS at the south end of the lake. Other species seen there included RED-NECKED GREBES and WESTERN GREBES.

Thanks to Melanie Torkelson, Maggie Anderson, Diana Morkassel, Alma Ronningen, Mary Wyatt, and Keith Pulles 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, July 30, 2004.

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