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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*October 14, 2004
*MNDL0410.14

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• Trumpeter Swan
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Ferruginous Hawk
• Merlin
• Peregrine Falcon
• Sandhill Crane
• American Golden-Plover
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Sabine's Gull
• Short-eared Owl
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Horned Lark
• Gray Jay
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Field Sparrow
• Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Harris's Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Lapland Longspur
• Smith's Longspur
• Western Meadowlark
• Rusty Blackbird
• Brewer's Blackbird
• Purple Finch

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: October 14, 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, October 15, 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.

Fall colors are past their peak in all of the northwest now, cold winds foretell the approach of winter, and smell like snow. More than half the leaves have fallen from the trees from at least Pennington County northwards. On their way south waterfowl are increasing in numbers on the larger bodies of water and the wastewater treatment ponds.

A PACIFIC LOON was reported by Bill Unzen on Lake Bemidji in Beltrami County on Monday, October 11th. When it was discovered it was near the Bemidji State University dock. The bird was relocated on Tuesday, but has not been found since then.

CACKLING GEESE were reported from Clay, Red Lake, and Pennington Counties this week. Keep your eyes open, and check the flocks of Canada Geese for these smaller geese.

Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported three flocks of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS of 30-40 each in Wilkin County. One flock was at the Breckenridge wastewater treatment ponds, and the others in the Rothsay Prairie area. This species seems to be favoring wet recently harvested soybean fields.

Roland Jordahl reported from Otter Tail County this week. Among his sightings were BROAD-WINGED HAWK, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Joe Gartner and his son visited a number of SNA's on October 7th, and at the Otter Tail Prairie SNA southwest of Fergus Falls, they found forty GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS, a SHORT-EARED OWL, and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. At the Rabbit River WPA Dan and Sandy Thimgan observed a flock of 25 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS.

>From Becker County, Luke Pechmann reported FOX SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and DARK-EYED JUNCO . Shar Legenhausen observed seven TRUMPETER SWANS on Momb Lake.

On October 7th Benjamin Fritchman found a partial albino HARRIS'S SPARROW at Felton Prairie in Clay County. There, too, he found a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS. He also saw CACKLING GEESE at the Moorhead wastewater treatment ponds. There were 29 GREATER YELLOWLEGS at the Glyndon wastewater treatment ponds. On the 11th, Benjamin observed 102 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS along CR 51 one mile east of CR 11 west of Barnesville. At the Barnesville wastewater treatment ponds there were twenty BONAPARTE'S GULLS. Mel and Elaine Bennefeld found 12 PURPLE FINCHES at the Ponderosa Golf Club in Clay County on October 12th. At Bluestem Prairie SNA near Glyndon, Joe Gartner reported SHORT-EARED OWL, HARRIS'S SPARROW, and NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW.

In Norman County on the 10th, Doug Johnson saw GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS, and RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Joe Gartner was there on the 9th, and he found a MERLIN, FERRUGINOUS HAWK, and a variety of sparrows at the Sandpiper SNA near Twin Valley.

While driving through Mahnomen County, Doug observed a PEREGRINE FALCON at the Mahnomen wastewater treatment ponds on October 10th. At Santee Prairie SNA near Mahnomen, Joe Gartner found a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.

Bill Unzen reported an adult SABINE'S GULL on Lake Bemidji in Beltrami County on October 8th. Pat DeWenter had RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and BROWN CREEPER in her yard on October 9th.

Joe Gartner and his son observed a FIELD SPARROW in the Gully Fen in Polk County on October 9th.

Shelley Steva and I found a mixed flock of HORNED LARKS, and LAPLAND LONGSPURS that included about 20 SMITH'S LONGSPURS in northwestern Marshall County on October 9th. At the same location was a small flock of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS. Mary Broten reported WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, and DARK-EYED JUNCOS in that county also.

Here in Pennington County, I heard a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in the yard, and there were many AMERICAN ROBINS, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS in the yard during the past week. 14 SANDHILL CRANES flew over on Sunday, October 10th.

At the Two Rivers Aspen Parkland Prairie SNA near Pelan, Joe Gartner found a GRAY JAY on October 9th.

Thanks to Benjamin Fritchman, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld, Roland Jordahl, Luke Pechmann, Bill Unzen, Mary Broten, Shar Legenhausen, Doug Johnson, Joe Gartner, 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 22, 2004.

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