Detroit Lakes RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *December 8, 2005 *MNDL0512.08 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: December 8, 2005
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, December 9, 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.
As the week went by, a little snow has fallen each day, until we are now white throughout. There has been no wind to blow it around so all is looking very seasonal.
Two species highlight the list of reports this week- VARIED THRUSH and SNOWY OWL. I have reports of three of the former and five of the owls.
>From Beltrami County, Kelly Larson reported a VARIED THRUSH at Movil Lake off CR 15 north of Bemidji, and a secondhand report of one at Sandy Lake in Roosevelt Township. A male VARIED THRUSH briefly visited the headquarters feeder at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County on Friday, December 2 but has not been seen since. A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen near the intersection of Marshell CR 7 and the Airport Road at Agassiz NWR on December 8 as reported by Maggie Anderson, refuge manager.
SNOWY OWLS were sighted in both Pennington and Polk Counties this week. Mary Broten reported a SNOWY OWL very near Thief River Falls on November 30 in the parking lot of the new Highway Department building along the truck bypass near MN 1. This bird was relocated on Sunday, December 4 about 1.5 miles southwest of that location along a township road a bit south of the wastewater treatment ponds. Another was observed by Diana Morkassel east of Thief River Falls - no specific location was given for that one. Perhaps the same bird was reported by Gary Tischer along Marshall CR 12 near Marshall CR 2 on December 8. In Polk County, Nathaniel Emery found one near UMC Crookston along CR 71 less than two miles east of the campus. To get to that location, take US 75 north from US 2, then take an immediate right on CR 71 . The bird has been sighted in different locations in that general area. Another was reported by Emily Hutchins near Liberty WMA northwest of Fertile.
Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported seven EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in the town of Otter Tail on December 5. South of Battle Lake, they saw several LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and over 100 SNOW BUNTINGS near the intersection of CR 78 and CR 126. Tom and Sheryl Smith reported seeing MOURNING DOVES in the county. Roland Jordahl saw several TRUMPETER SWANS along the Pelican River, and a NORTHERN FLICKER and a HARRIS'S SPARROW in his yard. Alma Ronningen, while reporting species for the Feeder Watch program, saw 5 WILD TURKEYS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL, a species that has been difficult to find this December.=09
In Becker County, Greta Hage reported a couple of AMERICAN ROBINS , and waxwing species in her yard on Munson Drive in Detroit Lakes.
Other species in Polk County were reported by Emily Hutchins including a gray phase RUFFED GROUSE, 40 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, three GREAT HORNED OWLS, PILEATED WOODPECKER, SNOW BUNTINGS, and LAPLAND LONGSPURS. Donna and Leon Thoreson saw a GREAT HORNED OWL, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, and three GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS in their yard this week.
Maggie Anderson reported that the NORTHERN SHRIKE is still hanging around the headquarters of Agassiz NWR as of December 8. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK has also been seen at the refuge near the end of the Lost Bay Habitat Drive.
Kelly Larson reported ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, and SNOW BUNTINGS in Beltrami County on December 1. Pat Rice has hundreds of PINE SISKINS in the yard this week.
Thanks to Kelly Larson, Becky Carlson, Mary Broten, Tom and Sheryl Smith, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Diana Morkassel, Pat Rice, Nathaniel Emery, Greta Hage, Roland Jordahl, Alma Ronningen, Maggie Anderson, Gary Tischer, and Emily Hutchins 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, December 16, 2005.
