Minnesota Detroit Lakes RBA
Minnesota Detroit Lakes RBA
Minnesota Detroit Lakes RBA
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Previous reports: September 7 14 21 28, October 5 12 19.
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *October 26, 2006 *MNDL0610.26-Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: October 26, 2006
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 27, 2006 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.
Nearing Halloween, we will gain an hour of birding time as we turn the clocks back this weekend. Migration is winding down. Any birds seen now are noteworthy, either for being early, late, or just for wandering this way on their journeys. Most noteworthy is the irruption of Gray Jays into northwestern and southern Minnesota. Please send in all Gray Jay sightings so we may log them in an effort to see where they go, and what habitat they use, to try to figure out why this happens every now and then. Please include precise locations, dates, and what kind of habitat they are found in. GRAY JAYS have been reported in Lake of the Woods, Roseau, Marshall , Red Lake, Polk, and Norman Counties this week.
Gretchen Mehmel in the Beltrami Island State Forest reported this week both SPRUCE GROUSE and RUFFED GROUSE. Also there has been a NORTHERN HAWK OWL hanging out near the command center for the search for a lost hunter along the East Moose River Road. Please do not get in the way of the search. BALD EAGLES, and GRAY JAYS have also been reported.
Stan Wood at the Roseau River WMA reported that several GRAY JAYS have been seen and SNOW BUNTINGS have been common in the area this week.
Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported on October 23 that her yard still holds good numbers of sparrows, and she has also seen RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PURPLE FINCH.
At Agassiz NWR in Marshall County, Maggie Anderson reported on October 23, that a couple of GRAY JAYS have been hanging around headquarters, and two have been reported along the Maakstad Trail. Peder Svingen found one at Webster Pool on October 24. Other species seen at the refuge included an AMERICAN BITTERN, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK; 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen near the observation deck at Parker Pool. 100 SNOW GEESE and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK have also been seen at the refuge. Steve Broten reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Viking, and 4-5 GRAY JAYS at a home southwest of Newfolden. On October 22, he saw 15 GRAY PARTRIDGE near his home in that area.
On October 21, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, and one SURF SCOTER were found at the Thief River Falls WTP, Pennington County. On October 24, Peder Svingen also found a BLACK SCOTER there amid hundreds of scaup and RING-NECKED DUCKS. Several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen there on Saturday, but those were gone by Sunday. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are beginning to appear in the county. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along the west side of the wastewater treatment ponds on October 25.
On October 21, a GRAY JAY and a RUFFED GROUSE were seen at the home of Phyllis Audette near Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County. On October 24, Peder Svingen found two GRAY JAYS coming to a yard with a feeder at Huot.
In Polk County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap found a SURF SCOTER at Oak Lake on October 21, and a SHORT-EARED OWL four miles south of the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45. Among many species found by Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend were many GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, a dawn flight of over 500 SANDHILL CRANES near the Pembina Trail SNA, a flock of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and SNOW BUNTINGS to name only a few. Two GRAY JAYS were seen, one of them near the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45 along the tracks. Peder Svingen on October 24 found three BLACK SCOTERS, one SURF SCOTER, one ROSS'S GOOSE, and one juvenal WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the Crookston WTP. On October 26, Dave Lambeth reported three immature WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the East Grand Forks WTP about a mile north of town along the Red River.
A GRAY JAY was found by Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap on October 22 in the pines across from the cemetery near Syre in Norman County; other species found included NORTHERN SHRIKE and COMMON REDPOLL.
Ben and Bob found a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Mahnomen on October 22.
In Clay County, Ben and Bob found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Hawley landfill on October 22. Mel and Elaine Bennefeld reported a partial albino DARK-EYED JUNCO on October 25 at the Pondorosa Golf Club.
In Otter Tail County, Nancy Jackson found a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a WILSON'S SNIPE at Leaf Lake on October 22. Alma Ronningen saw a HARRIS'S SPARROW on October 23, a BROWN CREEPER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on October 23. Jeff and Amy Drake reported an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on October 21, a nice selection of sparrows, PINE SISKIN, and PURPLE FINCH.
From Wilkin County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap reported a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.
Nancy Jackson reported many AMERICAN COOTS, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON LOON, BONAPARTE'S GULL, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and BROWN CREEPER in Douglas County on October 21. Deb Johnson on October 23 reported AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL among others in their yard.
Thanks to all who sent in their sightings this week.
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, November 3, 2006.
Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our internet list sevice:
MOU-net@cbs.umn.edu.
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