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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*Dececmber 15, 2000
*MNDL0012.15

-Birds mentioned

• Trumpeter Swan
• Golden Eagle
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Northern Cardinal
• White-throated Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Rusty Blackbird
• Pine Grosbeak
• Purple Finch
• Pine Siskin
• American Goldfinch
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: Dececmber 15, 2000
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Betsy Beneke (BetsyBeneke@lakesnet.net)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, December 15th, sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lakes Area Birding Club. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was reported by Rick Julian on December 13 in Polk County. It was along CR 37 about 1.5 east of its junction with CR 210. This is SE of the Rydell NWR.

A SNOWY OWL, reported on the 12th, was along CR 19 approximately one mile northwest of Foxhome in Otter Tail County. A GOLDEN EAGLE was also found by Steve Millard about one mile north of the snowy owl location the same day.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be reported in good numbers from Roseau, Lake of the Woods and Beltrami Counties, as well as the Northwest Angle. Angle roads #333, #331, MB #525 and the first 8 miles of MB #308 are particularly good ones to check, with birds numbering anywhere from 7 to 17 have been seen in recent weeks.

>From Becker County, Kay Hartness reports both EVENING GROSBEAKS and PINE GROSBEAKS at her feeders on the NE side of Cotton Lake. The same species can be found just north at the Tamarac NWR, along with AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, PINE SISKIN and PURPLE FINCH.

Also from Becker County, three TRUMPETER SWANS are over-wintering at the north end of Rock Lake, which is just southwest of Tamarac NWR.

NORTHERN CARDINALS were reported at the Rydell NWR in Polk County, in the community of Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County and Detroit Lakes in Becker County this week.

>From the Wetlands, Pines & Prairies Audubon Sanctuary near Warren in Polk County, Blane Klemek reported these birds on the 11th: BROWN CREEPER, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and DARK-EYED JUNCO.

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was still present in Thief River Falls, Pennington County on the 11th, reported by Shelley Steva and Jeanie Joppru.

Several Christmas Birds Counts will be conducted in this area on the 16th, including Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Fargo-Moorhead and Rydell NWR. The Tamarac NWR count is on the 18th.

Thanks also to Celeste Colson, Wayne Goeken, Eddy Edwards, Jan Campbell, Mary Wyatt and Ione Halvorson. If you have interesting birds to report from northwestern Minnesota, please contact:

Betsy Beneke by e-mail at: betsybeneke@lakesnet.net Or call the Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992

The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, December 22nd.

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