Previous reports: April 0 15 20 28 , May 0 11 26 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*June 01, 2001
*MNDL0106.001

-Birds mentioned

• Horned Grebe
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Merlin
• Black-billed Cuckoo
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• Great Gray Owl
• Common Nighthawk
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sedge Wren
• Swainson's Thrush
• White-eyed Vireo
• Golden-winged Warbler
• Tennessee Warbler
• Northern Parula
• Magnolia Warbler
• Cape May Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Cerulean Warbler
• Connecticut Warbler
• Mourning Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Indigo Bunting

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: June 01, 2001
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, June 1st, 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.

The WHITE-EYED VIREO was still present at the Buffalo River State Park in Clay County on the 29th. Location was at the far end of the picnic area parking lot just at the corner to the south of the paved bicycle trail. It was seen low in the trees and shrubs along the edge of the pond.

The male CERULEAN WARBLER is still present and singing on territory at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Becker County. Location is at the dip in the road just before stop number 9 on the Blackbird Auto Tour Route. In addition, on the 29th, Denny and Barb Martin observed a female cerulean gathering nesting material in this same area. If anyone has additional observations, please share them with refuge staff.

CONNECTICUT WARBLERS have returned to the north woods and I have reports of birds in Roseau, Lake of the Woods and Beltrami Counties. One of the most reliable areas to look for this bird is along the Thompson Forest Road in the Beltrami Island State Forest, Roseau County.

GREAT GRAY OWLS have been reported from the north. A bird continues to be seen six miles south of Warroad along CR 5 and along Hwy. 310 north of Roseau, both in Roseau Co. Heidi Hughes Valega and Celeste Colson reported up to eight birds on the Northwest Angle and near Angle Inlet. Several birds were along CR 330, while others were observed along the post office road near the convenience store; along Nelson Road heading toward the Angle Outpost Resort and in the area of the resort.

I have been receiving reports of both BLACK-BILLED CUCKOOS and YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOOS from numerous points along the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail. No doubt the outbreak of forest tent caterpillars in northern Minnesota is providing plenty of food for these birds.

A note regarding birding in these areas - the caterpillars and their webbing are VERY abundant in certain places. Some folks may find hiking along roads and trails an unpleasant challenge. On the other hand, it's quite an interesting spectacle of nature to observe - you just might wish to do so wearing a hat and long sleeves!

Late migrant RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS made their way through Becker County on the 30th and 31st. Mary and Bill Wyatt's hummer population went from 5 to 20 in one day on the 30th. Other folks in the area reported more hummers showing up this week also.

Doug Johnson birded in Beltrami County on the 26th and had 101 species. Of note were a late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, MERLIN, singing SWAINSON'S THRUSH, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, INDIGO BUNTING and SEDGE WREN.

Shelley Steva found both MERLIN and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK two miles north of Plummer in Red Lake Co. on the 25th.

On the 27th, a HORNED GREBE was found 4.4 miles east of the headquarters at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall Co. by Jeanie Joppru.

Migrant warblers were abundant through the weekend and early in the week in Becker County. Some species found the 27th through the 29th were GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, TENNESSEE WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER and CANADA WARBLER.

Thanks also to Alma Ronningen, Mary & Bill Wyatt, Tom Smith, Gretchen Mehmel, Stan Wood, Wayne Goeken and Dorothy Russell.

If you have interesting birds to report, contact Betsy Beneke by e-mail, no later than Thursday each week, 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, June 8th.

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