Previous reports: November 7 14 21 28 , December 5 12 19 26 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*January 2, 2003
*MNDL0301.02

-Birds mentioned

• Common Goldeneye
• Common Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Ruffed Grouse
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Wild Turkey
• Great Horned Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Common Raven
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Townsend's Solitaire
• American Robin
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Cedar Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Northern Cardinal
• Snow Bunting
• White-winged Crossbill

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: January 2, 2003
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)
Importance: Normal

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, January 3, 2003 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.

Happy New Year everyone! And may you all have great sightings this new year!

The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE seen on the Grand Forks Christmas Bird Count is still being seen at the same location just north of East Grand Forks in Polk County. Shelley Steva and I relocated the bird on December 31st.

Directions to the bird are as follows: From the intersection of Highways 2 and 220 North in East Grand Forks, go north on Highway 220 to the corner of Polk County Road 19 ( just north of the Junior College); go 1 mile west and turn right on County Road 64; go two-tenths of a mile north and turn left; follow the road as it curves to the right to the evergreens and crabapple trees. The bird was feeding on crabapples to the right of the road when we were there, but flew across the road to the area with a lot of downed trees and brush. This is an area flooded in '97 and the lots where about 8-10 homes once stood are where the bird is. All the shrubbery remains, but the houses are gone. The Red River is just to the west of the road and behind these lots.

A BALD EAGLE was reported by Jan Campbell at the intersection of Highways 10 and 59 in the city of Detroit Lakes, Becker County on Monday, December 30th.

20 WILD TURKEYS were seen by Randy Chaffee near Georgetown, Clay County.

In Hubbard County, Erika Sitz reported a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER at a suet feeder in the yard of Greg and Julie Sitz on Fish Hook Lake north of Park Rapids on the day after Christmas.

Rick Julian from Rydell NWR in Polk County, says a PILEATED WOODPECKER is coming to the refuge suet feeder, and all the usual winter birds are visiting also. Three RUFFED GROUSE are feeding in the crabapple trees outside the Visitor's Center every morning. Ski trails at the refuge are groomed and open for use. A GREAT HORNED OWL was also seen at the same location as the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on December 31st. Randy Chaffee has a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, a PILEATED WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, and HAIRY WOODPECKER coming to his feeder in Climax. He also reported a BALD EAGLE near Climax.

In Pennington County on December 31 ,there were BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in our yard. On New Year's day, a short cruise around Thief River Falls turned up 132 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 COMMON MERGANSERS and 1 female COMMON GOLDENEYE below the dam. Other New Year birds were DOWNY WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, BLUE JAY, AMERICAN CROW, two NORTHERN SHRIKES in the city of Thief River Falls, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, AMERICAN ROBIN, and BOHEMIAN WAXWING.

The Roseau CBC was held on Saturday, December 28th, and 21 species were tallied, plus two additional count week birds. Seen during count week but not on count day was SHORT-EARED OWL on December 31, seen sitting on a sign on the edge of a county road between CR28 and CR 31; another count week bird was a NORTHERN CARDINAL which came to a feeder in Roseau two days before the count. Highlights on count day included 16 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, 4 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, 6 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 71 COMMON RAVENS, 132 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 37 SNOW BUNTINGS, and 20 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS.

Thanks to Jan Campbell, Erika Sitz, Randy Chaffee, and Rick Julian 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. 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, January 10, 2003.

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