Previous reports: November 21 28 , December 5 12 19 26 , January 2 9 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*January 16, 2003
*MNDL0301.16

-Birds mentioned

• Great Blue Heron
• Canada Goose
• Common Goldeneye
• Common Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Goshawk
• Spruce Grouse
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Great Horned Owl
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Gray Jay
• Blue Jay
• Black-billed Magpie
• Common Raven
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Townsend's Solitaire
• American Robin
• Varied Thrush
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Snow Bunting
• Purple Finch
• House Finch
• White-winged Crossbill
• American Goldfinch

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: January 16, 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)
Reply-To:

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, January 17, 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.

Cold weather this week has kept birds quiet and the people inside in the northwest.

However , we do have a few interesting species to report. A VARIED THRUSH has been seen several times during the last two days on the campus of Minnesota State University, Moorhead in Clay County. It was seen under several cherry trees and on the ground under a clump of evergreens in the area between Lommen Hall and the Comstock Memorial Union.

>From Clearwater County, Connie Cox reported BALD EAGLES, PILEATED WOODPECKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, GRAY JAY, BLUE JAY, 6 PURPLE FINCH, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, but no grosbeaks of any kind. Similar species can be found at Itasca State Park , and someone reported WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS near Douglas Lodge. Highlights of the Itasca CBC held on December 21, included a CANADA GOOSE, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, and 6 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS.

On Wednesday, Donna and Leon Thoreson went to East Grand Forks, Polk County to look for the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and they did succeed in finding the bird, so now we know that it is one tough bird, what with the cold weather. While there they saw 7 AMERICAN ROBINS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH, HOUSE FINCH, and PILEATED WOODPECKER. At home in Climax, they had GREAT HORNED OWL, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, BROWN CREEPER, and SNOW BUNTING. They , in company with the rest of us, have had no redpolls or pine siskins this winter. Randy Chaffee reported a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, as well as most of the birds mentioned, above at his feeder in Climax.

Directions to the Solitaire 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.

In Pennington County, we continue to have 6 DARK-EYED JUNCOS at our feeder near Thief River Falls. Also the COMMON MERGANSERS and COMMON GOLDENEYE reported in an earlier report are still to be found in a small patch of open water below the dam in Thief River Falls.

Marshall County birds seen at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on Friday and Saturday included several NORTHERN SHRIKES, and 4 COMMON RAVENS. Gary Huschle of the Agassiz staff reported that one or two GREAT BLUE HERONS were still hanging around the control structure near Pool 8. We think they must be shivering by now. Elsewhere in Marshall County Shelley Steva and I saw around 300 SNOW BUNTINGS.

Gretchen Mehmel saw a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in Beltrami County about 5 miles north of Fourtown. In Lake of the Woods County just north of the Faunce Tower, she reported a SPRUCE GROUSE.

In Roseau County , Beth Siverhus reported about 80 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at her feeder in Warroad.

Thanks to Randy Chaffee, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Gretchen Mehmel, Connie Cox, and Gary Huschle 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 24, 2003.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County

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