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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*August 28, 2003
*MNDL0308.28

-Birds mentioned

• Gray Partridge
• Sora
• Common Moorhen
• Black-bellied Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Baird's Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Red-necked Phalarope
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Veery
• Gray-cheeked Thrush
• Swainson's Thrush
• Golden-winged Warbler
• Bay-breasted Warbler
• Cerulean Warbler
• Mourning Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Indigo Bunting

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: August 28, 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)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, August 29, 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.

The weather seems more like fall this week, and the migration through Northwest Minnesota continues. Warbler migration seems spotty with large numbers of species being reported from some areas, while others have seen virtually none.

Four BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were discovered at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge last weekend- three at the east side of Thief Bay Pool, and one along Marshall County Road 7 just east of the headquarters in South Pool.

Mary Wyatt reported from Becker County this week that the warblers are migrating through that county in large numbers. She had 13 species including GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, CERULEAN WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, and CANADA WARBLER. Three species of thrush were seen- VEERY, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH, and SWAINSON'S THRUSH. She also observed juvenile RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, and several INDIGO BUNTINGS. At Hamden Slough COMMON MOORHENS and SORAS are still being seen.

Red Lake County sightings of note were nine species of shorebirds at the Red Lake Falls wastewater treatment ponds on August 23rd. These included one juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER.

In Pennington County, a family of nine GRAY PARTRIDGE was observed on August 23rd near the Thief River Falls wastewater treatment ponds. These were 0.1 mile west of 120th Ave. NE along 160th St. NE. On August 28th, I found a single MOURNING WARBLER skulking in the black currant bushes in our yard near Thief River Falls.

The Agassiz NWR shorebird survey of August 24 revealed that the dry weather has taken its toll on the habitat, as the number of shorebirds had dropped considerably with 1277 birds of 18 species reported this week. For sheer numbers the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS topped the list at 434 birds with LESSER YELLOWLEGS running a close second at 418 individuals. One BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 37 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 27 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 85 STILT SANDPIPERS, and 5 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were among the species counted in addition to the Buff-breasted Sandpipers reported above.=09

Thanks to Mary Wyatt and Peder Svingen for their reports.=09

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, September 5, 2003.

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