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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*February 19, 2004
*MNDL0402.19

-Birds mentioned

• Trumpeter Swan
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Goshawk
• Golden Eagle
• Merlin
• Gray Partridge
• Ruffed Grouse
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Barred Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Horned Lark
• Common Raven
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Cedar Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Northern Cardinal
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Pine Grosbeak
• Hoary Redpoll
• Pine Siskin

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: February 19, 2004
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, February 20, 2004 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.

With the coming of warmer weather, longer days, and the nearing of the breeding season for some species, the birding has improved in this part of the state. Prominent in the reports have been owls, and several grouse species.

Linda Sparling reported several over wintering TRUMPETER SWANS on the Otter Tail River near Rush Lake just west of highways 78 and 108 in Otter Tail County on February 13th. In Wilkin County, she observed four SHORT-EARED OWLS in the Rothsay Prairie area near the prairie-chicken lek. Several birders saw more than twenty GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS along 300th Ave. between CR 26 and 200th Street, and many more were near the traditional lek. Conny Brunell saw a GOLDEN EAGLE along CR 176 east of the junction with CR15. Other species seen in that area included HORNED LARKS, SNOW BUNTINGS, and LAPLAND LONGSPURS. Rick Gjervold reported some of the same birds in the Lawndale area, and four GRAY PARTRIDGE just north of Lawndale.

>From Becker County, Marion Jacobson spotted a BALD EAGLE by the Strandvik Church south of Lake Park. Dave and Betty Hochhalter have a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS coming to their feeder near Detroit Lakes. Among the other birds at their feeders are several PINE SISKINS, a species that has not been reported very commonly this winter.

Doug Johnson found BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in the fruit trees on the west side of Bagley in Clearwater County on February 15th.

In Beltrami County, Doug Johnson reported a HOARY REDPOLL at his feeder northeast of Bemidji on Big Bass Lake on the weekend. A MERLIN has seen hunting near the grain elevators by the railroad tracks in downtown Bemidji on Friday, February 13th.

At the Gully fen, a surprise find was a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on February 15th. Other interesting birds were the 14 or 15 COMMON RAVENS cruising over the fen. Donna and Leon Thoreson reported that they are now feeding almost 200 SNOW BUNTINGS in their yard near Climax in Polk County. A CEDAR WAXWING was seen in their yard last weekend and among the other birds at their feeders is a single HOARY REDPOLL. A NORTHERN SHRIKE came to hunt at their feeders this week. Many GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were reported from the area in Polk County just south of the Glacial Ridge Project along County Roads 44, 45, and 46. A considerable number of SHORT-EARED OWLS were hunting over the prairies in the same area. One prairie-chicken was found by Doug Johnson right along US Highway 2 near the sign for Rydell NWR west of Erskine. On February 15th, at the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary, a DARK-EYED JUNCO, and a HOARY REDPOLL were discovered at the sanctuary feeders. Along the county road just south of the sanctuary, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was found perched in a tree. Eight GRAY PARTRIDGES were seen along that same road near the sanctuary boundary. In Crookston, the MERLIN is still harassing the pigeons at the MSU campus. A NORTHERN CARDINAL stopped at a feeder in Gentilly on February 15th.=20

Shelley Steva saw SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in Red Lake County on Wednesday, one mile east of the intersection of US highway 59 and Red Lake County 1.

Beth Siverhus reported RUFFED GROUSE, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PINE GROSBEAKS in her yard in Roseau County this week. Bob and Adele Powell observed a BALD EAGLE along Roseau County Road 2 near Highway 11 on the 15th. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH is coming to their feeder.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be seen in the Beltrami Island State Forest near Norris Camp. Tim Driscoll found a BARRED OWL near the fire tower in the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area on February 13th. Both of these sightings were in Lake of the Woods County.

Thanks to Bob and Adele Powell, Rick Gjervold, Conny Brunell, Dave Hochhalter, Tim Driscoll, Beth Siverhus, Doug Johnson, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Marion Jacobson, and Linda Sparling 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. 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, February 27, 2004.

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