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*Detroit Lakes
*January 27, 2005
*MNDL0501.27

-Birds mentioned

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: January 27, 2005
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, January 28, 2005 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.

This has been a milder week in the northwest, but not yet melting the snow. The icy conditions have improved somewhat on the more traveled highways, but caution is still advised. All should be aware that in some areas, freezing rain has occurred several times in a spotty pattern, leaving unexpected patches of black ice. Snow covered roads are improving, but don't look for minimum maintenance roads to be plowed until spring now. Major highways are mostly bare and dry- note that there aren't many of those in the northwest! Owls are moving into the area and more reports are coming in daily. This week I have reports of northern owls in Marshall, Mahnomen, Polk, Pennington, Clearwater, Red Lake, Becker, Hubbard, Kittson, Clay, and Cass Counties. Greatest concentrations of northern owls have been reported recently from the area where Hubbard, Cass, Clearwater, and Mahnomen Counties come together along MN Highways 200, 113, 64, and 87.

Ron Erpelding was in Roseau County on January 25th, where he found Bohemian waxwings, pine grosbeaks, and white-winged crossbills in Greenbush.

In Kittson County, Ron found three great gray owls along CR 20, three to four miles north of MN 11. Also in Kittson County he saw sharp-tailed grouse.

Alice Sather reported a great gray owl at the end of her drive along CR 113 in Marshall County north of Viking. The several great gray owls previously reported near the intersection of CR 7 and CR 12 near the west entrance to Agassiz NWR continue to be refound occasionally by different observers. Cliff Steinhauer who lives in that area sees them from time to time, and he also reported 15 sharp-tailed grouse, black-billed magpies, Bohemian waxwings, and common redpolls in his yard.

Shelley Steva saw a great gray owl in Pennington County on January 25th one mile north of the intersection of CR 3 and US 59. The one previously reported by Sue Braastad east of Thief River Falls was relocated less than a quarter mile west of the previous location along 150th St. NE on January 26th. Shelley Steva also reported seeing snow buntings in Pennington County. On January 25th, a sharp-shinned hawk briefly visited our yard near Thief River Falls.

A great gray owl was found in Red Lake County by Ron Erpelding 0.2 mile north of the Huot Store along CR 104.

Bruce Flaig reported a great gray owl along Polk CR 12 north of Fertile on January 24th.

Matt Mecklenburg was in Clearwater County on January 22nd where he discovered five great gray owls. Three were along MN 200 within 1 1/2 miles of mile marker 71 between Roy Lake and Zerkel, one was just west of Lake Itasca, and one was at the east entrance to Itasca State Park. In addition to these, he saw a northern goshawk along MN 113, and a red-breasted nuthatch at the Itasca State Park feeders. Ron Erpelding refound the great gray owl previously reported from Eden Township of Clearwater County, and east of that location was a northern goshawk.

In Hubbard and Cass Counties along MN 64 and MN 87 in the area where the two highways run together, Matt Mecklenburg located twelve great gray owls, and two barred owls.

On January 23rd, Ron Erpelding refound the northern hawk owl south of Gary in Norman County where MN 200 and MN 32 are one, and in Twin Valley he saw Bohemian waxwings.

In Mahnomen County, along MN 200, Ben Fritchman located 6 great gray owls, and also a great horned owl.

Both Matt Mecklenburg, and Wayne Brininger reported great gray owls in Becker County, most in and around Tamarac NWR along CR 29 and CR 26. Wayne reported that the owls were seldom seen again in the same location first reported indicating that they are moving around quite a lot.

Karol Pearson called in a report of two snowy owls one mile north and one mile east of Georgetown in Clay County on January 19th.

Thanks to Cliff Steinhauer, Bruce Flaig, Ron Erpelding, Alice Sather, Shelley Steva, Matt Mecklenburg, Karol Pearson, Ben Fritchman, and Wayne Brininger 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 4,2005.

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