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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*September 15, 2005
*MNDL0509.15

-Birds mentioned

• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Swainson's Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Merlin
• Spruce Grouse
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Wilson's Snipe
• Great Gray Owl
• Barn Swallow
• Carolina Wren
• Eastern Bluebird
• Dark-eyed Junco

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: September 15, 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, September 16, 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.

We are sliding peacefully into fall in the northwest, with mild temperatures, and mostly sunny days. Leaves are just beginning to show the beautiful color we look for in the autumn woods. Migration seems to be progressing but some species seem to have overflown the area, especially shorebirds , large congregations of which are hard to find in the northwest this year.

In Polk County, Shelley Steva and I visited the Melo Impoundment in the northern part of the county on September 11. There we found very few shorebirds in and near the few pools remaining. In all there were KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and WILSON'S SNIPE - all in ones and twos. Also there were six GREAT EGRETS, and a BALD EAGLE. Elsewhere in the county , we saw a SWAINSON'S HAWK. Bruce Flaig reported that the first DARK-EYED JUNCO of the fall appeared on September 15 in southern Polk County.

Along the old Pembina Trail in Pennington County, we saw a MERLIN, BARN SWALLOWS, and at least eight EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on Sunday, September 11.

Gary Tischer reported that about 35 GREAT EGRETS can be found at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge this week. About 200 SANDHILL CRANES are gathering at Northwest Pool on the refuge and another 100 or so are on the east side; more can be seen to the northwest of the refuge in farm fields. Hawks are beginning to show up in migration with the majority of them now being RED-TAILED HAWKS, although at least one ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK has been seen.

Pat Rice, Beltrami County, reported that the CAROLINA WREN was still in their yard as of September 11.

>From Kittson County, Larry Wilebski reported GREAT EGRET, GREAT BLUE HERON, 25 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, three TURKEY VULTURES, and four GREATER YELLOWLEGS at his wildlife area north of Lancaster near the Canadian border.

Gretchen Mehmel, reporting from Lake of the Woods County, saw a GREAT GRAY OWL along the Roosevelt Forest Road 1 mile north of the Norris Fire Tower on September 10, where on the 9th, she had seen a SPRUCE GROUSE not more than 1/2 mile away.

Thanks to Larry Wilebski, Gretchen Mehmel, Bruce Flaig, Gary Tischer, and Pat Rice 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, September 23, 2005.

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