This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, June 20, 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.
This has been a typical summer week in the northwest with nesting birds reported in nearly every report. The flood of migrants has slowed to a trickle with only the latecomers being seen now. Weather has settled down also , and warmer temperatures are bringing out the bugs. A LITTLE BLUE HERON was seen by several observers on Monday, June 16th at Farmes Pool, Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, in Marshall County. Unfortunately, I have no reports of anyone having seen the bird since, so it may have moved on. On the other hand there is lots of habitat at Agassiz so it may just have changed locations. Carol Schumacher and I saw a WILLET in Polk County along CR 45 just to the southwest of the Glacial Ridge Project on Friday, June 13th. Her group did not refind it on the weekend. There has not been a confirmed nesting in Minnesota since 1932 so this would be a bird to watch if anyone does relocate it. The bird has obviously moved, which is not surprising since the puddle we saw it in would be dry by now, and we saw it fly to the northeast towards Glacial Ridge while we were there. A couple of hours of birding in Roseau County on Friday, June 16th turned up the expected birds, and one UPLAND SANDPIPER near Highway 11 between Badger and Roseau. In Marshall County, I found several GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, and two ORCHARD ORIOLES along the county line with Polk County just north of the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary on June 15th. Shelley Steva went to Farmes Pool at Agassiz NWR on Tuesday, June 17th looking for the Little Blue Heron and not finding it, but did report 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 6 MARBLED GODWITS, 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, and 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES. Juancarlos Giese reported from Rydell National Wildlife Refuge in Polk County on June 19th that there are nesting RED-NECKED GREBES, TRUMPETER SWANS, and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS at the refuge, and SCARLET TANAGERS and INDIGO BUNTINGS are being seen. A COMMON LOON and EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE were seen by Shelley Steva and others at Rydell NWR on the 15th. On the weekend of June 14-15th, Carol Schumacher's group visited the Crookston Wastewater Treatment Ponds, where they found WOOD DUCKS with young, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, STILT SANDPIPERS, and FRANKLIN'S GULLS. At Glacial Ridge Project, they reported two groups of booming GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS. Other birds found there included LEAST BITTERN, HOODED MERGANSER, RUDDY DUCK, MARBLED GODWITS, RUFFED GROUSE, and nesting YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. A LARK SPARROW triangle was found in Red Lake Falls, Red Lake County, by Carol Schumacher and I on Friday, June 13th. We think there was a nest which we were unable to find, but there also was competition between rival males, as there was a whole lot of posturing going on, and three birds were seen. All of this activity was near Sportsman's Park. Also near there we found several INDIGO BUNTINGS. The two COMMON MOORHENS were still present at Hamden Slough NWR in Becker County at the beginning of the week. Rick Gjervold reported a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO nesting in Buffalo River State Park, Clay County, in high bushes along Prairie Smoke Trail just before the junction with Wide Sky Trail. Another interesting Clay County sighting was reported by Jim Olson on June 19th- a completely albino COMMON GRACKLE on 14th Ave. S in Moorhead. >From Douglas County Carol Schumacher reported MARBLED GODWITS at the Alexandria airport, and in Pope County she found CATTLE EGRETS along CR84 about a mile west of its junction with CR37. Thanks to Carol Schumacher, Juancarlos Giese, Rick Gjervold, Shelley Steva, and Jim Olson for their reports. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjop...@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, June 27, 2003.
