This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, December 15, 2016 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 cold is settling into the northwest, and today there were places that didn't get above zero all day. That said, there was little wind so it was tolerable. Bird feeder activity is picking up with the colder weather. There is very little open water now , except where there are power plants or other reasons that it is not frozen. >From the southwestern part of Otter Tail County comes a report of a SNOWY OWL seen on December 13 by Mike Oehler. Wayne Perala observer a PURPLE FINCH on December 10 and an EASTERN TOWHEE on December 11 in Fergus Falls. A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was still being seen at Kabekona Lake in Hubbard County as recently as December 10. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was observed there that day also- no doubt it has left in search of open water by now. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was found by Hebe Shipp in Moorhead, Clay County, on December 10. Patrick Beauzay saw a SONG SPARROW in Moorhead on December 12. Shelley Steva saw 10 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and a NORTHERN HARRIER two miles north of Kragnes on December 13. In Norman County , Shelley found two flocks of LAPLAND LONGSPURS along US 75 on December 13. There were SNOW BUNTINGS along US 75 in Polk County also on December 13 and Shelley saw 100 SNOW BUNTINGS along MN 32 as well. Sandy Aubol reported a RED-TAILED HAWK near the Kennedy Bridge in East Grand Forks on December 10 . At home in East Grand Forks, she reported 15 COMMON REDPOLLS and one COMMON GRACKLE on December 10. The redpolls were not there on December 12, but a single PINE SISKIN had appeared. In Red Lake County, Shelley Steva found two mixed flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS and LAPLAND LONGSPURS totaling about 200 two miles north of Oklee on December 8. There were still SNOW BUNTINGS and LAPLAND LONGSPURS in the county on December 13. In Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Shelley reported a BALD EAGLE and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER on December 10. Thanks to all who reported sightings this week. Be sure to report anything unusual found on the area Christmas Bird Counts. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjop...@mncable.net <mailto:ajjop...@mncable.net> 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. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, December 22, 2016. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN
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