This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 31, 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.
With the coming of the first snow, there is no doubt that winter birding is soon upon us. A few stray migrants are still being seen, but more and more the reports center on the usual over wintering residents. Gretchen Mehmel reported from Norris Camp in Lake of the Woods County that this week's observations include 5 SPRUCE GROUSE, one SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and two ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and other common residents. In Beltrami County, Pat Rice saw 15 SNOW BUNTINGS on October 28th, and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER is still coming to her feeder. The weekly shorebird survey at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on October 24th revealed that the numbers are really dropping; only 94 individuals of 6 species were counted. They were mostly GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, but included 4 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS. No surf scoters were found this week. Here in Pennington County, I had the first FOX SPARROW of the season in our yard on October 29th. Red Lake County species seen this week by Shelley Steva include a PRAIRIE FALCON one or two miles north of the Clearwater River along Highway 59. Zeann Linder and I did some birding in Polk County on October 25th. We found SNOW GEESE and TUNDRA SWANS in a rice paddy along the Clearwater River where some water remained. Most of the rice paddies were dry at this season of the year. Many MALLARDS were also there. Most exciting was a close sighting of a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in the same area. Elsewhere in the county we observed a BALD EAGLE looking for his dinner at Badger Lake outside Erskine. Bob O'Connor reported that thousands of LAPLAND LONGSPURS were migrating through Clay County on October 26th. A single SNOW BUNTING was also seen, and a MERLIN was seen hunting over the longspurs. >From Becker County, Mary Wyatt reported sightings of RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and COMMON RAVEN, and on the 25th, she saw two COMMON LOONS on Detroit Lake. A flock or 25-30 DARK-EYED JUNCOS still frequent her yard. Thanks to Gretchen Mehmel, Shelley Steva, Pat Rice, Mary Wyatt, and Bob O'Connor 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, November 7, 2003.
