-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*January 3, 2009
*MNDL0901.03

-Birds mentioned
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Northern Goshawk
Golden Eagle
Great Horned Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Great Gray Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Gray Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
American Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
Snow Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Pine Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: January 3, 2009
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru ([log in to unmask])

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Sunday,January 4,
2009 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 busy week what with all the holidays, and Christmas Bird
Counts. Mother nature has asserted that it is indeed winter, carpeting
the whole area with a deep blanket of snow. If anyone is planning a
winter birding trip to northwestern Minnesota , be aware that all
minimum maintenance roads are now impassible until spring. Even if a
road appears to be open or travelled at one end, there is no guarantee
that it isn't drifted shut in the middle. Even some county roads are
full of snow as I write this, due to the recent snowfall and wind. These
facts have not stopped the Christmas bird counts as many intrepid
birders have been out counting this weekend.

COMMON REDPOLLS have been reported in Otter Tail County by Brad and Dee
Ehlers and Teresa Jaskiewicz. Numbers at the feeders have been
increasing. Teresa also reported PINE SISKINS and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.
Tom Smith observed a NORTHERN SHRIKE at their feeder on December 26.

Dave and Betty Hochhalter had a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS visiting
their yard in Detroit Lakes , Becker County on December 26.

Ted Dick reported a GREAT GRAY OWL seen on December 27 at the northern
Beltrami line on MN 72.

The Baudette CBC in Lake of the Woods County was held on January 1.
Counters observed 30 species including 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, three GREAT
GRAY OWLS, nine NORTHERN HAWK OWLS, one GREAT HORNED OWL, and four
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS. Other species seen included 10 SHARP-TAILED
GROUSE, 6 RUFFED GROUSE, 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS,
nearly 1200 SNOW BUNTINGS, 17 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 33 PINE
GROSBEAKS, 2 EVENING GROSBEAKS, and 111 COMMON REDPOLLS.

On January 2, the Beltrami Island CBC, Lake of the Woods County, was
held, and 10 observers tallied 26 species on a very cold , but still
day. Highlights included a GOLDEN EAGLE in count week, one GREAT GRAY
OWL, one NORTHERN HAWK OWL, one NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, one AMERICAN
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, one BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, 7 BOREAL CHICKADEES,
a BROWN CREEPER, 26 GRAY JAYS , 29 PINE GROSBEAKS, 18 RED CROSSBILLS, 66
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, and 3 HOARY REDPOLLS.

The Roseau CBC was held January 3 under less than ideal conditions:
wind, heavy snow, and unplowed roads. I do not have the final tally, but
there were several interesting sightings. At least 16 SHARP-TAILED
GROUSE, and a flock of 140 AMERICAN CROWS were seen. Also a NORTHERN
HAWK OWL was seen along MN 310 between mile markers 8 and 9, and a
surprising SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along MN 11 east of Roseau
near the railroad crossing. A GREAT GRAY OWL was found along a
snowmobile trail near the Canadian border.

Larry Wilebski reported an AMERICAN ROBIN and several CEDAR WAXWINGS on
December 28 and a PILEATED WOODPECKER on January 3. Lance Crandall at
Lake Bronson State Park reported that the feeders at the park were busy
with a HAIRY WOODPECKER, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and WHITE-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES.

Thanks to Beth Siverhus, Brad and Dee Ehlers, Dave Hochhalter, Lance
Crandall, Larry Wilebski, Ted Dick, Teresa Jaskiewicz, and Tom Smith for
their reports, and for all the loyal counters that worked so hard to
find all those wonderful birds.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than
Thursday each week, at [log in to unmask] <blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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, January 11, 2009.

Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN