-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *October 8, 2009 *MNDL0910.08 -Birds mentioned Cackling Goose Ring-necked Duck Northern Harrier Franklin's Gull Eurasian Collared-Dove Long-eared Owl Black-backed Woodpecker Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush American Pipit Orange-crowned Warbler Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Brewer's Blackbird Purple Finch -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: October 8, 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 Thursday, October 8, 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. As I compile this on Thursday, we are bracing for the first hard freeze in most of the northwest. Activity at the feeder tonight revealed that the birds are also. Surprisingly the bird bath was also busy, full of robins splashing and drinking. With the advent of cold weather, one can expect the feeders to be more active and perhaps some new species will be seen after the relatively quiet migration so far. Craig Mandel reported over five thousand FRANKLIN'S GULLS at Pelican Lake in Grant County on October 4. On the 7th, two plegadis IBIS were see at Spink WMA along CR 34 just west of CR 54. A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was seen at the corner of Pacific and 5th Street. In Wilkin County, Mark Otnes saw a LONG-EARED OWL that flushed from the north end of Manston Marsh. Other species seen in Wilkin County that day included three NORTHERN HARRIERS, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, and HARRIS'S SPARROW. Becker County sightings by Craig Mandel at Tamarac NWR on October 6 included more than 120 TRUMPETER SWANS,thousands of RING-NECKED DUCKS, a HARRIS'S SPARROW at headquarters and PURPLE FINCH. Other county sightings included CACKLING GEESE near Hamden Slough, AMERICAN PIPIT, HERMIT THRUSH, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. In Polk County on October 4 , Bruce Flaig reported a SONG SPARROW, and many DARK-EYED JUNCOS. Maggie Anderson at Agassiz NWR in Marshall County observed a HARRIS'S SPARROW on the lawn at headquarters on October 2. Diana Morkassel saw a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER north of Bemidji in Beltrami County on October 9. Roseau County sightings reported by Beth Siverhus included RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on October 5. Thanks to Beth Siverhus, Bruce Flaig, Craig Mandel, Diana Morkassel, Maggie Anderson, and Mark Otnes for their reports. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at [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, October 15, 2009. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN