-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *October 18, 2012 *MNDL1210.18 -Birds mentioned Tundra Swan Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Hooded Merganser Ruffed Grouse Pied-billed Grebe Great Egret Bald Eagle American Coot Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Bonaparte's Gull Northern Hawk Owl Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler American Tree Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Pine Siskin -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: October 18, 2012 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 18, 2012 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. It has been a cool week in the northwest, and the last two days have given us some much needed rain. However, it hasn't been fun to be outside due today at least to the strong northwest winds. Many of the sparrows mentioned last week have departed , leaving the stragglers at the feeders. Beth Siverhus saw her first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season in the Beltrami Island State Forest in Lake of the Woods County on October 17. Also seen were several RUFFED GROUSE, and a PILEATED WOODPECKER. Gretchen Mehmel reported that a NORTHERN HAWK OWL has been seen on the Roosevelt Road north of the Norris fire tower. Shelley Steva at the Agassiz Valley Impoundment , Marshall County, on October 13 observed a mixed flock of around 1000 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS. Two TUNDRA SWANS, NORTHERN SHOVELER, PIED-BILLED GREBES, many AMERICAN COOTS, some KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, more than 100 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, and around 1600 SANDHILL CRANES were also there. The water is being let out and the mudflats won't last long unless today's rain delays the process. On October 14, Shelley and I found two GREAT EGRETS, two BALD EAGLES, and several AMERICAN PIPITS there. Numbers of plovers had decreased. From Becker County, Steve Midthune reported HARRIS'S SPARROWS, and the first PINE SISKINS in Detroit Lakes on October 17. Marshall Howe in Hubbard County observed HOODED MERGANSERS, PIED-BILLED GREBES and two BONAPARTE'S GULLS on October 12. On the 15th, he saw RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. October 17th he saw WOOD DUCKS, several RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at [log in to unmask] <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, October 25, 2012. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN