-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *December 20, 2019 *MNDL1912.20 -Birds mentioned Ruffed Grouse Eurasian Collared-Dove Golden Eagle Snowy Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Townsend's Solitaire Varied Thrush Bohemian Waxwing House Finch Purple Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch Snow Bunting Fox Sparrow American Tree Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: December 20, 2019 Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Reports: 218-847-5743 or 218-847-9202 Compiler: Jeanie Joppru ([log in to unmask]) This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, December 20, 2019 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also see this report on the Chamber of Commerce website: https://www.visitdetroitlakes.com/birding-report Birding has been pretty quiet in the northwest for the past week or so. Cold temperatures earlier in the week brought the resident birds to the feeders to the suet feeders. Warmer temperatures today saw lots of activity in the chickadee community. The people has been pretty busy with the shortened Christmas season this year so few reports have been received. There have been snowy owl reports from several counties this week including Polk, Marshall, Grant, and Otter Tail. One SNOWY OWL was spotted in Grant County on December 12th, and two were seen in Otter Tail County on December 10th. Wayne Perala reported SNOW BUNTINGS in Otter Tail County on December 11th. A VARIED THRUSH was found on private property at Nevis in Hubbard County on December 14th. In Clay County, a FOX SPARROW was found in on the Fargo-Moorhead CBC on December 11th. A LESSER GOLDFINCH visited the feeders of Heidi Hughes at the old Wetlands, Pines, and Prairie Audubon Center for two days, but it is assumed that it did not make it through the very cold weather or has left. Also an immature GOLDEN EAGLE, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD were seen on December 13th. In Pennington County, Zeann Linder has EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, PURPLE FINCH, HOUSE FINCH, and a pair of RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS visiting her feeders in Thief River Falls this week. The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was still being reported at Deep Portage Learning Center in Cass County as of December 16th. A very late AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was observed by Larry Wilebski in Kittson County on December 13th. Beth Siverhus in Warroad, Roseau County, reported a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at her feeder, and a flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on December 10th. Deep in the Beltrami Island State Forest in Lake of the Woods County, Beth saw four RUFFED GROUSE, a PILEATED WOODPECKER, and a flock of 40 PINE SISKINS on December 12th. 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 numbers 218-847-5743 or 218- 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, December 27, 2019 Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN