Northwest Birding Report – Thursday, June 21, 2018
This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, June 21, 2018 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
This is turning into a very hot, humid week in the northwest. That doesn’t seem to deter the birds, and there are beginning to be lots of bugs to feed nestlings. The yards and woods are loud with the unfamiliar calls of begging baby birds.
During a breeding bird survey in Lake of the Woods County, Beth Siverhus found MARBLED GODWITS and LINCOLN’S SPARROW on June 21.
In the Roseau part of Beltrami Island State Forest, Beth found SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, RUFFED GROUSE and RED CROSSBILLS. In the Palsburg burn area she found many INDIGO BUNTINGS and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Other species tallied in that part of Roseau County included WESTERN MEADOWLARK, LE CONTE’S SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, SCARLET TANAGER and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. CASPIAN TERNS were seen on Lake of the Woods; MARBLED GODWIT and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK were also seen in the county.
The MOU weekend birding group was in Clearwater and Beltrami Counties last weekend. In Clearwater County at the rice paddies east of CR 5 they found two AMERICAN AVOCETS, 20 plus WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, MARBLED GODWIT, WILSON’S PHALAROPES and several AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS. At Upper Rice Lake 105 TRUMPETER SWANS and 69 RED-NECKED GREBES were counted.
In Beltrami County, the MOU group found BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, CONNECTICUT WARBLER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER and RED CROSSBILLS. Four DICKCISSELS were found along Sunnyside Road south of Power Dam Road.
In Pennington County, Allyson Engelstad reported RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, SANDHILL CRANES and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS. Today I noticed baby GRAY CATBIRDS and CHIPPING SPARROWS begging in our yard.
At the Agassiz Impoundment that straddles the Marshall- Polk County line on June 15, I found the CINNAMON TEAL previously reported to be still there hanging out with the BLUE-WINGED TEALS. Also there on the Marshall County side was a GREAT EGRET.
On the Polk County side of the impoundment, along with the CINNAMON TEAL, I heard many DICKCISSELS and BOBOLINKS in the field south of the impoundment, as well as many YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS along the water’s edge. At least one pair of the many DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS appeared to be nesting in the dead trees in the impoundment. At Rydell NWR, also in Polk County, Allyson Engelstad found TRUMPETER SWANS with cygnets, a GREAT HORNED OWL and PIED-BILLED GREBE among other species.
At Felton Prairie, in Clay County, Kimberley Emerson and John Hockema discovered a SAY’S PHOEBE on June 16. It was hanging out on one of the buildings that can be seen from the road.
Wayne Perala saw a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, on June 21.
In Grant County, Wayne found LE CONTE’S SPARROW, DICKCISSELS, BOBOLINKS, WILSON’S PHALAROPES, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and GREAT EGRETS at the North Ottawa Impoundment on June 21. There were few shorebirds there today.
Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@mncable.net 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 Thursday, June 28, 2018.
Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN