This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, September 27, 2019

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, September 27, 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

Migration is picking up as the weather cools and the daylight lessens. Raptors are definitely on the move. When driving through the area, one can see raptors perched on about one in four power poles in the late afternoon or early morning. Large flocks of American robins and northern flickers are moving through. Warblers are leaving fast, and now the sparrows are starting to move.

At the N. Ottawa Impoundment in Grant County, various observers have seen a WHITE-FACED IBIS as recently as September 21st.  Charlene Nelson at Elbow Lake reported 5-6 PINE SISKINS, two RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, OVENBIRD, GRAY CATBIRD, BROWN THRASHER, and YELLOW-THROATED VIREO on September 14th.

RED CROSSBILL was reported by Ben Eckhoff on September 14th at the visitor center at Lake Carlos State Park in Douglas County.

In Polk County near the North Dakota line, Russ Wilbur reported ten TURKEY VULTURES at the East Grand Forks campground on September 21. That number had swelled to at least 40, most on the dike by September 27. Also present were two BALD EAGLES, three COOPER’S HAWKS, and about 20 NORTHERN FLICKERS.

Here in Pennington County east of Thief River Falls, our yard has seen EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and CEDAR WAXWINGS several times in the past two weeks. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK flew through the yard on September 20, and today, September 27, the first flock of WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS came in. The RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS appear to have left.

In Bemidji, Beltrami County, Becca Engdahl reported a HOUSE WREN in Bemidji on September 25. The LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL reported by Douglas Johnson on September 13th, was seen again by David Harrington on September 18 along the lake shore behind the motels east of the Paul Bunyan statue.

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 Friday, October 4, 2019.

 Jeanie Joppru

Pennington County, MN