This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Sunday, November 24, 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
We are truly into the winter birding mode now, even as the temperatures are moderating for a few hours. Most of the migrants have passed through, and we are seeing the winter visitors come in. The far northern part of the area has a little snow, but some of that has melted today. Not to worry, we are promised more this week. With the coming of the snow, most of the migrating hawks have gone now, and we are starting to see a few snowy owls this last two weeks. A few dark-eyed juncos remain, but feeders are a lot slower this week than last.
Charlene Nelson reported from Grant County on November 7th. At that time she mentioned large flocks of TUNDRA SWANS south of the North Ottawa Impoundment. Also there were GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, CACKLING GEESE, a ROSS’S GOOSE, MALLARDS, COMMON MERGANSERS, 5 BALD EAGLES, and a NORTHERN HARRIER. On CR 1 she found several SNOW BUNTINGS.
A SNOWY OWL was found by Keith Fisher in Wilkin County on November 16th.
Several folks found a variety of species of waterfowl in Otter Tail County this week, including BUFFLEHEAD and GREATER SCAUP. An AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen in the Fergus Falls area on November 23rd. Kia Donais reported a PILEATED WOODPECKER two miles north of Fergus Falls on November 22nd. COMMON GOLDENEYES were reported by Sean Scott on November 13th at Stalker Lake. A BARRED OWL was seen by Candis Berge west of Fergus Falls on November 9th.
A RING-NECKED PHEASANT was seen at Hamden Slough in Becker County this week by David Baer.
Sandy Aubol reported the first COMMON REDPOLLS of the season in Polk County at East Grand Forks on November 9th. Today I found two SNOWY OWLS in western Polk County. Both were adult males, and one of them was completely white.
At Deep Portage Learning Center near Hackensack in Cass County, a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE was reported on November 17th.
A very late SANDHILL CRANE was reported by Alex Sundvall on November 18 near Waskish in Beltrami County.
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, December 6, 2019.
Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN