This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, February 16, 2017 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. We are getting subtle signs of spring in the northwest this week , with warming temperatures. Many bald eagles are being reported, due probably to the fact that they are beginning the nesting now and are more obvious than they were last month. Undoubtedly , more are returning also if they migrated. Horned larks are getting more numerous also. Beau Shroyer reported several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS along CR 13 at Hamden Slough in Becker County on February 13. Two SNOWY OWLS and several HORNED LARKS were reported by Leon Thoreson along Polk CR 41 east of Climax on February 11. Sandy Aubol found two GOLDEN EAGLES on CR 66 about 1.5 miles north of CR 21 on February 15. A BALD EAGLE was seen by Gary Tischer near the intersection of US2 and MN 32 on February 16. Ten SNOW BUNTINGS and several HORNED LARKS were observed by Shelley Steva in Red Lake County on February 14. Two GREAT HORNED OWLS were spotted by Sandy Aubol along MN 1 in Pennington County east of Thief River Falls on February 11. On CR 3 west if St Hilaire she found BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Shelley Steva saw HORNED LARKS, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE , and PILEATED WOODPECKER in the county on February 13. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen by Gary Tischer two miles south of Strandquist along US 59 in Marshall County on February 14. Sandy Aubol reported a NORTHERN HAWK OWL along MN 89 north of CR 6 on February 11. Other species seen included SNOW BUNTINGS, 18 PINE GROSBEAKS, 35 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, COMMON REDPOLLS, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. In Beltrami County, Beth Siverhus reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE north of Kelliher, and four adult BALD EAGLES. Herb Dingmann , Ron Erpelding, and Mark Junghans found a SHARP-TAILED GROUSE lek along CR 709 south of Fourtown on February 15. Larry Wilebski reported more than 75 COMMON REDPOLLS at his place in Lancaster, and sixty plus at the cabin on February 16. A BALD EAGLE was seen by Gary Tischer at the intersection of MN 175 and US 59 on February 14. In Roseau County, Sandy Aubol reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE , SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, and BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES along CR 4 on February 11. Beth Siverhus observed BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and RUFFED GROUSE in the county on February 10. A female NORTHERN CARDINAL is coming regularly to her feeder in Warroad. Two NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were seen by Beth Siverhus along MN 72 south of Baudette on February 10.
Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 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 February 23, 2017 Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
