This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, December 21, 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. After a fresh blanket of snow, we are set to experience our first below zero night tonight. Feeders have been busy, but the winter silence has set in elsewhere. We continue to get reports of snowy owls this week. I have heard of several in Kittson County two of which I found myself this afternoon, three in Polk County, two in Becker County, and one in Otter Tail County. I am sure that these are the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Beth Siverhus in Roseau County reported 6-8 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, 2-3 RUFFED GROUSE, 10-15 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, PILEATED WOODPECKER, RED CROSSBILLS, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK this week. In addition to the SNOWY OWLS I saw in Kittson County, I also found several flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS, a COMMON RAVEN, and a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE there. Larry Wilebski reported a flock of 100 COMMON REDPOLLS, and several SNOWY OWLS. In Polk County, the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks CBC recorded a record number of species, including a BARRED OWL on the Minnesota side. Sandy Aubol reported 2 HOARY REDPOLLS, HARRIS'S SPARROW, and PINE GROSBEAK. Diane Wales observed DARK-EYED JUNCO, HOUSE FINCH, and COMMON REDPOLL on December 19. Leon Thoreson reported three SNOWY OWLS on December 16. The Fargo/Moorhead CBC also found a record number of 69 species including on the Moorhead side in Clay County: GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, SNOW GOOSE, HOODED MERGANSER, AMERICAN COOT, AMERICAN KESTREL, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. The Bluestem Prairie CBC got 49 species including HERMIT THRUSH, VARIED THRUSH, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, LONG-EARED OWL, SHORT-EARED OWL, BELTED KINGFISHER, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, NORTHERN CARDINAL, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, MEADOWLARK, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, RED CROSSBILL, HARRIS'S SPARROW, and HOARY REDPOLL. The VARIED THRUSH was in Hawley Township. Steve Midthune reported 2 SNOWY OWLS in Becker County on December 19. In Otter Tail County, Wayne Perala observed many ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and COMMON REDPOLLS in the Fergus Falls area. Other species seen on December 19 in the county included HORNED LARKS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and one SNOWY OWL. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjop...@mncable.net <mailto:ajjop...@mncable.net> 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 Thursday, December 28, 2017. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN
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