This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, December 4, 2014 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.
Most of the reports this week have been of SNOWY OWLS. In Clearwater County, Zeann Linder observed a SNOWY OWL along US 2 between Bagley and Bemidji on November 30. Sandy Aubol has seen 2 SNOWY OWLS in western Marshall County and 5 in western Polk County this week. I do not have more precise locations for those. Emily Hutchins reported a SNOWY OWL in Polk County along US 2 just east of MN 32 on November 30. Steve Midthune had a secondhand report of a SNOWY OWL seen along US 59 south of Calloway on November 29.
In Beltrami County on November 28., Shelley Steva and I found a flock of 30 COMMON RAVENS; 3 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen along MN 1 in Beltrami County, and BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES were seen in both Beltrami and Pennington Counties.
From Douglas County, Benjamin Eckhoff reported on birds seen at Lake Carlos State Park. They included 38 CANADA GEESE, 23 TRUMPETER SWANS, 4 MALLARDS, 5 COMMON GOLDENEYE, BALD EAGLE, BARRED OWL, COMMON RAVEN, and BROWN CREEPER. SNOW BUNTINGS were seen near Alexandria.
Thanks to Emily Hutchins, Benjamin Eckhoff, Sandy Aubol, Steve Midthune, and Zeann Linder for their reports.
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 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 11, 2014