LAKE OF THE WOODS & ROSEAU MBW SUMMARY

September 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5, 2022

This was our 20th consecutive MBW on Labor Day weekend to relatively remote northwestern Minnesota, and, as always, we came up with an interesting assortment of birds. The weather mostly cooperated, with light to moderate winds on all five days, and there was no rain to slow us down. It may have been too warm in the 80s on Thursday afternoon, but temperatures moderated nicely the rest of the weekend, although it was somewhat disappointing that Friday’s cold front failed to produce much migration – so maybe some rain showers might have grounded some migrants and would have been welcome.  

Our composite species total of 163 was only 8 shy of this MBW’s all-time record of 171, but this was primarily the result of having an extra day of birding this year. This MBW is normally 3 or 4 days long, not 5, and the average species total is 155 – so remove the extra day, and we would probably have been in the 150s.

Our target every year is to find both 20 shorebirds and 20 warblers, but we have never quite managed to do both on this MBW. We came up with 19 warbler species this time, which is probably close to average (an even 20 is the most we’ve had, and we’ve done that several times). We found no real significant waves of warblers and other migrants this year, save for the few miles worth of non-stop passerine activity along Pitt Grade Forest Road on Thursday morning. Indeed, our usually dependable sites for migrants at Zippel Bay State Park, Warroad, Springsteel Island, and Roseau City Park were mostly disappointing.

Meanwhile, our total of 17 shorebirds was quite respectable, given that none of the sewage ponds we checked in these counties or the drawn-down pools at Agassiz held more than a few species. But we chanced upon the pair of flooded fields at South Shore WMA on Friday afternoon, plus the mudflats in fields along MN Hwy 310 on Saturday and on 360th Ave the next day. These combined to give us a total of 12 Buff-breasted Sandpipers, both American Golden- and Black-bellied plovers, as well as Stilt, Baird’s, Solitary, and other sandpipers.          

Some of our other highlights included unseasonal Snow and Cackling geese, a Eurasian Collared-Dove in Roseau (a rarity in northwest MN), lots of Sandhill Cranes, Great Egrets at Roseau River WMA (also rare this far north), an unexpected Black-backed Woodpecker along MN 310, a Peregrine Falcon at Agassiz, and two concentrations of Black-billed Magpies: about 40 or so just east of Roseau River WMA, and at least 30 going to roost near the Roseau sewage ponds.    

Bird List

• L = Lake of the Woods County, Sept 1-2 (121 species)

• R = Roseau County, Sept 3-4 (126 species)

• Mon = Monday only (mostly at Agassiz NWR, Marshall Co.)

Snow Goose          R

Cackling Goose          R

Canada Goose          LR

Trumpeter Swan          LR

Wood Duck          LR

Blue-winged Teal          LR

Northern Shoveler          LR

Gadwall          LR

American Wigeon          LR

Mallard          LR

American Black Duck          R

Northern Pintail          LR

Green-winged Teal          LR

Canvasback          R

Redhead          LR

Ring-necked Duck          LR

Lesser Scaup          R

Bufflehead          LR

Common Goldeneye          LR

Hooded Merganser          LR

Ruddy Duck          R

Wild Turkey          Mon

Ruffed Grouse          L

Gray Partridge          R

Pied-billed Grebe          LR

Horned Grebe          R

Red-necked Grebe          LR

Eared Grebe          R

Western Grebe          Mon

Rock Pigeon          LR

Eurasian Collared-Dove          R

Mourning Dove          LR

Black-billed Cuckoo          Mon

Ruby-throated Hummingbird          LR

Virginia Rail          R

Sora          R

American Coot          LR

Sandhill Crane          LR

Black-bellied Plover          R

American Golden-Plover          LR

Killdeer          LR

Semipalmated Plover          LR

Stilt Sandpiper          LR

Baird’s Sandpiper          L

Least Sandpiper          LR

Buff-breasted Sandpiper          LR

Pectoral Sandpiper          LR

Short-billed Dowitcher          L

American Woodcock          R

Wilson’s Snipe          R

Spotted Sandpiper          LR

Solitary Sandpiper          LR

Lesser Yellowlegs          LR

Greater Yellowlegs          LR

Red-necked Phalarope          R

Bonaparte’s Gull          LR

Franklin’s Gull          LR

Ring-billed Gull          LR

Herring Gull          LR

Caspian Tern          L

Forster’s Tern          LR

Common Loon          L

Double-crested Cormorant          LR

American White Pelican          LR

American Bittern          R

Great Blue Heron          LR

Great Egret          R

Green Heron          LR

Turkey Vulture          LR

Northern Harrier          LR

Sharp-shinned Hawk          LR

Cooper’s Hawk          LR

Bald Eagle          LR

Broad-winged Hawk          L

Red-tailed Hawk          LR

Great Horned Owl          R

Belted Kingfisher          LR

Red-headed Woodpecker          R

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker          LR

Black-backed Woodpecker          R

Downy Woodpecker          LR

Hairy Woodpecker          LR

Northern Flicker          LR

Pileated Woodpecker          LR

American Kestrel          LR

Merlin          LR

Peregrine Falcon          Mon

Eastern Kingbird          LR

Olive-sided Flycatcher          L

Eastern Wood-Pewee          LR                                            

Least Flycatcher          LR

Eastern Phoebe          LR

Yellow-throated Vireo          Mon

Blue-headed Vireo          L

Philadelphia Vireo          LR

Warbling Vireo          LR

Red-eyed Vireo          LR

Blue Jay          LR

Black-billed Magpie          LR

American Crow          LR

Common Raven          LR

Black-capped Chickadee          LR

Bank Swallow          L

Tree Swallow          LR

Purple Martin          L

Barn Swallow          LR

Cliff Swallow          LR

Ruby-crowned Kinglet          LR

Golden-crowned Kinglet          LR

Cedar Waxwing          LR

Red-breasted Nuthatch          LR

White-breasted Nuthatch          LR

Brown Creeper          LR

House Wren          LR

Sedge Wren          LR

Marsh Wren          LR

Gray Catbird          LR

Brown Thrasher          Mon

European Starling          LR

Veery          L

Swainson’s Thrush          L

American Robin          LR

House Sparrow          LR                                   

Purple Finch          LR

Pine Siskin          LR

American Goldfinch          LR

Chipping Sparrow          LR

Clay-colored Sparrow          L

White-throated Sparrow          LR

Vesper Sparrow          LR

Savannah Sparrow          LR

Song Sparrow          LR

Lincoln’s Sparrow          LR

Swamp Sparrow          LR

Yellow-headed Blackbird          L

Bobolink          LR

Western Meadowlark          R

Baltimore Oriole          L

Red-winged Blackbird          LR

Brown-headed Cowbird          L

Brewer’s Blackbird          Mon

Common Grackle          LR

Ovenbird          LR

Northern Waterthrush          LR

Golden-winged Warbler          L

Black-and-white Warbler          LR

Tennessee Warbler          LR

Nashville Warbler          LR

Common Yellowthroat          LR

American Redstart          LR

Cape May Warbler          R

Magnolia Warbler          LR

Bay-breasted Warbler          LR

Blackburnian Warbler          L

Yellow Warbler          LR

Chestnut-sided Warbler          LR

Blackpoll Warbler          R

Palm Warbler          LR

Yellow-rumped Warbler          LR

Black-throated Green Warbler          R

Wilson’s Warbler          L

Scarlet Tanager          L

Rose-breasted Grosbeak          LR

Craig Mandel’s fashion advice for MBWers when out birding

in 90+ degrees: a warm winter jacket, of course!

“Yes, we saw it! It was great!!”

So, was that Jeff’s comment on Craig’s wardrobe in Thief River Falls on Monday? Or his general assessment of this MBWeekend’s birding? Or what? It couldn’t have been the hot weather, which not only slowed us down at times but also resulted in a limited showing of fall migrants in general. And the heat failed to be all that impressive, since it fell short of reaching the all-time MBWeekend high temperature record. The highest online temperatures I could find in the places we were at the same times: 90 on Friday, 95 Saturday, 90 Sunday, and 82 Monday. Monday’s measly 82 was because we only birded in TRFalls until noon, and Saturday’s reading of 95 was in Karlstad about the time we passed through town on the way back to TRFalls late in the afternoon.

Saturday’s reading was only one degree shy of the MBWeekend record set on July 30, 2006, when it hit 96 in Ortonville on the day we were doing a truncated MBW in Big Stone Co. Because of the forecast for the next day, Sunday the 31st, I decided to cancel the birding that day – when the high reached 106 degrees with a heat index of 110! Now that would have been a MBWeekend record that I can’t imagine we’d ever come close to breaking. (By the way, the hottest day ever recorded on any MBWeek was 113 degrees on the Big Bend trip in 2009.)       

Despite the heat, I was impressed that we were still out birding each afternoon, probably due to the relatively low humidity/dew points, when I had thought we’d have to take some afternoons off. These dry readings reflected the chronic drought conditions, which have been worse the last couple years in NW MN than anywhere else in the state, and I think this negatively impacted the birds at least as much as the heat. Whatever the case, we didn’t witness much fall migration and found some resident species to be conspicuous by their absence. Note that we entirely missed Western Grebe, Chimney Swift, any kind of owl, Brown Creeper, Eastern Bluebird, Red Crossbill, and Indigo Bunting. In addition, the numbers of Sandhill Cranes, gulls/terns, flycatchers, Black-billed Magpies, Common Ravens, swallows, kinglets, wrens, thrushes, sparrows, Bobolinks, meadowlarks, orioles, blackbirds, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks seemed generally lower than normal.

Our goal during each of these 21 annual Labor Day MBWs has always been to come up with 20 species of both warblers and shorebirds, even though we’ve never been able to accomplish that for both groups in the same year. We did OK on warblers with a total of 19 species – which, curiously, is about average on this MBW and simultaneously only one short of our best total of 20 warbler species. Our 16 shorebird species was probably about average as well, although this MBW’s best effort was no fewer than 25 species in 2008 – which I think is an all-time record for any MBWeekend statewide.

Counting everything, we had a composite total of 155 species, which is probably another average number. But this overall total is difficult to fairly compare with other years, since the duration of these NW Minn MBWs has varied between 3 and 5 days. This MBW’s best total was 171 species in 2008 (the same year that came up with those 25 shorebirds), while the slowest of these MBWs have only managed composite totals in the 130s.

Bird sightings aside for a moment, there were also some interesting non-avian experiences... An endless debate about whether or not the Tallgrass Aspen Parkland really exists as a legit biome; even Calla, who we met at Thief Lake and does research on this alleged biome, failed to show me the error of my ways. Learning about the King of Trails, a.k.a. U S Hwy 75, which we briefly experienced in Hallock, though we never got the chance to travel the Tombstone Highway (a.k.a. Kittson CR 51). A lesson on what a Ruddy Ground Dove sounds like – no, not from Merlin, but from an endless recording on my phone playing in my pocket that was truly disorienting as we searched for a collared-dove (sorry!). Craig’s recovery of his temporarily lost phone at Lake Bronson. My 3 lifer sewage ponds en route to TRFalls on Thursday – now it’s 402 down, and only 2 to go. (So, would anyone care to register for a Waseca & Goodhue counties MBW, where the Waldorf and Oakland ponds are located?).

We met two new MBWers – Kristin and Jane – who missed their chance to be baptized as official members of our MBW cult at the TRFalls sewage ponds. And we owe Wayne Johnson our thanks for granting access to these ponds as he always has (remember to text him for access at 218 689 8967 the next time you’re in town). Thanks as well to Jeanie: she’s the one who not only showed us around her yard, but who also so closely resembles Rick when receiving the coveted JTLMB. And it goes without saying that these MBWs would not be the same without Craig – maybe not measurably better, but “not the same” is good enough and about all we can expect considering how little he’s paid!

To be sure, there were several memorable bird sightings as well – especially the cooperative group of Sharp-tailed Grouse seen by all in the road while en route to Agassiz on Sunday, Eurasian Collared-Doves in both Hallock and TRFalls, the lone American Avocet on the Marshall Co side of the Agassiz Valley impoundment (that refused to budge south just a lousy 100 yards or so for the benefit of Polk Co listers), the Red-bellied Woodpecker in Jeanie’s yard (like the collared-dove, a rarity this far north in MN)... Oh, and let’s not forget what had to be Jeff’s highlight of the entire MBW. A cardinal. You know, that common bird you take for granted in your Twin Cities backyard. (“It was great!!”)  –KRE

Itinerary

M = Marshall County

K = Kittson           “

Pe = Pennington  “

Po = Polk             “

R = Roseau         “

Friday

Newfolden sewage ponds (M)

Pembina Trail (M & K)

Karlstad sewage ponds (K)

Lake Bronson sewage ponds & state park (K)

Lancaster sewage ponds (K)

Joe River WMA (K)

Hallock: collared-doves & sewage ponds (K)

Saturday

TRFalls sewage ponds (Pe)

CR 8 near Pembina Trail (Pe)

Angus-Oslo & Brandt-Angus impoundments (Po)

impoundment (Po)

Agassiz Valley impoundment (Po & M)

Island Park, Warren (M)

Warren sewage ponds (M)

Old Mill State Park (M)

Viking sewage ponds (M)

Sunday

Jeanie’s yard (Pe)

CRs 20 & 12 to Agassiz (Pe & M)

Agassiz NWR: Farmes Pool, CR 7, HQ area (M)

Thief Lake WMA (M)

Greenbush sewage ponds (R)

Twin Lakes WMA (K)

Karlstad sewage ponds (K)

Monday

Residential TRFalls: Northland Trails, cardinal & collared-dove detours, Greenwood Trails (Pe)

TRFalls sewage ponds (Pe)

Bird List

Canada Goose (a.k.a. Honker)

Trumpeter Swan (a.k.a. White Starling?)

Wood Duck

Blue-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler

Gadwall

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Canvasback (only 1 small flock at Agassiz?)

Redhead

Ring-necked Duck

Lesser Scaup

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Hooded Merganser

Ruddy Duck

Wild Turkey

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Greater Prairie-Chicken (seen briefly by a few in Kittson)

Pied-billed Grebe

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Eared Grebe

Rock Pigeon

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Mourning Dove

Common Nighthawk (sleeping on a tree branch in TRF)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Virginia Rail

Sora

American Coot

Sandhill Crane

American Avocet

Black-bellied Plover (1 at Agassiz)

American Golden-Plover

Killdeer

Semipalmated Plover

Stilt Sandpiper (our final species of the MBW, at TRF ponds)

Baird’s Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Wilson’s Snipe

Spotted Sandpiper

Solitary Sandpiper

Lesser Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Red-necked Phalarope

Franklin’s Gull (Brad only at TRF ponds)

Ring-billed Gull

Caspian Tern (John only at TRF ponds)

Black Tern

Forster’s Tern

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

American White Pelican

American Bittern

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Green Heron

Turkey Vulture

Northern Harrier

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

Bald Eagle

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Belted Kingfisher

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Pileated Woodpecker

American Kestrel

Merlin

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe

Yellow-throated Vireo

Blue-headed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo

Warbling Vireo

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

Black-billed Magpie

American Crow

Common Raven

Black-capped Chickadee

Horned Lark

Bank Swallow

Tree Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Barn Swallow

Cliff Swallow

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Cedar Waxwing

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (seen by Rose at Lake Bronson State Park?)

Sedge Wren

Marsh Wren

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

European Starling

Veery

Swainson’s Thrush

American Robin

House Sparrow

American Pipit (1 only, a Warren sewage ponds fly-by)

House Finch

Purple Finch

Pine Siskin

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow

Clay-colored Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco (seen by Jeff en route between impoundments in Polk)

White-throated Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Bobolink (a few migrants heard overhead; also 1 seen by Rick at the TRF ponds)

Western Meadowlark

Baltimore Oriole

Red-winged Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Common Grackle

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush

Black-and-white Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Mourning Warbler (1 only, at Thief Lake WMA)

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Northern Parula

Magnolia Warbler

Bay-breasted Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Palm Warbler (perched briefly on my scope at the TRF ponds!)

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Scarlet Tanager (1 along Pembina Trail in Marshall)

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

*          *          *

NORTHWEST MINNESOTA MBW SUMMARY

September 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, 2023

The 2023 and 2022 MBW summaries

follow the summary of the 2024 MBWs.

__________

ROSEAU and LAKE OF THE WOODS MBWEEKENDS

August 29 - 30 and August 31 - Sept 1 - Sept 2, 2024

JTL John Quinn pauses to contemplate how to condense his MBW summary

into fewer than 30 paragraphs (Mariann Cyr photo)

The JTL Report

( Summary by Junior Tour Leader John Quinn / edited by KRE )

Roseau County MBW, Aug. 29 - Aug. 30 (Leader Craig Mandel)

Thursday: Riders on the Storm

Thank you Paul B. for getting this song stuck in my head for a week! It was the last song Jim Morrison recorded with The Doors. He went to France and died a few weeks later at 27. The single was released in June 1971, shortly before Morrison’s death. And long before Ben and Neil – two of our MBWers – were born.

“Riders on the Storm,” indeed! I woke early to the sound of rain, hard enough to wonder if it would be worth heading out, considering my rain gear was buried in my truck. As JTL, calling off a day is above my pay grade. I headed to our meeting spot in the dark. A cross-lit sky from lightning was all that Craig, our insightful leader, needed to make the right call. “See you at 9:30.”

"Riders on the Storm." Desperate for a good espresso and a bakery item not from a plastic wrap, I drove down to Delia’s Coffee Company. Orlando and Chantel had just opened it a week ago. The espresso was perfect, and the egg sandwich was homemade. Next time you’re there, stop by and buy local.

The lyrics continue: “Into this house, we’re born.” Jacked up on caffeine, I met the two new guys, Ben and Neil. Everyone was charged up and ready to go. The storm had abated, and rain was intermittent. Turns out Ben and Neil are good birders. Sharing our origin stories, I learned that John Latimer, a lifelong amateur naturalist, and KAXE radio that hosts his musings and podcasts on local phenolology, provided the spark that got them hooked on birding. So, the next time you’re driving five hours to tic off some distant county birds, listen to the podcasts. Or if you’re in the Grand Rapids area, get in touch with John Latimer via email (jlatimer@kaxe.org), or text "phenology" to 218-326-1234. How the spark of birding inflames to County Listing is my next article for Psychology Today. But, as a “lone” birder for 40+ years, I continue to be amazed and inspired by so many people committed to birds.

“Into this world, we’re thrown.” The benefit of birding connections is that Ben’s grandma and grandpa had a farm outside Roseau that was reportedly quite good. Ben generously invited us to their property. We drove by the “last American elm” on Roseau CR 87 on the way to Phil and Roberta’s near Ross (pop. 3). Those two were married at the church on the corner many years ago. Who knew the weave would be Ben, their grandson, inviting MBWers to experience great birding on their farm. I think we could have spent most of the day there, and our hosts would have been delighted. We had 29+ species, including Orchard Oriole, 8 or 10 warblers, Pine Siskin, Solitary Sandpiper, and Belted Kingfisher. We then headed toward Roseau River WMA.

“Like a dog without a bone.” Crows crowded the treetops on the left as Black-billed Magpies dropped from the branches. We all jumped out to observe, when someone called out Gray Partridge! Frenetic viewing followed. Sandhill Cranes were in the fields, and as we gawked at those birds, Linda called out a Merlin perched in the trees the magpies had recently abandoned. It finally sloped off across the fields and we climbed back into the cars, dreaming of a multi-grouse weekend.

“An actor out on loan.” We added Red-headed Woodpecker at an intersection, and 24+ species at the WMA. The Greenbush WTP yielded an out-of-season Greater White-fronted Goose and several shorebirds. Neil went rogue into downtown Greenbush on some misbegotten birder instinct. Eurasian Collared-Dove was the result! We followed that same curiosity past a school bus to a dead end, reminiscent of McCandless’s tragic adventure (from the movie Into the Wild). Before taking off his side mirrors, Neil decided to turn around. Young people! Being a JTL might be about as much responsibility as I can handle. This wouldn’t be my last car adventure on a dead-end road.

“Riders on a Storm.” We finished the day by unanimous vote at Roseau City Park. Best bird: Bay-breasted Warbler or a Wilson’s? I returned to the hotel and slept fitfully, seeking dream birds for the next day.

Friday: Quirks, Gripes, Mannerisms, Compulsions, Obsessions, Rabbit Holes

On the way to Warroad, I did a flip around to drive through a gravel pit (a.k.a. an alleged Blue Grosbeak hotspot) and spotted an Indigo Bunting instead. Kim joined us in Warroad near Nomad’s Tavern. The line separating Roseau and Lake of the Woods counties is here, defined by the lake shore. Quirk: Seeing Kim drink his milk from those paper cartons is always a kick. I wonder if he drank them like that in grade school. Do you have to go to birder kindergarten to become an MBW adult? Another Quirk: the sign of Kim being in a good mood is complaining. His top three Gripes: County Listers; the nonexistent connection between gravel pits and Blue Grosbeaks; and equally nonexistent criteria for defining eBird Hotspots!

Another gripe: the overuse of the exclamation point! And yet another gripe: calling a DeLorme book of maps a gazetteer. It’s an atlas! (A gazetteer is a list of place names, dammit!). By the way, The DeLorme company was founded in 1976 by David DeLorme, who, being frustrated with obsolete back-country maps of Maine, vowed to create a better map. Basically, a Damn Book.

Mannerisms and Compulsions: I discovered that Neil has an effective pishing call. It varies in volume and sound, and it’s quite effective compared to other pishes I’ve heard, or my own wimpy little pish-pish when no one is around. And that Kathrynne is a good birder. Her eBird record-keeping is enviable for her efforts to count every bird, even 267 Bonaparte's Gulls on a sewage pond. Her bird identification skills, like everyone’s, is still a work in progress, but when she sees a bird, Paul can tell how good it is by the number of Oh’s. “Oh, oh, oh, oh!” is rare bird indeed. The result is we all get to see more birds. Everyone should aspire to be as compulsive.

Obsessions: Paul says Linda sees birds deep in the back of the shrubs, trees, grass. Is she that good or is this an obsession? I just like to be standing next to her when she calls out the bird nobody sees. But what’s this about her desire to see a Red-winged Blackbird in every county? (She finally saw some in Lake of the Woods – her 87th and final county for this species.) ( ! )

The question in Warroad was how we know for certain in which county the bird should be recorded. “The lakeshore defines the boundary.” “Where’s the lakeshore?” “Out there in the cattails somewhere.” “Well how do we know?” The wise answer is: “In which county do you need the bird?” The same bird in two counties is a Two-Fer, three is a Trifecta, and “Quadrilaterus” is my name for the same bird seen in four counties at once.

On to Springsteel Island and the continued discussion of county boundaries – Springsteel is in Roseau County even though it is an island. Well, that’s debatable, too. Lake of the Woods Lake, which is of course in Lake of the Woods County, surrounds the island. As for the birding there...I observed an albino or leucistic Barn Swallow flying over the island out to the lake. A Two-Fer! We also had several waves of warblers, and I ended up with 35 species on this tiny jut of land into a huge lake.

Warroad WTP was next and yielded another 20 species including Red-necked Phalaropes and Horned Grebes. En route, I passed by a sign for Seven Clans Casino. So I have to wonder if birds seen on tribal lands are technically state or even county birds? We finished the day as a group wandering the campground in Warroad. I then headed back toward Roseau, using the Damn Book to explore Lost River State Forest, and I finished the day adding Hayes Lake State Park to my State Park List.

Lake of the Woods MBW, Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 - Sept. 2 (Leader KRE)

Saturday

The day dawned beautifully with infinite possibilities as I drove east  from Roseau to Baudette. I climbed into Alan’s car, noticing the Iowa plates. He had driven 500 miles from Cedar Falls to Baudette just to spend time driving Kim and I around to find adventures to justify his desire for a real Jeep. By god, I’m here to help!  An interesting aspect of migration is that birds aren’t necessarily where you found them yesterday. But I enjoy driving the back roads and seeing parts of Minnesota I would otherwise not explore.

Crossbill Crossroads

South of Williams, along Faunce Forest Road (I have a deadline, so will not do research on this name!), we stopped to play the Agitator 5000 at a location only Kim could foresee as a likely location. How does he do that? Several warblers included Black-throated Green. A White-winged Crossbill called and landed in the trees nearby. Good looks and some nice photo ops! We proceeded on, after Charlie Tucker (the head guy at the Norris Camp headquarters of the Beltrami Island State Forest), and more importantly his dog, Roy, stopped to say hi on his way out for the Labor Day Weekend. At the intersection of Faunce and Faunce-Butterfield roads, Kim heard Red Crossbills. We all exited the cars as they landed in the trees. White-wingeds joined the party and I had the best views of both species. A different Two-Fer.

We parked at a campground. My mind and stomach were a little agitated so I thought a good walk might help both. I took a left out of the campground and radioed Kim. I had wandered up the road, only to look over my shoulder and see the team cars turning right and away from me. Fortuitously, Kim responded to my radio call and returned with Alan. He was rewarded with a Peregrine Falcon in Roseau County. (County bird for Kim – credit this JTL for getting lost!)

We puttered our way towards lunch and Norris Camp where Charlie Tucker had reported a Spruce Grouse. We chased a few juncos in the camp proper. Kim recommended I pick up a Beltrami Island State Forest Map, which I did. And I took a brochure on The History of Norris Camp: see dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/wmas/red_lake/FAW_0595_20%20Norris%20Camp %20History%20BrochureA11Y.

Nothing to Grouse About

I know my dad loved that pun when we would go hunting and I learned to thrash the rushes, brush, fields, and trees in a back-and-forth manner because Lancelot True-Hearted Ferocious III was afraid of gunshots. He stayed home. I was starting to feel what later turned out to be my allergic reaction to sulfites. I didn’t want to disappoint Kim by sleeping it off in the car, but my eyes were glassy and my vision impaired. I call it the Sulfite Shuffle. But Roy the dog had found a Spruce Grouse a couple of days ago, and that is a bird worth suffering for. I navigated the woods on instinct and determination. At the last moment I took a left to go around a tangle of brush instead of returning to the road. The male Spruce Grouse flushed and – as they will – tamely landed in a nearby tree. So, thanks to Roy, Charlie, and my dad we found the grouse! The last thing I remember was the garter snake at the next stop, and I slept through the stop after that at the great field (14 shorebird species!). found by Neil and Ben the day before.

Sunday

I felt better in the morning. We returned to that Roseau County field that had been full of gulls and shorebirds. Pretty quiet now. No Buff-breasted or other sandpipers or Black-bellied Plovers as there were yesterday – just a lone golden-plover or two. Back to Warroad Point: dead. Then, Springsteel Island, which was bird-quiet compared to Friday. But double the number of people noises.

Warroad WTP & The Mystery of the Missing Scope

Admittedly, we were distracted by a murmuration of Bonaparte Gull’s in response to a Peregrine Falcon actively pursuing a meal over the pond. But, yes, the American Black Duck was a good find for the county as grebes and phalaropes drew our attention. But we needed to keep moving. “Who stole my scope?” Rose cried out. “It must have been John!” There were 10 suspects. Such is the fate of the underpaid JTL to suffer the ignominy of accusation. Thankfully, Steve had the courage to confess. He had helpfully carried the scope to the car while Rose climbed over the fence. No harm done! All is forgiven. For now.

Arneson’s Fish Gut Adventure

We went looking for Ruddy Turnstones at Rocky Point (Arneson’s) and found none. We did find a few warblers and an immature Red-headed Woodpecker with its gray head. Alan was chomping at the bit and talking about manly things in the middle of so many ATVs, ORVs, 4-wheel-drive trucks, big boats and motors. A local, noticing my binoculars told me that up the road was a narrow, two-track, minimum maintenance road where they dumped the fish guts from the resort’s fisherfolk. “Plenty of Bald Eagles.” Alan was all in as his was the only car that made it to the end. No road in Lake of the Woods County will ever intimidate Alan again. The shorebirds there were just hood ornaments. Who needs a Jeep?

We made a few more stops poking into roads that ended at the lake, then we headed back to Baudette for dinner. Most places were closed so many of us decided to forage from our snacks and provisions. Sitting in my room, determined to get a start on the JTL Report, I saw the text from Doug and Howard. Grabbing my binoculars I left everything else. Two minutes from the hotel, Sharp-tailed Grouse were feeding in the field to the west. Darcy, Alan, and I all got good looks at them while providing consternation for the prospecting goose hunter just up the road. Three Phasianidae in one trip! Nothing to grouse about at all.

I took a few moments to enjoy the sunset, picking up Brown Thrasher and Savannah Sparrow nearby. With the evening too nice to go back inside and Short-eared Owl on my mind, I drove the backroads admiring several big bluestem fields. Hearing a call in the woods near the high school I got out and determined it was either a reptile or Common Nighthawk as it flew out of the woods and over the road. I stopped at the Agassiz Lowlands Environmental Learning Area sign to prospect for the next day. It was getting dark but the peace of walking the path with lighted stations and a children’s story at one of them was a nice way to finish the day. I was determined to get up early the next day and return.

Monday

I did get up and wandered the Agassiz Lowlands Environmental Learning Area (ALELA) for an hour before returning to the hotel. I didn’t realize (which is why I remain a humble JTL)  that the Red-necked Phalarope I saw there could have been one of the others based on location and time of year. I’ll repeat myself and say again how Kim’s methodology of random places to bird, including the parking lot of the AmericInn in Baudette, adds to the fun of these trips. You just never know with birding. And the ALELA is not in the Damn Book. Good find by the JTL! It’s approximately 112 acres. No website, but with a few more adjectives it might rival the longest named birding location in MN. (Hint: the longest is in the Damn Book and in Lyon County).

The children’s book I found last night on the trail is Rhoda's Rock Hunt by Molly Beth Griffin. I sent her an email. and she was quite pleased to hear about the area and her book. I went down a rabbit hole to see if there was a way to weave a sustainable environmental advocacy program for students at the high school. But I have a deadline to meet and rabbit holes to seek, so I am looking for a volunteer.

We explored more backroads, finding “Holstein Pheasants” (a local Manitoba name: a.k.a. Black-billed Magpies) in the county. We ticked off Wheeler Point WTP on Kim’s official Sewage Ponds Checklist. Before a local threatened to call the authorities, and deciding that freedom was more important than Semipalmated Sandpipers, we beat it for Morris Point – picking up a Sanderling and Semipalmated Plovers before giving up on long-distance viewing for possible Piping Plover when no closer access was available due to high water.

Zipple Bay was next, the northernmost state park in Minnesota. I needed this for my State Park Birding Scratch-Off Map. There, the bright plumage of the Golden-winged Warbler was spotted deep in the brush. We chased a Black-throated Green along the shore, but that was about all we had time for. With a five-hour drive home ahead for many (and a ten-hour drive for Alan!), we decided to pack it up, pick up our cars in Baudette, and head home. Another MBW was in the books, ready and waiting for this JTL Report!

BIRD LIST (Composite total 162 species)

Notes: With 1 exception (Common Loon), all the species on the Roseau MBW were  

            found in Roseau Co. The Lake of the Woods MBW included species from both  

            counties.

Also Note: 162 species is above average for this MBW. The record is 171 species, and      

                  the lowest is in the 130s – but comparisons are difficult since some of these

                  MBWs have been 3 days long, and others have been 5 days like this one.

                  And our total of 21 warbler species is a record for this MBW (we have

                  seen 20 species a few times before on this MBW).

R = Roseau MBW, Aug 29-Aug 30 (132 species)

L = Lake of the Woods MBW, Aug 31-Sept 1-Sept 2 (134 species)

       LL = found in Lake of the Woods Co.

       LR = found in Roseau Co.

       LLR =  found in both counties       

Greater White-fronted Goose        R (either a possibly injured summering bird, or an

                                                                   unusually early migrant)

Canada Goose        R        LLR

Trumpeter Swan        LR

Wood Duck        R        LLR

Blue-winged Teal        R        LLR

Northern Shoveler        R        LLR

Gadwall        R        LR

American Wigeon        R

Mallard        R        LLR

American Black Duck        LR

Northern Pintail        R        LR

Green-winged Teal        R        LLR

Canvasback        R

Redhead        R        LR

Ring-necked Duck        R        LL

Lesser Scaup        R        LR

Bufflehead        R        LR

Common Goldeneye        R        LLR

Hooded Merganser        R

Ruddy Duck        R        LR

Spruce Grouse        LL (found by John, thanks to a tip from Charlie Tucker and Roy)

Sharp-tailed Grouse        R        LL

Gray Partridge        R

Pied-billed Grebe        R        LLR

Horned Grebe        R        LR

Eared Grebe        R

Rock Pigeon        R        LLR

Eurasian Collared-Dove        R (hard to find this far north)

Mourning Dove        R        LLR

Common Nighthawk        LLR

Ruby-throated Hummingbird        R        LL

Sora        R

American Coot        R (also in L)

Sandhill Crane        R        LLR

Black-bellied Plover        LR (the burned field along Roseau CR 12, thanks to a tip from

                                                 Neil and Ben)

American Golden-Plover        LR (ditto)

Killdeer        R        LL

Semipalmated Plover        R        LL

Stilt Sandpiper        LLR

Sanderling        LL

Baird’s Sandpiper        LLR

Least Sandpiper        R        LLR

Buff-breasted Sandpiper        LR (ditto)

Pectoral Sandpiper        LLR

Semipalmated Sandpiper        LL

Wilson’s Snipe        R        LR

Spotted Sandpiper        R        LLR

Solitary Sandpiper        R        LLR

Lesser Yellowlegs        R        LR

Greater Yellowlegs        R        LR

Red-necked Phalarope        R        LLR (Wheeler's Point and Warroad sewage ponds;

                                                                     = 17 shorebird species)

Bonaparte’s Gull        R        LR

Franklin’s Gull        R        LLR

Ring-billed Gull        R        LLR

Herring Gull        LL

Black Tern        R

Common Tern        R        LLR

Forster’s Tern        R (also in L)

Common Loon        R (see Notes)        LL

Double-crested Cormorant        R        LLR

American White Pelican        R        LL

American Bittern        R

Great Blue Heron        R        LLR

Green Heron        R        LLR

Turkey Vulture        R        LLR

Northern Harrier        R        LL

Sharp-shinned Hawk        LL

Bald Eagle        R        LLR

Broad-winged Hawk        R

Red-tailed Hawk        R        LLR

Belted Kingfisher        R        LLR

Red-headed Woodpecker        R        LL

Red-bellied Woodpecker        R

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker        LL

Downy Woodpecker        R        LL

Hairy Woodpecker        R        LL

Northern Flicker        R        LL

Pileated Woodpecker        R        LL

American Kestrel        R        LLR

Merlin        R        LLR

Peregrine Falcon        LLR (Faunce Forest Rd and the Warroad sewage ponds)

Great Crested Flycatcher        LR

Eastern Kingbird        R        LL

Olive-sided Flycatcher        LR

Eastern Wood-Pewee        R        LL

Least Flycatcher        R        LLR

Eastern Phoebe        R        LL

Yellow-throated Vireo        R

Blue-headed Vireo        R        LL

Philadelphia Vireo        R        LL

Warbling Vireo        R        LLR

Red-eyed Vireo        R        LLR

Canada Jay        LL

Blue Jay        R        LLR

Black-billed Magpie        R        LL

American Crow        R        LLR

Common Raven        R        LLR

Black-capped Chickadee        R        LL

Horned Lark        R

Bank Swallow        R

Tree Swallow        R        LLR

Purple Martin        R        LR

Barn Swallow        R        LLR

Ruby-crowned Kinglet        LL

Golden-crowned Kinglet        LL

Cedar Waxwing        R        LLR

Red-breasted Nuthatch        R        LLR

White-breasted Nuthatch        R        LLR

Brown Creeper        R        LL

House Wren        R

Sedge Wren        R

Marsh Wren        R        LR

Gray Catbird        R        LR

Brown Thrasher        LL

European Starling        R        LLR

Eastern Bluebird        LL

Swainson’s Thrush        R        LLR

Hermit Thrush        LL

American Robin        R        LLR

House Sparrow        R        LL

Purple Finch        R

Red Crossbill        LL  (about 30 calling, flying around, and perched at close range; both

                                       crossbills along the Faunce Forest Rd)

White-winged Crossbill        LLR (unusually early and in full song)

Pine Siskin        R

American Goldfinch        R        LLR

Chipping Sparrow        R        LLR

Clay-colored Sparrow        R        LL

Dark-eyed Junco        LL

White-throated Sparrow        R        LLR

Savannah Sparrow        R        LLR

Song Sparrow        R        LLR

Lincoln’s Sparrow        LL

Swamp Sparrow        R        LLR

Bobolink        LR (late migrants calling in flight overhead at Warroad sewage ponds)

Western Meadowlark        R

Orchard Oriole        R (unusual and late this far north)

Baltimore Oriole        R

Red-winged Blackbird        R        LL (Linda's 87th county for this species)

Brewer’s Blackbird        R        LL

Common Grackle        R        LL

Ovenbird        R        LL

Northern Waterthrush        R        LL

Golden-winged Warbler        R        LL

Black-and-white Warbler        R        LLR

Tennessee Warbler        R        LLR

Orange-crowned Warbler        R (a bit earlier than normal)

Nashville Warbler        R        LLR

Common Yellowthroat        R        LLR

American Redstart        R        LLR

Cape May Warbler        R        LL

Northern Parula        R

Magnolia Warbler        R        LLR

Bay-breasted Warbler        R        LLR

Blackburnian Warbler        R

Yellow Warbler        R        LLR

Chestnut-sided Warbler        R        LLR

Blackpoll Warbler        R        LLR

Palm Warbler        R        LLR

Yellow-rumped Warbler        R        LLR

Black-throated Green Warbler        LL

Wilson’s Warbler        R ( = 21 warbler species! )

Rose-breasted Grosbeak        R        LLR

PHOTO GALLERY

Spruce Grouse ... found by John the Junior Tour Leader, after a tip from Roy the Wonder Dog

~ Mariann Cyr photo ~

White-winged Crossbill ... in a spruce tree, of course!  ~  Mariann Cyr photo

Red Crossbill ... in a pine tree, of course!  ~  Doug Kieser photo

Red-necked Phalarope  ~  Mariann Cyr photo

*          *          *