# Bird Watchers



## FACE (Mar 10, 2003)

What is the most interesting birds you have seen and why?

Just today in a shallow farm pond near Rice Lake State Park, Mn, I saw a Black-neck Stilt feeding in the shallows. This is a bird I have never seen in Mn before because it doesn't belong here! Their habitat is south around Texas and such. Word got out and bird watchers from all over the place came out to see them. Apparently, another few of these Stilts were spotted elsewhere in Mn also. Quite unusual indeed! Post up other unusual sightings as well!


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

hummingbirds

Good feeders bring a bunch in the north woods.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

I know they aren't all that rare, but I saw a Baltimore Oriole at about 11:45 a.m. yesterday feeding at my dad's finch feeder, while I was talking with my grandma. That was the first time I had seen one, and boy was it orange. We have just TONS of goldfinches around here, they sure are fun to watch!

The rarest bird my gramma has seen was the Lazuli Bunting. She is a die-hard birdwatcher, and has seen hundreds of different species of birds. She also once saw a prairie falcon which stayed on her lawn for about 20 minutes several years ago in the spring.


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## superfly (Mar 1, 2004)

I work for a newspaper as a photographer here in Logan Utah and we are doing a story on birdfeeders and I photographed a Lazuli bunting on this lady's feeder yesterday . They are fairlly common out here.I know that the Red Cardinal is a common bird out there but to me they are really cool. My wife and I lived in Mankato and New Ulm MN for two years while she got her masters degree and that was my favorite midwestern bird. We are going to be in Grand Forks house hunting this weekend so I'll be looking for a new place to hang my feeder.

My father-in-law saw a Pileated Woodpecker while out on a smoke break in Brainerd. So he holds the rare bird title in our family. I have a one legged rooster pheasant that has hit my feeders for the last two years. If that counts for anything.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

I talked to my mom last night and she said last week the orioles showed up around Hackensack MN. In two days they ate up 12 oranges and three jars of grape jelly from the feeders. The most she saw at one time was 35. I guess they migrated really late this year because of the cold weather.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Last week grossbeaks came to the feeder for 4 days-oil sunflowers. At one time there were 5 males. Also a female cardinal-haven't seen a cardinal before. Three years ago a rosey breasted flicker stayed at the feeder all winter. Also a few years ago I saw a perigene falcon take a hen mallard about 100 yds in front of my truck-talk about fast. These last years cattle egerts have been moving north and are neat to see. There is a rookery at Oakes.


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## widgeon (Jan 13, 2004)

Just last weekend I came up to North Dakota and watched bunches of Wilson's Phalaropes do their circling in the shallows while feeding. Those, along with 34 other species (without really making it a point to look for birds) made it an impressive weekend of birding in North Dakota.

It's funny how rare birds up there are "dirt" birds in the south (and vice versa). Cardinals, pileated woodpeckers, and stilts are pretty common down here.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

widgeon, are you a die hard birder that traveled to ND for that purpose? The reason I ask is that I've never met anyone traveling through for that purpose. I enjoy the birdfeeder very much, esp when the migrants come through. Our lower Sheyenne River still has forest habitat and offers great canoeing for bird watching. Just within a few miles you have forest, grassland, and wetland combos.

Some years ago we were at St. Thomas where I saw coots and eastern kingbirds-seemed strange in the middle of Jan.


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## widgeon (Jan 13, 2004)

Dick,

No, birdwatching wasn't the only reason I came up for the last trip-- but my girlfriend is a true "birder" and after looking at the bird lists for North Dakota she put the pressure on me to take her up there soon.

We planned another trip for early July with birdwatching being the primary objective.

I am surprised you haven't met anyone who has come up just to bird watch. It really is a growing activity, and birding magazines have ads that are really similar to the ads of hunting magazines-- encouraging people to travel just to watch birds. Here in the south, people travel all over to watch birds.

Plus, parts of North Dakota are considered some of the top places to birdwatch in the nation.

Take it easy


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

W, if you're interested in the Sheyenne Valley, take my canoe. The run from VC to Fort Ransom is really pretty, but water will be low then and it wouldn't easy due to tree snags. The river road is on the Scenic By-Way list.


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## widgeon (Jan 13, 2004)

Dick,

I appreciate the offer. We are flying into Bismarck, and were planning on staying around the Missouri. I will keep your recommendation in mind if I'm ever out that way.

Take it easy


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## Brad Anderson (Apr 1, 2002)

AMerican amasets (don't know about the spelling). They look kinda like a snipe, but with a light brown head.

Then there is the western greeb. These birds do the craziest dance you have ever seen.


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## smalls (Sep 9, 2003)

that would be an Avocet, Brad. White body, dark wings, rusty neck and a long, narrow bill.

Weirdest bird I saw was a white winged scoter about 7 or 8 years ago in the west of grand forks in late summer.


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## goose killer (Mar 26, 2004)

I seen a whooping crane one time with a bunch of sandhill cranes. This was really cool because they are rare.


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## tumblebuck (Feb 17, 2004)

Had a Scarlet Tanager in the backyard the other morning. Only the third one I've ever seen and one of those was dead alongside the highway.

Also had a Swainson's Thrush sitting on my deck. Little bugger let me scoop it up and study it. Flew away apparently healthy when I set it down. Makes for easy identification that way!


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