Detroit Lakes RBA

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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 10, 2005
*MNDL0503.10

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 10, 2005
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, March 11, 2005 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.

Now that we have had a little taste of spring, a few migrants are making their way north. Folks are seeing flocks of HORNED LARKS, and a few CANADA GOOSE scouts are appearing in most counties of the northwest.

Gretchen Mehmel reported sighting a PILEATED WOODPECKER and a NORTHERN SHRIKE in Lake of the Woods County this week. Jenny Moorman reported a BALD EAGLE near Williams, several BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES and a GREAT HORNED OWL on March 7th.

>From Roseau County, Melanie Torkelson reported a BALD EAGLE south of the main dike along CR 3 in the Roseau River WMA on March 4th. HORNED LARKS are being seen in Roseau County. Melanie also reported that the cougar that was in the WMA earlier has returned to the area.

Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann reported that 19 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were found March 4th on a lek on the north side of CR 7 in Clearwater County 1/2 mile west of the intersection of CR 5 and CR 7.

In Beltrami County on March 5, Ron and Herb found two GREAT GRAY OWLS- one on the south side of Birchwood Road NE, 3/4 mile east of CR 23; the other was 300 yards east of CR 23, 1/2 mile south of Harvest Road NE.

On March 4th, a GREAT GRAY OWL was found 1 1/2 miles east of US 59 on the south side of CR 59. Shelley Steva reported a BALD EAGLE in Pennington County along Cr 24 on March 6th. A MERLIN was seen attacking two COMMON RAVENS two miles north of the Polk County line along Pennington County road 24.

Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann found 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in Red Lake County near the intersection of CR 136 and CR 135 on March 5th.

In Polk County, Shelley Steva potted a GOLDEN EAGLE two miles south of the MN 92 and CR 2 intersection on March 5th. A BALD EAGLE was also seen in the county. Nathaniel Emery had the great good fortune to find a BOREAL OWL at the Agassiz Environmental Learning Center near Fertile on March 8th. He also reported a MERLIN on the campus of MSU Crookston. Bruce Flaig observed two TRUMPETER SWANS east of CR 12/CR 41 intersection on March 6th. Three GREAT GRAY OWLS were found in this county on March 5th. All were along CR 3 1/4 to 1/2 mile east of its intersection with CR 2 in the northeastern part of the county. Thirteen SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen on a lek at the northwest corner of the intersection of 250 St. SE and 420 Ave. on March 5th.

Douglas Fagerlie, south of Audubon in Becker County reported a male NORTHERN CARDINAL in his yard. Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann saw 50 WILD TURKEYS at the southeast end of Toad Lake, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE was also seen in Becker County.

Alma Ronningen , reporting from Otter Tail County, observed five WILD TURKEYS, BALD EAGLE, and GREAT HORNED OWL. She also reported a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK in Dent. Dan and Sandy Thimgan sent in the most heartening sightings, that of COMMON MERGANSERS in the northeast corner of Otter Tail Lake in some open water on March 6th, and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD that arrived in their yard on March 10th. Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann found 8-10 GREATER WHITE-FR0NTED GEESE on the west side of US 59 north of Pelican Rapids where the road crosses the Pelican River; along with them was a pair of GADWALL. About 400 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were flushed by a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK south of Fergus Falls where CR 29 intersects I-94. Pam Linder, north of Brown Lake in Otter Tail County, observed a MERLIN at their backyard bird feeder on March 3rd.

Benjamin Fritchman reported on March 6th, that the locally nesting SANDHILL CRANES have returned already to Todd County near Long Prairie.

>From Hubbard County, Pat Beauzay reported eight TRUMPETER SWANS along the Fish Hook River near Park Rapids on March 5th. A GREAT GRAY OWL was found along CR 17 east of CR 11. Also seen in Hubbard County were a BALD EAGLE and a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Thanks to Bruce Flaig, Douglas Fagerlie, Benjamin Fritchman, Nathaniel Emery, Pat Beauzay, Shelley Steva, Pam Linder, Melanie Torkelson, Gretchen Mehmel, Alma Ronningen, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Ron Erpelding, Herb Dingmann, and Jenny Moorman for their reports.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com 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. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, March 18, 2005.




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