Minnesota Statewide RBA

Statewide RBA phone number: 763-780-8890 or 1-800-657-3700

Previous reports: January 1 8 15 22 29 , February 5 12 19 26 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes


-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*March 4, 2004
*MNST0403.04

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: March 4, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday March 4th.

The first TURKEY VULTURE of the season was spotted by Steve Millard on the 29th near Caledonia, Houston County. Another Vulture was seen by Craig Mandel on March 2nd migrating along state highway 13 in Albert Lean, Freeborn County. A dozen very early SANDHILL CRANES were also seen by Steve Millard on the 29th in Houston County near the Iowa border.

A CAROLINA WREN was reported on the 3rd. It was seen on the back deck at the home of Ken Larson in Minnetonka, Hennepin County.

Several observers have reported migrating geese in the past few days. SNOW GEESE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and a ROSS'S GOOSE have all been sighted. Snow Geese were seen in Faribault County and Olmsted County. Greater White-fronted Geese were in Faribault County, Olmsted County, and on the Mississippi River in Ramsey County. And the single report of a Ross's Goose was from the west side of Silver Lake in Rochester, Olmsted County on February 29th.

I have a second hand report of a SNOWY OWL along U.S. Highway 75 north of Angus in Polk County, though I have no specifics. Another Snowy was seen on the 28th in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul, Ramsey County. It has been observed on the roof of a house at the southeast corner of Fairmount and Finn Streets. And Warren Nelson reports a Snowy Owl from Aitkin County Road 1 about five and a half miles north of the Mississippi River bridge.

SPRUCE GROUSE were reported again from Lake County on the 29th. Groups were seen a mile south and a mile and a half north of the Sand River on Lake County Road 2, and also along State Highway 1 at mile post 304.

Other migrants recently reported include KILLDEER, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, RUSTY BLACKBIRD and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.

This state-wide birding report is brought to you and financially supported by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU). The MOU is Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club.

The report is composed from observations generously submitted by MOU members and other birders throughout the state. You can support this weekly update by submitting your bird reports to Anthony Hertzel at axhertzel@sihope.com or by calling the hotline directly at 763-780-8890 and leaving a detailed message.

MOU members receive this report directly on MOU-net, the club's free e-mail listservice, which is available to anyone interested. For information contact David Cahlander at .

MOU members receive the organization's quarterly journal "The Loon" and the bimonthly magazine, "Minnesota Birding". For membership information, send an e-mail message to our membership secretary at moumembers@yahoo.com.

In cooperation with the Minnesota Office of Tourism, highlights of this hotline can be now heard at a toll free number which is available to callers outside the Twin Cities area. The number is 1-800-657-3700.

The MOU is pleased to offer this service. Thank you, and good birding.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, March 11th.

Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.




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