Minnesota Statewide RBA

Previous reports: December 18 , January 1 8 15 22 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*February 5, 1997
*MNST9801.05

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: February 5, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@millcomm.com)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday February 5th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A GREAT BLUE HERON was reported by Barb Lucas from along Rice Creek in Shoreview on January 31st . This is just north of County Road I in Ramsey County. Most unusual is the BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON found by Steve Millard on January 25th along the Otter Tail River in Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County. The bird was seen again on February 1st. Two PIED-BILLED GREBES are also apparently overwintering on the river.

That male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE is still at the Blue Lake treatment plant in Scott County, and it was reported as recently as February 4th.

At the Richardson's Nature Center in Bloomington, a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, EASTERN BLUEBIRD and SONG SPARROW are overwintering with usual assortment of juncos, chickadees and nuthatches. A second EASTERN BLUEBIRD was found by Marie Boone at Cottage Grove Ravine Park in Washington County, this was on January 29th. And another RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen along interstate 94 near state highway 55 in Maple Grove on February 1st. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was along state highway 3 in the town of Rosemount, Dakota County on the 31st of January.

Unusual is the COOPER'S HAWK seen in Detroit Lakes, Becker County on February 3rd. This as rather far north and west for this species in winter.

Bill Stauffer reports finding a GREAT GRAY OWL on January 31st about a hundred yards north of Aitkin County Road 18 along the dead end road known locally as Pietz's Road. Kathy Rivers found a SNOWY OWL on January 26th at the junction of Crosstown Blvd. and Gleason Road in western Edina, but the bird was not seen in the area the following day. Craig Menze found a SNOWY OWL on Sunday February 1st along Kanabec county road 4, 1 mile east of state highway 47.

A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was found by Ronna Lagger near Ada in Norman County. The owl was seen January 28th just southwest of the junction of state highways 9 and 200.

HORNED LARKS have been seen as far north as Brooklyn Park on January 30th, in Isanti County on the 31st and in Aitkin County on the 1st.

Currently there are two CAROLINA WRENS in Minnesota. One of these is still being seen at Leslie Kottke's feeder in Rochester, Olmsted County as it has since been since September 21st. Please call Leslie before visiting at 507-280-9444. The second wren is in Bloomington. It was seen on February 5th at the junction of 110th Street and Russell Ave in Bloomington. This wren has been a little less reliable than the Rochester bird, and has been reported intermittently since early December.

SNOW BUNTINGS can be found in Sherburne County near the school house along county road 9. These birds have been in this same general area since January 26th.

Finally, John Wallner of Forest Lake, who has had as many as 90 COMMON REDPOLLS at his feeder in recent days, had a HOARY REDPOLL there on January 30th. Holly Martini of Wright County has a HOARY REDPOLL at her feeder along the Crow River near the town of Dayton. And Craig Menze has two HOARY REDPOLLS at his feeder in Mora, Kanabec County.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday February 12th




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