[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, April 18, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 18,
2003 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.

Last weekend it seemed that the weather was going to warm up quickly
leading to a rapid migration. By Wednesday, nature put on the brakes a
bit with some parts of the region getting snow again. However the
migration is progressing, with most of the duck species arriving at
Agassiz National Refuge and other wetlands in the north. There were
reports from all areas of some sparrow species arriving as well as
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, and COMMON GRACKLES. Large numbers of SANDHILL
CRANES were reported from two counties- Larry Johnson saw 2000 of them
in western Marshall County between Warren and Old Mill State Park, and
Tom Lufkin found 150  near the Wetland, Pines, and Prairie Audubon
Sanctuary in northern Polk County. Large numbers of TUNDRA SWANS have
been reported from a variety of locations throughout the area. On
Saturday, Zeann Linder and I visited the rice paddies along the
Clearwater River at the junctions of Pennington, Marshall, and Polk
Counties, and also those in Clearwater County- at all the locations we
found hundreds of TUNDRA SWANS and CANADA GEESE.

Gretchen Mehmel saw the first WINTER WREN of the new season in Lake of
the Woods County on Friday, April 11th. She also reported 9 GRAY JAYS.

In Marshall County, Larry Johnson reported TREE SWALLOWS, the first
report of those that I have had this spring. In addition, he saw
MOURNING DOVES, and SONG SPARROWS. Kari Odefey sent in a report from
Agassiz NWR this week. Birds reported included most of the duck species,
along with two TRUMPETER SWANS , 8 TUNDRA SWANS and OSPREY on April
11th;  RED-NECKED GREBE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and 200 AMERICAN COOTS on
the 14th. A flock of 50 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS  was seen at Farmes Pool
on Monday. Two MARBLED GODWITS arrived on April 15th at Agassiz. On the
12th we were  lucky to witness the courtship flight of an AMERICAN
WOODCOCK  there and  to hear our first of the season WILSON'S SNIPE.

Interesting Pennington County sightings this week included two GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE seen by Zeann Linder and me in a rice paddy in the
eastern part of the county on Saturday, April 12th. Also on the 12th, we
found a female NORTHERN CARDINAL singing in a residential neighborhood
of Thief River Falls. On the 13th, a GREEN-WINGED TEAL, WOOD DUCK,
BELTED KINGFISHER, and EASTERN PHOEBE were seen from our yard. A
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, NORTHERN FLICKER, and MOURNING DOVE made an
appearance on April 15th. A YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen by Shelley
Steva on April 17th in Thief River Falls, and she also reported the
presence of many HERRING GULLS here in Pennington County.

Shelley Steva found 40 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and 5 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS in
northern Red Lake County on April 16th.

Lori Becker at the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in
Polk County reported 20 FOX SPARROWS, and a BROWN CREEPER on April 15th.

Clearwater County birds seen on Saturday, April 12th  included COMMON
MERGANSER, HOODED MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and WOOD DUCK. We
found several RING-BILLED GULLS and one HERRING GULL  at Lower Red Lake.
There also were TREE SPARROWS, FOX SPARROW, and SONG SPARROWS.

Pat Rice sent in a report from Beltrami County. On April 16th, she saw a
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and WILSON'S SNIPE. Two COMMON LOONS, GREATER SCAUP,
and a variety of other ducks were seen on Lake Bemidji on the 15th, and
she had FOX SPARROWS, and a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET in the yard on the
17th.

>From Becker County comes a report from Paul and Stella Bridgeford at Big
Floyd Lake of OSPREY, WOOD DUCK, NORTHERN FLICKER, and RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER.

Carol Schumacher birded in Ottertail County on the weekend and she
reported finding a LONG-EARED OWL,  14 GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS just
north of the Ottertail Prairie SNA, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER  at the
Orwell Dam,  RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS at Maplewood State Park, and WILD
TURKEYS strutting their stuff. Alma Ronningen reported that the OSPREY
have returned to the nesting platform in her yard in Ottertail County.

Grant County birds reported by Carol included a NORTHERN GOSHAWK in the
Niemackl Lakes area, as well as a small flock of FRANKLIN'S GULLS. She
was unable to relocate the Eurasian Collared Dove in Herman on Sunday.

Thanks to Larry Johnson, Lori Becker, Kari Odefey, Gretchen Mehmel, Paul
and Stella Bridgeford, Shelley Steva, Alma Ronningen, and Carol
Schumacher 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, April 25, 2003.