[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, March 7, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, March 7, 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.

It must be spring- the days are getting longer and the horned larks and
longspurs are making their way north. As for the temperatures,  well
most of us think of zero degrees as winter.

The BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still at the levee in Fergus Falls as of
Wednesday, and Steve Millard reports that these birds usually leave
around the middle of the month , so if anyone hasn't seen the bird, it
is recommended that you go soon. Also at Fergus Falls are about 250
COMMON GOLDENEYES, and about 50 TRUMPETER SWANS, along with a lot of
CANADA GEESE and MALLARDS. A pair of COMMON MERGANSERS were also seen
there last weekend.

Three GOLDEN EAGLES were spotted on Sunday by Shelley Steva, Peder
Svingen and me. Two were perched in the same tree in Wilkin County near
the intersection of 220th Ave. and 230th St. This area is just west of
the Rothsay WMA area. The other Golden Eagle was in Becker County, about
a mile east of  255th St, along County Road 26 west of Tamarac National
Wildlife Refuge. Yet another Golden Eagle, this one an immature, was
seen by Alma Ronningen in Clay County on Wednesday about 10 miles north
of Barnesville along I-94.

About 10 GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS were found on a lek in the Rothsay WMA
on Sunday.

Beth Siverhus reports that the BALD EAGLES are back at their nest tree
off Highway 72 just south of Waskish, in Beltrami County. Katie Haws
also reports that the BALD EAGLES are at nest sights near Bemidji.

>From Itasca County, Beth reported that folks are seeing BROWN CREEPER,
EVENING GROSBEAK, PURPLE FINCH, and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH at their feeders.

In Lake of the Woods County, the woodpeckers of several species are
busily courting and PILEATED WOODPECKERS  are excavating their cavities.

In Pennington County, the locally nesting HORNED LARKS have returned,
perhaps the only sign of spring around here.

Shelley Steva reported about 30 SNOW BUNTINGS  in Red Lake County, just
south of the Pennington County line along Highway 59 late last week.

LAPLAND LONGSPURS and SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the roads of Polk
County on Saturday, March 1st. Donna and Leon Thoreson have HORNED LARKS
in their yard near Eldred, and a BROWN CREEPER and PILEATED WOODPECKER
are still around. 35 to 40 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are also coming to the
feeder.

Clay County birds reported included an AMERICAN KESTREL near Barnesville
along Highway 210 just east of the town. Other birds found in Clay
County on Sunday, March 2, included CEDAR WAXWINGS in the town of
Hitterdahl, and HORNED LARKS in several locations.

Jack Ehrnst, on Wymer Lake near Frazee in Becker County has daily visits
from PILEATED WOODPECKERS, DOWNY WOODPECKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER,
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN FLICKER as well as the usual chickadees
and Blue Jays. We found a NORTHERN SHRIKE in Becker County also and
LAPLAND LONGSPURS , HORNED LARKS, and SNOW BUNTINGS near Hamden Slough.

Wilkin County birds reported by Mark Otnes included 15 RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS at Manston Marsh on Friday, February 28th. An AMERICAN ROBIN
was also seen.

In addition to the birds already reported in Ottertail County,  a
NORTHERN FLICKER, a BROWN CREEPER, and PURPLE FINCH were coming to a
backyard feeder in Fergus Falls, a BROWN THRASHER was found behind a
business in the city, and two AMERICAN COOTS  were also present in
Fergus Falls. All of the above were seen on Sunday, March 2nd. For
updates and locations of these birds contact Steve Millard in Fergus
Falls. Alma Ronningen reported a lone COMMON REDPOLL at her feeder on
March 5th.

Thanks to Katie Haws, Beth Siverhus, Jack Ehrnst, Mark Otnes, Alma
Ronningen, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Dan Thimgan, and Shelley Steva 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 each sighting
occurred. 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 14, 2003.