[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, May 9, 2003

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, May 9, 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.

Spring is making progress this week, and the migration patterns are
showing it. The first goose brood has been seen at Agassiz National
Wildlife Refuge.Most of the duck species have gone through or are on
their breeding grounds, the first warbler wave is making its way north,
and shorebird sightings are increasing. Next week is promising to be an
exciting week for birders.=20

>From Ottertail County, Alma Ronningen reports HERMIT THRUSH,
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW,  HARRIS'S SPARROW, and
BALTIMORE ORIOLE  Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported PURPLE MARTIN on the
4th, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK on the 5th,  HOUSE WREN on the 7th,  and
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER on the 8th.

In Becker County, Bea Purdy at the Birchmere resort reports that
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,  WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
and BALTIMORE ORIOLE,have returned to their feeders. A COMMON LOON was
noticed by Duane and Marilyn Olson near Lake Park. Shar Legenhausen saw
the first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD on May 4th, and  CHIPPING SPARROW
and RED-HEADED WOODPECKER on May 7th.Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
was an interesting place on Sunday. I found a pair of calling COMMON
LOONS there, also WOOD DUCK, and BELTED KINGFISHER. TREE SWALLOW, BARN
SWALLOW, BANK SWALLOW, and CLIFF SWALLOW were all seen roosting on the
same power line. The tall deciduous trees held flocks of YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, PALM WARBLERS, as well as a few ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS,
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS,  and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS.=20

Rick Gjervold reported  ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW,
and HARRIS'S SPARROW  from Clay County. Also in Clay County, Dennis
Weisenborn  found SOLITARY SANDPIPER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER,  and LARK
SPARROW in north Moorhead. Mark Chase sighted a GREEN HERON ,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and PALM WARBLER along the Red River north of
Moorhead.

Pat Rice reported from Cass County that on May 7th, she found NASHVILLE
WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PINE WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, and OVENBIRD
along the Woodtick Trail; also seen were a LINCOLN'S SPARROW and a GREEN
HERON.

In Beltrami County, Pat Rice had BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROW in her yard on May 7th, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD and BROWN
THRASHER on the 8th,=20

Along Highway 59 in Polk County on Sunday, May 4th, I spotted an
AMERICAN BITTERN frozen in the beak- up posture.

A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was found in a most unlikely place on May 5th- a
local greenhouse in Thief River Falls, Pennington County. Shelley Steva
reported CLIFF SWALLOW at the 8th St. bridge in Thief River Falls on the
4th, also a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER in her yard. There is also an
EASTERN PHOEBE nesting on her front porch. Audrey Evers was at the rice
paddies in the southern part of Pennington County on the weekend where
she reported 700 -1000 TUNDRA SWANS. By the 6th, 2300 of them were on
the rice paddies. This number is changing daily as some leave and some
more arrive. The rice paddies are along CR27 and surrounding township
roads along the Clearwater River.

Audrey Evers also had many birds to report from Marshall County on the
weekend. At the Warren wastewater treatment ponds, she found
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, SNOW GOOSE, and hundreds of LAPLAND LONGSPURS. The
shorebirds are returning to Agassiz NWR. This year the South Pool and
Farmes Pool will be in drawdown, and the birds are already discovering
that. Audrey  reported SPOTTED SANDPIPERS,  MARBLED GODWITS,
SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS,
PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and yellowlegs
there. All the grebes except Clark's were observed there on the weekend,
along with most of the ducks, a PEREGRINE FALCON, FRANKLIN'S GULL,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and PALM WARBLER. Maggie Anderson reported 2
COMMON LOONS on Lost River Pool on May 1st, WESTERN GREBES on Tamarac
Pool on the2nd, RUDDY DUCKS, and FORSTER'S TERNS came back on the 1st.=20

Audrey Evers found a pair of GRAY PARTRIDGE on Kittson County Road 14
north of Karlstad on the weekend. A group of 70 SANDHILL CRANES was also
seen.

Remember the International Migratory Bird Day is Saturday, May 10th.
Let's get out and see what we can find in our own counties or
participate in some of the events held to celebrate that day.

Thanks to Maggie Anderson, Audrey Evers, Dennis Weisenborn, Duane and
Marilyn Olson, Bea Purdy, Rick Gjervold, Jim Holter, Shar Legenhausen,
Kari Odefey, Alma Ronningen, Pat Rice, Dan and Sandy 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 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, May 16, 2003.