[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, April 30, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 30,
2004 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.

Migration is coming in bursts this year what with the passage of
multiple weather fronts and up and down temperatures. However, signs of
spring are slowly showing. Buds are ready to burst, needing only a brief
shower, and a warm day to open. Grass is slightly green in most yards,
and on cool mornings the sparrows, robins, and flickers are busy poking
around for food on the lawn.

A WHITE-FACED IBIS has been reported by several people in Douglas County
from April 25 onwards on the west side of Lake Osakis. The bird is on
the west side of CR 10 about 1.2 miles northeast of the intersection of
CR 3 and CR 10. Dennis Martin found all six Minnesota grebes on Lake
Osakis on April 27th  including a CLARK'S GREBE. These were seen from
the public access in the town of Osakis. Other species reported included
two HUDSONIAN GODWITS just north of Osakis on CR 3. Paul Pederson
reported FRANKLIN'S GULLS, FORSTER'S TERNS, and both GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
AND LESSER YELLOWLEGS in the county on the 25th.

>From Otter Tail County on the 28th, Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported a
SNOWY EGRET  1.25 miles east of the town of Underwood on CR 122. The
bird seems to favor the wetland on the north side of the road. On the
27th they observed ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
Alma Ronningen saw a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and TENNESSEE WARBLER on the
25th. By the 28th , LINCOLN'S SPARROW and HARRIS'S SPARROW had appeared.

Becker County sightings sent in by Sally Hausken this week included
EASTERN PHOEBE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, and
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Rick and Tracy Pechmann reported RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, CHIPPING SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, and
SONG SPARROW on the 24th. Mary Wyatt had a NORTHERN CARDINAL in the yard
on the 18th. At Hamden Slough, both GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, and the MARBLED GODWITS have returned. Sparrows reported
back to Hamden Slough include CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW,
SAVANNAH SPARROW, LE CONTE'S SPARROW, and SONG SPARROW.

On the 26th, Bruce Flaig in Polk County reported that the EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS have started nesting. Nathaniel Emery found SHARP-TAILED
GROUSE  and MARBLED GODWITS in Polk County on the 25th along CR 45 and
CR46. On the 26th, he saw MERLIN, NORTHERN FLICKER, YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, and SONG SPARROW.

In Pennington County, we had a HARRIS'S SPARROW joining the
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS under the feeder on Thursday, April 29th. A
GREAT BLUE HERON was seen flying north late Thursday afternoon.

Pat Rice birded in Clearwater County on April 24th. North of Berner, she
observed two PEREGRINE FALCONS. Other species found included AMERICAN
WHITE PELICAN, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, BELTED KINGFISHER, and SAVANNAH
SPARROW.=20

>From Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Marshall County,  species
arriving this week included RUDDY DUCK, RED-NECKED GREBE, AMERICAN
BITTERN, PEREGRINE FALCON, MARBLED GODWIT, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and SONG
SPARROW. Ryan Sansness from Old Mill State Park mentioned seeing
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RING-BILLED GULL, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET,
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and HERMIT THRUSH.

Bob and Adele Powell reported an EASTERN PHOEBE from their home near
Roosevelt in Roseau County on April 15th.

Thanks to Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Nathaniel Emery, Dennis Martin, Sally
Hausken, Ryan Sansness, Bruce Flaig, Paul Pederson, Pat Rice, Tick and
Tracy Pechmann, Bob and Adele Powell, Alma Ronningen, Mary Wyatt, and
Maggie Anderson and all the staff at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge.

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 7, 2004.