[mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Friday, March 12, 2004

[Jeanie Joppru]

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, March 12,
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.

Well, we had a tantalizing breath of spring last week and early this
week but we are in the freezer again. However the changing temperatures
and day length have jump-started the migration, and spring migrants are
beginning to show up. Wintering birds are slowly leaving.

Beth Siverhus reported a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on March 7th along Highway 72
about 8.5 miles south of Baudette. This would be in Lake of the Woods
County.

In Roseau County, Bob and Adele Powell saw a NORTHERN HARRIER two miles
east of Roosevelt on March 6th, a welcome sign of spring which indicates
that at least some of the migrants have reached almost to the Canadian
border.

A NORTHERN HARRIER was reported on March 5th by Zeann Linder and another
by Shelley Steva on March 9, both in Pennington County. Shelley also
reported several flocks of HORNED LARKS along US highway 59 just north
of the Red Lake County line. I discovered a MERLIN perched at the tip of
a tall evergreen tree along 6th Street in Thief River Falls on March
8th. A male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER visited our feeder on March 7th.

The Snowy Owl reported in Polk County last week has not been  relocated
this week. Heidi Hughes reported mixed flocks of HORNED LARKS and SNOW
BUNTINGS numbering in the thousands in the county on March 6th. A
GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN was seen near the Crookston airport on that day-
looking for a flight south perhaps? Twelve SHARP-TAILED GROUSE  were
found along the highway near Euclid.

Peggy Johnson reported from Detroit Lakes, Becker County, that she now
has a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS coming to the feeder.

In Otter Tail County,  Alma Ronningen has six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and
one DARK-EYED JUNCO coming to her feeder in Dent.

Thanks to Shelley Steva, Zeann Linder, Beth Siverhus, Bob and Adele
Powell, Heidi Hughes, and Peggy Johnson 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, March 19, 2004.
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