Previous reports: January 9 16 23 30 , February 6 13 20 27 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 6, 2003
*MNDL0303.06

-Birds mentioned

• Trumpeter Swan
• Canada Goose
• Mallard
• Common Goldeneye
• Barrow's Goldeneye
• Common Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Golden Eagle
• American Kestrel
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• American Coot
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Horned Lark
• Brown Creeper
• American Robin
• Brown Thrasher
• Cedar Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Purple Finch
• Common Redpoll
• American Goldfinch
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 6, 2003
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

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.

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