Previous reports: March 6 13 20 27 , April 3 10 17 24 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*May 1, 2003
*MNDL0305.01

-Birds mentioned

• Western Grebe
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Great Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Trumpeter Swan
• Merlin
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Sora
• American Avocet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Marbled Godwit
• Wilson's Snipe
• Franklin's Gull
• Forster's Tern
• Great Horned Owl
• Tree Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Hermit Thrush
• Brown Thrasher
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Northern Cardinal
• Chipping Sparrow
• Clay-colored Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: May 1, 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, May 2, 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.

Leaves are appearing on the trees in Northwest Minnesota, so warbler watchers be prepared to work for your sightings this year.

Migration is progressing this week. Shelley Steva saw 600 swans in Polk County on the 24th, of which about 60 were TRUMPETER SWANS, and Larry Johnson reports that the large congregation of sandhill cranes are mostly gone from the field near Old Mill State Park where he reported them last week. Joan Burke reported this week that the greater prairie-chickens at Hamden Slough in Becker County are winding down their displays , and presumably getting on with the task at hand - namely raising a family.

A CATTLE EGRET was seen in Bruce Clumb's yard in Mahnomen, Mahnomen County on the 23rd.

>From Roseau County, Beth Siverhus reports that AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, most ducks, WILSON'S SNIPE, TREE SWALLOW, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS arrived in the area on April 26th.

In Lake of the Woods County, Gretchen Mehmel saw a HERMIT THRUSH, and a TRUMPETER SWAN was seen at Brown's Lake on the 27th.

A NORTHERN CARDINAL female was reported on April 29 by Pat Rice at her home in Bemidji , Beltrami County.

Karen Arnold sent in a report from Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge this week. On April 26th, a GREAT HORNED OWL, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen. On the 29th some shorebirds showed up; notably an AMERICAN AVOCET and several GREATER YELLOWLEGS were found in Thief Bay Pool. FORSTER'S TERNS came in on the 30th, and many FRANKLIN'S GULLS are arriving daily. A WESTERN GREBE, and several AMERICAN BITTERNS have been seen; and the YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS are back. SORA have also been heard.

Pennington County birds include both GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, CHIPPING SPARROWS, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS in our yard.

At Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in Polk County, on April 26th, there were many GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, a MERLIN , and singing SAVANNAH SPARROWS.

Shelley Steva reported 6 TRUMPETER SWANS in Red Lake County on April 21st, and CHIPPING SPARROWS are back in Plummer.

Becker County birds seen by Connie Norheim at Hamden Slough included a RING-NECKED PHEASANT, 2 AMERICAN AVOCETS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, BARN SWALLOW, and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS. Joan Burke also went to Becker County where she found 7 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS at Hamden Slough, and 2 MARBLED GODWITS nesting there.

In Clay County, Connie Norheim found 4 GREAT EGRETS.

Mark Otnes had CLIFF SWALLOWS, and both PALM WARBLER, and PINE WARBLER at Glendalough State Park in Ottertail County on April 26th. Dan and Sandy Thimgan had a report of a possible northern mockingbird in Clitherall, but could not relocate it. This week they note that the following species have returned to Ottertail County - SORA, FORSTER'S TERN, BARN SWALLOW, BROWN THRASHER, CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, and SAVANNAH SPARROW.

Thanks to Shelley Steva, Mark Otnes, Connie Norheim, Pat Rice, Karen Arnold, Gretchen Mehmel, Beth Siverhus, Joan Burke, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, and Larry 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, May 9, 2003.

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