Previous reports: February 5 12 19 26 , March 4 11 18 25 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 1, 2004
*MNDL0404.01

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Tundra Swan
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Green-winged Teal
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• Ring-necked Duck
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Killdeer
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Northern Saw-whet Owl
• Eastern Phoebe
• Horned Lark
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Cedar Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Fox Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Tree Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brewer's Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Common Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 1, 2004
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, April 2, 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.

With the coming of warmer weather and longer days this week, the migration has picked up speed. Waterfowl are appearing, raptors are still moving north, and the early blackbirds, thrushes, and sparrows have advanced at least as far as Marshall County.

From Douglas County, Susan Wiste reported BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD.

Alma Ronningen saw a FOX SPARROW on March 27th in Otter Tail County, and on the 31st, an EASTERN PHOEBE showed up. Dan and Sandy Thimgan saw an EASTERN BLUEBIRD there on March 26th. On the 27th, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, RING-BILLED GULL, KILLDEER, and SONG SPARROW appeared; on the 29th, WOOD DUCK, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and HERRING GULL were seen.

Mary Wyatt observed five species of hawks, including RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, in Becker County; a nesting GREAT HORNED OWL was found, and several species of ducks. Mary also reported a FOX SPARROW in Becker County on April 1st.

Mike and Lori Becker at the Wetland, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary reported that spring migration is progressing there. At the Melo holding pond located at 160th St. and 240th Ave NW in Polk County, they saw more than one thousand birds including several species of ducks, many CANADA GEESE, some swans, and even a few unidentified shorebirds. The most exciting observation was a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL at the sanctuary. Bruce Flaig observed a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK taking a COMMON REDPOLL on March 27th. Gladwyn Lynn reported his first sighting of a NORTHERN SHOVELER for the season. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were also reported in Polk County. Donna and Leon Thoreson observed a GREAT HORNED OWL of the very light Arctic race on March 29th. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK, the first reported this season, was seen by Terry Tollefson on March 28th. A BREWER'S BLACKBIRD was reported by Randy Chaffee on April 1st.

Shelley Steva saw a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD in Red Lake County on March 27th. There were two reports of GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS in that county this week both along CR 1 east of Plummer.

Shelley also saw four GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS in Pennington County along US Highway 59 south of Thief River Falls. She reported a MOURNING DOVE, CEDAR WAXWING, and COMMON GRACKLE in Thief River Falls this week. I had a visit from a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on March 27th, and the next day a flock of about 100 AMERICAN ROBINS came by. On April 1st, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK caught a DARK-EYED JUNCO by driving it against our front window. Gary Tischer reported a flock of TUNDRA SWANS seen flying over Thief River Falls.

Linda Johnson had 200 AMERICAN ROBINS, some CEDAR WAXWINGS, and TREE SPARROWS in her Marshall County yard on March 26th. Diana Morkassel reported a MOURNING DOVE in the yard on March 27th. Zeann Linder visited Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on March 27th and reported many ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS on the refuge. Other species seen included NORTHERN HARRIER, HORNED LARK, and NORTHERN SHRIKE. Gary Tischer reported that by April 1st, many species of ducks had reached the refuge in small numbers. These included GADWALL, MALLARD, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON MERGANSER, and HOODED MERGANSER. About twenty BALD EAGLES are being seen throughout the refuge.

Bob and Adele Powell in Roseau County reported BALD EAGLE, and DARK-EYED JUNCO seen on March 29th.

Thanks to Gary Tischer, Mike and Lori Becker, Mary Wyatt, Randy Chaffee, Bob and Adele Powell, Shelley Steva, Linda Johnson, Diana Morkassel, Bruce Flaig, Gladwyn Lynne, and Zeann Linder 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, April 9, 2004.

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