Previous reports: February 3 10 17 24 , March 10 17 24 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 31, 2005
*MNDL0503.31

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Tundra Swan
• Trumpeter Swan
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Snow Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Green-winged Teal
• American Black Duck
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• Ring-necked Duck
• Greater Scaup
• Lesser Scaup
• Common Goldeneye
• Bufflehead
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper's Hawk
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Swainson's Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Wild Turkey
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Common Raven
• Boreal Chickadee
• Brown Creeper
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Northern Mockingbird
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• Northern Cardinal
• American Tree Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Common Grackle
• Purple Finch
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 31, 2005
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 1, 2005 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.

Spring has finally come to northwest Minnesota! The snow is fast melting, water puddles are everywhere, and migrants are coming waves. Most observers this week reported a very large movement of CANADA GEESE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and SNOW GEESE, some swans, and raptors. Common summer residents such as NORTHERN HARRIERS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, AMERICAN KESTRELS, SANDHILL CRANES, KILLDEER, AMERICAN ROBINS, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS topped almost everyone's list this week. Many species of ducks are appearing in the southern parts of the area, and smaller numbers are being seen in northern parts of the region.

Topping the list of more unusual birds to find in the northwest was the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD seen by Bill Unzen on the campus of BSU in Bemidji, Beltrami County on March 31st.

Heidi Ferguson, while birding in the southern part of our area in Wilkin, Otter Tail, Grant, Traverse, and Stevens Counties on March 26th observed very large flocks of geese on the move. In addition , in Wilkin County, she found GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, and WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

Tom Smith saw an AMERICAN KESTREL in Otter Tail County on March 24th. Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported TRUMPETER SWAN, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, KILLDEER, and RING-BILLED GULL on the 27th. On the 29th, they added WOOD DUCK, GADWALL, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, BUFFLEHEAD, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Alma Ronningen reported EASTERN BLUEBIRD, SONG SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and COMMON GRACKLE on the 29th. LESSER SCAUP and WESTERN MEADOWLARK were seen on March 31st.

Susan Wiste, reporting from Douglas County, saw a DARK-EYED JUNCO on the 26th. On March 27th, she saw a COOPER'S HAWK, and BROWN CREEPER. Other birds mentioned by Susan included NORTHERN SHOVELER, WILD TURKEY, KILLDEER, AMERICAN ROBIN, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD. Beau Shroyer reported a MERLIN on March 27th , AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at West Lake Cowdry Road on the 31st.

Dave Hochhalter in Becker County on March 27th, saw SNOW GEESE, RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN CARDINALS, and PURPLE FINCH among others. Martin Keuhne reported four TRUMPETER SWANS, and AMERICAN ROBINS. Sally Nestor reported a large group of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Detroit Lakes on the 31st.

This week in Polk County, Diana Morkassel observed SANDHILL CRANES near the Wetlands, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary on March 29th, while Donna and Leon Thoreson watched over 4000 of them on the 31st near the intersection of 150 Ave. SW and 360St. SW. Nine swans were seen east of the Warren airport. Nathaniel Emery reported WESTERN MEADOWLARK in the county on March 25th. On the 27th, he reported NORTHERN PINTAIL, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN, KILLDEER, and LAPLAND LONGSPUR. Shelley Steva and I saw a GREAT GRAY OWL in the Gully Fen along CR 2 and refound the NORTHERN HAWK OWL there on March 26th. Also in the county was a NORTHERN SHRIKE. At the Crookston wastewater treatment ponds, Nathaniel Emery found 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE , three MALLARDS, and hundreds of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

In Red Lake County on March 27th, we found a pair of TRUMPETER SWANS, GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, SANDHILL CRANES, COMMON RAVENS near their last year's nest, and a GREAT GRAY OWL near Huot.

In Thief River Falls, Pennington County, Zeann Linder reported an AMERICAN ROBIN on March 25th which has now been joined by many more; Shelley Steva saw a GREAT BLUE HERON flying over the city that day. A BALD EAGLE was seen by Andy Joppru a mile west of MN 32 along CR 3 on Wednesday.

Alice Sather reported a WESTERN MEADOWLARK in Marshall County on March 27th and SANDHILL CRANES on the 29th. Linda Johnson saw 102 TUNDRA SWANS near Newfolden on the 29th. Gary Tischer at Agassiz NWR reported BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED MERGANSER, and GREAT BLUE HERON on March 29. He also had a report from Terry Dahl of an early RUDDY DUCK on March 29. On the 30th, a SNOW BUNTING was seen on the refuge. COMMON GOLDENEYE , and the first AMERICAN WOODCOCK were seen on March 30 at the refuge.

Pat Rice in Beltrami County had DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and EVENING GROSBEAKS at her feeder on March 26th. Shawn Conrad found GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET and a BOREAL CHICKADEE in the Chippewa National Forest east of Blackduck on March 25th. On the 28th, Pat Rice reported a BROAD-WINGED HAWK over Bemidji, and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD. Pat Rice reported WOOD DUCK, RING-BILLED GULL, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD on March 30. Bill Unzen also reported KILLDEER, COMMON GRACKLE, and AMERICAN ROBIN among the newer arrivals.

Pat Rice was at Mud Goose WMA in Cass County on March 30 where she saw GREATER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and GREAT BLUE HERON.

Roseau County birds reported by Judy Meredith included a MERLIN in Roseau, and two GREAT GRAY OWLS along MN 310 north of Roseau on the 27th. From Melanie Torkelson at the Roseau River WMA comes a report that includes SNOW GOOSE, GREAT BLUE HERON, SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, SWAINSON'S HAWK, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

Thanks to Susan Wiste, Diana Morkassel, Alice Sather, Linda Johnson, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Dave Hochhalter, Judy Meredith, Nathaniel Emery, Pat Rice, Shawn Conrad, Zeann Linder, Heidi Ferguson, Tom Smith, Gretchen Mehmel, Shelley Steva, Bill Unzen, Beau Shroyer, Sally Nestor, Donna and Leon Thoreson, Melanie Torkelson, Gary Tischer, and Martin Keuhne 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 8, 2005.

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