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

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 24, 2008
*MNDL0804.24

• Trumpeter Swan
• Tundra Swan
• Wood Duck
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser
• Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Horned Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• American White Pelican
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Turkey Vulture
• Osprey
• Osprey
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Snowy Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Purple Martin
• Barn Swallow
• Brown Creeper
• House Wren
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Hermit Thrush
• Chipping Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Lincoln's Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 24, 2008
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 Thursday, April 24, 2008 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.

A week of warm weather did wonders for the snow and the spirits, but as of this writing, cooler temperatures are back, although not as cold as previously. Spring is reluctant this year and migration is late for those that follow the water. The first thunderstorm, albeit a cold one, arrived in the northwest early Thursday morning.

Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported on the migration from Otter Tail County. The new arrivals this week included COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE, and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET on April 16, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on the 17th, PURPLE MARTIN, and CHIPPING SPARROW on the 18th, a pair of COMMON LOONS and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD on the 21st, VESPER SPARROW on the 22nd, and RED-NECKED GREBE, OSPREY, BONAPARTE'S GULL and BARN SWALLOW on the 23rd, and LINCOLN'S SPARROW on the 24th.

A SNOWY OWL was reported at the Osakis wastewater treatment ponds on April 18 by John Ellis, but the bird was not re-located later in the week.

From Becker County, Beau Shroyer observed a LINCOLN'S SPARROW in Detroit Lakes on April 16. Michael Ossler reported nesting WOOD DUCKS, BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN CARDINAL, EASTERN PHOEBE, BARN SWALLOW, BROWN CREEPER, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK on April 21. Among the species Dave Hochhalter reported on April 24 were HOUSE WREN, NORTHERN CARDINALS, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

The first NORTHERN FLICKER showed up in our yard in Pennington County on April 18; a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen on April 22, several DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and a BROWN CREEPER on April 23. Also on April 23, a fishing OSPREY cruised by over the Red Lake River, and on April 24, a COMMON LOON swam by.

Gary Tischer reported that a pair of BALD EAGLES are attending a nest at Parker Pool in the location used previously at Agassiz NWR in Marshall County.

Pat Rice birded in Clearwater County on April 19 where she observed about 1000 TUNDRA SWANS on the rice paddies north of Clearbrook. Other species seen in the county included a variety of ducks, TURKEY VULTURE, nesting BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIER, EARED GREBE, MARBLED GODWIT,SONG SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

In Beltrami County, Mary Lou Marchand reported COMMON MERGANSER, HOODED MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and RING-BILLED GULL on April 17. On April 19, Pat Rice saw TRUMPETER SWAN. Both reported COMMON LOONS, and by April 20, the number had grown to 10 at the Mississippi River inlet.

An OSPREY is nesting on the north side of US 2 in a snag 1.3 miles east of Sucker Bay Road.

Larry Wilebski in Kittson County saw SHORT-EARED OWL, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, and HERMIT THRUSH on April 20, and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET on April 21.

Dawn Plattner reported from Roseau River WMA in Roseau County. A variety of ducks, and PIED-BILLED GREBE were present on April 15. She reported two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS on April 17, and TUNDRA SWANS on April 18.

Thanks to Beau Shroyer, Dawn Plattner, Dave Hochhalter, Gary Tischer, John Ellis, Larry Wilebski, Mary Lou Marchand, Michael Ossler, Pat Rice, and Dan and Sandy Thimgan 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. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, May 1, 2008

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN

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