Previous reports: February 25, March 4 11 18 19 25, April 1.
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 8, 2010
*MNDL1004.08

• Trumpeter Swan
• Tundra Swan
• Wood Duck
• Greater Scaup
• Bufflehead
• Common Merganser
• Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Turkey Vulture
• Osprey
• Osprey
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Cooper's Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Merlin
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Marbled Godwit
• Wilson's Snipe
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Mourning Dove
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Vesper Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Lincoln's Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• White-winged Crossbill

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 8, 2010
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@q.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, April 8, 2010 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 is surely here, and the first wave of migration is in full swing with most of the early migrants already here and setting up territories. Little rain has left the area in pretty good shape as far as roads go, but warmer weather will surely bring showers and the normal muddy conditions. Mornings are loud with birdsong - robins, juncos, and the drumming of woodpeckers. From Otter Tail County, Alma Ronningen reported OSPREY and NORTHERN FLICKER on April 2, SONG SPARROW on April 3, and EASTERN PHOEBE and LINCOLN'S SPARROW on April 6. Dan and Sandy Thimgan added COOPER'S HAWK and WESTERN MEADOWLARK on April 2, PIED-BILLED GREBE on April 3, VESPER SPARROW on April 4, and COMMON LOON on April 7. Cleone Stewart reported that COMMON LOON is back in Becker County. Sandy Aubol reported a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW in East Grand Forks, Polk County on April 6. Dave Lambeth found the nest of a pair of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS on the campus of Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks on April 6. Shelley Steva reported about 300 TUNDRA SWANS in the western part of Polk County on April 3. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was also reported by Karen Suldahl in Climax on April 7. At Glacial Ridge NWR on April 6, Nate Emery observed COMMON LOON, SANDHILL CRANE, GREAT BLUE HERON,FRANKLIN'S GULL, EASTERN PHOEBE, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK among others. The MERLINS are back in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, and Shelley Steva saw a PIED-BILLED GREBE on the Red Lake River at Thief River Falls. Here at our place east of the city, there have been WOOD DUCKS since April 1, a FOX SPARROW showed up on April 4, and on April 5, I saw a TURKEY VULTURE soaring over the city. On April 6, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK flew through the yard. In Marshall County, at Agassiz NWR, most of the duck species are present in small numbers. Maggie Anderson reported that AMERICAN WOODCOCKS are performing their courtship flights as of April 1. The TRUMPETER SWANS are back at Middle CCC Pool. Other species mentioned on the refuge include PIED-BILLED GREBE, WILSON'S SNIPE, and MOURNING DOVE. A red-shafted form of the NORTHERN FLICKER was seen on April 6. RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on April 6. Gary Tischer reported a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET at headquarters on April 8. Kelly Larson, in Clearwater County on April 3 , reported that the Clearwater rice paddies held most species of ducks, geese and swans. Other species observed on the weekend included PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREAT BLUE HERON, TURKEY VULTURE, KILLDEER, MARBLED GODWIT, WILSON'S SNIPE, NORTHERN FLICKER, and both EASTERN MEADOWLARK and WESTERN MEADOWLARK. Katie Haws reported that the ice went out of Lake Bemidji on April 4 and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are back on territory in Beltrami County. Larry Wilebski reported COMMON MERGANSER near Lancaster in Kittson County on April 4. Beth Siverhus in Roseau observed that the MERLINS are back at the Roseau Hospital in Roseau County, and also at the Warroad Liquor Store. Other species seen this week included GREATER SCAUP, BUFFLEHEAD, WOOD DUCK, NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RING-BILLED GULL. A FOX SPARROW was seen on April 2. Last week a tagged SNOWY OWL was seen by Tallie Habstritt north of Roseau this week. Thanks to all who sent in sightings this week.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@q.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, April 15, 2010.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN

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