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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 15, 2010
*MNDL1004.15

• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Loon
• American White Pelican
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Short-eared Owl
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Tree Swallow
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Eastern Bluebird
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Field Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Western Meadowlark
• Purple Finch
• Pine Siskin

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 15, 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 15, 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.

Temperatures in the northwest have been warming, and birds are streaming back, most a couple of weeks early. Mornings are full of song, and feeders are busy with hungry visitors. Connie Cox reported that hepaticas are already blooming at Itasca State Park this year. Lakes are nearly all 100% ice free.

Connie Cox , reporting from the Itasca State Park area observed COMMON LOON on Mary Lake on April 7, and several AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS flew over Lake Itasca on April 8. NORTHERN FLICKERS are also back in the area.

Maggie Anderson reported that two SHORT-EARED OWLS are being seen hunting over the fields along Marshall CR 12 just north of CR 2.

Here near Thief River Falls in Pennington County, I saw BLUE-WINGED TEAL in the Red Lake River on April 10 while PINE SISKINS are still at the feeders. On April 12, a single FOX SPARROW appeared at the feeder; two YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS visited on April 13 but haven't been seen since. Such is the story of migration as the locals apparently haven't returned yet. On April 14, I found a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET in our evergreen tree and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on the power line. Three pairs of HOODED MERGANSERS, and one pair of WOOD DUCKS were on the river on April 15, while the feeders were busy with PURPLE FINCHES.

Bruce Flaig in southern Polk County reported the first YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER ON April 13, and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and TREE SWALLOWS on April 15. Betsy Batstone-Cunningham reported hundreds of SANDHILL CRANES north of US 2 in the Glacial Ridge area on April 11. Other species seen in that area included a variety of ducks, BALD EAGLE, RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN KESTREL, KILLDEER, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK. At Rydell NWR her group saw GREAT BLUE HERON, EASTERN PHOEBE, and along the way a SHORT-EARED OWL. Sandy Aubol reported DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT and MERLIN at East Grand Forks on April 10.

Dennis Wiesenborn heard a FIELD SPARROW singing on the Moorhead side of the Red River in Clay County near the Toll Bridge on April 15.

Thanks to Betsy Batstone-Cunningham, Bruce Flaig, Connie Cox, Dennis Wiesenborn, Maggie Anderson, and Sandy Aubol for their reports.

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 22, 2010.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN

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