Previous reports: March 11 18 19 25, April 1 8 15.
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 22, 2010
*MNDL1004.22

• Trumpeter Swan
• Wood Duck
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Horned Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American Bittern
• Great Egret
• Osprey
• Osprey
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Wilson's Snipe
• American Woodcock
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Mourning Dove
• Short-eared Owl
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Brown Creeper
• Hermit Thrush
• Wood Thrush
• Brown Thrasher
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Chipping Sparrow
• Field Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Lapland Longspur
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• White-winged Crossbill

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 22, 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 22, 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.

What a wonderful weather week it has been in the northwest. Warm temperatures have made the grass green up and the leaf buds swell. If it stays warm, one can expect leaves well ahead of the peak warbler wave, so bone up on your songs, as birding will be a challenge this year.

From Douglas County, John Ellis reported that on April 17, most of the sparrows had returned to the area , including CHIPPING SPARROW, FIELD SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, SWAMP SPARROW , and DARK-EYED JUNCOS. On Lake Osakis he found PIED-BILLED GREBE, HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE and WESTERN GREBE along with a large variety of ducks, and GREAT EGRETS.

Dan and Sandy Thimgan in Otter Tail County reported that the colonial nesters at Grotto Lake in Fergus Falls are back including GREAT EGRETS and one BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. At Battle Lake Wastewater Treatment Ponds they saw BONAPARTE'S GULL. On April 16, CHIPPING SPARROW returned, and on April 20, they saw a BROWN THRASHER.

Polk County sightings by Sandy Aubol included NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK , several AMERICAN KESTRELS, and CHIPPING SPARROW on April 15. She reported that the WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS are nesting at Northland Community and Technical College at East Grand Forks. On April 20 a flight of about 50 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS flew over East Grand Forks. Other species that have returned to the area include BROAD-WINGED HAWK, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, BROWN CREEPER, HERMIT THRUSH, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and SWAMP SPARROW. Kelly Larson found SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, SORA, and VIRGINIA RAIL at Glacial Ridge on April 17.

Sandy Aubol observed hundreds of SANDHILL CRANES in Pennington County along CR 8 on April 15. Other species seen there included SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and AMERICAN KESTRELS. Shelley Steva saw two MERLINS flying near the turkey plant in Thief River Falls on April 18. Several pairs of WOOD DUCKS and HOODED MERGANSERS have been flying over the yard this week.

Maggie Anderson reported from Agassiz NWR this week. On April 17, there were sightings of AMERICAN BITTERN, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, WILSON'S SNIPE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK and WHITE-TROATED SPARROW at the refuge. COMMON MERGANSERS were seen on Headquarters Pool. On April 20 a COMMON LOON was observed on Headquarters Pool, and a flock of 25 LAPLAND LONGSPURS was seen along CR 7. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS appeared on April 21. SHORT-EARED OWLS have been seen south of the southwest corner of the refuge, and all the ducks except ruddy are back.

Connie Cox , reporting from Itasca SP on mentioned KILLDEER on April 16, BALD EAGLE, four TRUMPETER SWANS, WOOD DUCKS, and COMMON LOON on April 18, and a WOOD THRUSH on April 19.

Beltrami County sightings by Katie Haws included WOOD DUCK, and COMMON GOLDENEYE sitting on eggs, COMMON LOON, an OSPREY on the nest, and MOURNING DOVE this week.

Thanks to Connie Cox, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Gary Tischer, John Ellis, Katie Haws, Kelly Larson, Maggie Anderson, Sandy Aubol, and Shelley Steva 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 29, 2010.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN

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