-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*April 24, 1997
*MNST9704.24

-Birds mentioned

• Yellow-crowned Night-heron
• Oldsquaw
• Caspian Tern
• Sora
• American Avocet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Swainson's Hawks
• Purple Martin
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Winter Wren
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Gray-cheeked Thrush
• Wood Thrush
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Louisiana Waterthrush
• American White Pelican
• Short-eared Owl
• Eastern Towhee
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Horned Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Tundra Swan
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Ring-billed Gull
• Bonaparte's Gull
• Herring Gull
• Belted Kingfisher
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Hermit Thrush
• Eastern Phoebe
• Tree Swallow
• Cedar Waxwing
• Chipping Sparrow

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: April 24, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday April 24th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. As always, to skip this recording and leave a message you can press 5 on your touch tone phone.

Interesting the report of two YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS from just SE of the town of Dawson in Lac Qui Parle County. On April 18th both birds were found one mile east of county road 23 along county road 8.

An OLDSQUAW was seen by Oscar Johnson on French Lake in extreme northwestern Hennepin County on the 22nd, but he suspects the bird may already be gone.

CASPIAN TERNS were on Minnesota Lake in Faribault County on the 22nd.

A SORA was found at the Bass Ponds in Hennepin County by Sue Phoenix on the 11th.

On April 19th and 20th Chuck Baily found three somewhat early AMERICAN AVOCETS on the creamery ponds in the town of Luverne in Rock County. GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were at the Lewiston sewage ponds in Winona County on April 20th. On April 16th Betsy Beneke saw a MARBLED GODWIT at the Hamden Slough NWR in Becker County.

A BROAD-WINGED HAWK was seen April 21st in Whitewater WMA in Winona County and SWAINSON'S HAWKS were reported by Tony Hertzel from Lac Qui Parle County on the 19th, and by Carol Schumacher in Fillmore and Winona counties on the 20th.

PURPLE MARTINS were reported from Tamarac NWR on the 21st, and they were seen in Inver Grove Heights on the 20th. The first NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW of the year was reported from the Old Cedar Ave. bridge in Bloomington on April 18th.

WINTER WRENS were seen by Nancy Overcott near Amherst Township in Fillmore County on the 16th. And a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen by Robin Bush in Baylor Park in Carver County on the 19th.

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES were reported from Becker County on the 20th and from Winona County, and a WOOD THRUSH was reported from Chisago County on the 22nd. Though these reports may very well be correct, birders should nevertheless use caution when identifying early thrushes. At this time of year the more common and likely Hermit Thrush is often mistaken for another species.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS continue to be reported all parts of the state. PINE and PALM WARBLERS were at Tamarac NWR on the 23rd. The first ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen by Bob Janssen in Faribault County on the 22nd. Two LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSHES were seen and heard on April 20th in Winona County though I have no specific details. A third LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH was found April 23rd near Beaver Creek State Park in Houston County.

Other first or early migrants include; AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS seen by Walt Popp at Frontenac State Park in Goodhue County on the 17th -- several Pelicans were also reported from Carver County by Noel Radcliff on April 20th. A SHORT-EARED OWL in Blue Earth County on April 22nd; an EASTERN TOWHEE at Whitewater WMA on the 15th, a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW in Barb Kull's yard in Ramsey, Anoka County on the 21st.

I also have numerous reports of HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE, DOUBLE- CRESTED CORMORANT, TUNDRA SWAN, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, RING-BILLED, BONAPARTE'S and HERRING GULL, BELTED KINGFISHER, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, CEDAR WAXWING and CHIPPING SPARROW.

Finally, a note to anyone who plans on attending the MOU sponsored birding trip to Salt Lake in Lac Qui Parle County this coming weekend. An effort to help in the clean up after the spring floods is being coordinated. After meeting at 7:00 AM in the town of Marietta in Lac Qui Parle County, people will be driving to the town of Dawson for all or part of the day. Everyone is welcome. For additional information contact Dick Sandve. [telephone number available on the hotline tape]

Thanks to Kim Metz, Jim Carlson, Lynn Patricia and Maria Dwain.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday May 1st.

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