Previous reports: January 28 , February 4 11 18 25 , March 3 10 17 21 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 7, 2000
*MNDL0004.07

-Birds mentioned

• Common Loon
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• American White Pelican
• Tundra Swan
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Wood Duck
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Cooper's Hawk
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Merlin
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowlegs
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Mourning Dove
• Short-eared Owl
• Belted Kingfisher
• Eastern Phoebe
• Tree Swallow
• Gray Jay
• Black-billed Magpie
• Winter Wren
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Hermit Thrush
• American Robin
• Northern Shrike
• Chipping Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Western Meadowlark
• Purple Finch
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Hoary Redpoll
• American Goldfinch
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 7, 2000
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Betsy Beneke (Betsy_Beneke@fws.gov)
Transcriber: Betsy Beneke (Betsy_Beneke@fws.gov)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 7th, sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lakes Area Birding Club. It is also available by calling 1-800-433-1888.

Please report sightings to:

Betsy Beneke betsybeneke@lakesnet.net (218) 847-2641 / 847-6681 or 1-800-542-3992 (the Chamber)

Early spring migrants continue to arrive as the lakes are now all free of ice, days are lengthening and temperatures are moderating.

From Lake Bronson State Park, Gladwin Lynne reports ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, SHORT-EARED OWL as well as flocks of AMERICAN ROBINS and COMMON REDPOLLS.

From the Old Mill State Park, Mary Broten reports a pair of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS have been visiting their feeders. Other birds noted are SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, COOPER'S HAWKS, SANDHILL CRANE and SHORT-EARED OWL.

Connie Smith-Cox from Itasca State Park reports WOOD DUCK, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, WINTER WREN, EVENING GROSBEAK, COMMON REDPOLL.

New birds at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge this week included COMMON LOON, SANDHILL CRANE, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, WINTER WREN, HERMIT THRUSH, EASTERN PHOEBE and FOX SPARROW.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Gary Tischer reports waterfowl are becoming numerous, also PIED-BILLED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBES, KILLDEER and SAVANNAH SPARROW.

Jeanie Joppru and Shelley Steva took a trip to Roseau on April 1st and found a late NORTHERN SHRIKE, as well as a number of waterfowl species; also ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

In Thief River Falls on April 7th and 8th, Jeanie and Shelley watched a pair of MERLINS and are trying to triangulate a possible nest site. They'll keep us informed!

Doug Johnson led an Audubon trip to the rice paddies in Clearwater and Polk Counties on 04/01 and recorded 60 species for the trip. Highlights included 500 TUNDRA SWANS (far less than is normally expected, but ponds were quite dry), 5 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWKS, SANDHILL CRANE, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, TREE SWALLOWS and a late HOARY REDPOLL.

Jim and Joyce Holter reported the area's first CHIPPING SPARROW on 04/06.

Other birds reported this week include: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, 23 waterfowl species, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, RING-BILLED GULL, HERRING GULLS, MOURNING DOVE, BELTED KINGFISHER, GRAY JAY, PURPLE FINCH and AMERICAN GOLDFINCH numbers are on the rise and COMMON REDPOLLS are still present in good numbers.

Thanks also to Kim Kohler, Sally Hausken, Dick & Claire Wilson, Judy Stringer, Karen Wilson, Bill & Mary Wyatt.

The next update of this report will be Friday, April 14th.

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