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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 04, 2002
*MNDL0204.004

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Tundra Swan
• Snow Goose
• Wood Duck
• Green-winged Teal
• Northern Pintail
• Northern Shoveler
• Bufflehead
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Rough-legged Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Peregrine Falcon
• Gyrfalcon
• Mourning Dove
• Barred Owl
• Horned Lark
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Northern Cardinal
• American Tree Sparrow
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Species Meadowlark
• Purple Finch
• House Finch
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 04, 2002
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Betsy Beneke (BetsyBeneke@lakesnet.net)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 5, 2002, sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lakes Area Birding Club. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

Spring migration suffered a brief set-back with a late season snow of up to 6 inches on the 1st - a cruel April Fool's joke! Never-the-less, a number of new species have been reported as days lengthen and warmer temperatures prevail. In Becker County near Detroit Lakes, open water areas at lake outlets and area rivers now contain a variety of waterfowl, including WOOD DUCK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, BUFFLEHEAD, HOODED MERGANSER and COMMON MERGANSER. PIED-BILLED GREBES were also present. Small, shallow wetlands are opening at edges, but larger lakes are far from ice-free.

Some other migrants found in the area were GREAT BLUE HERON, TURKEY VULTURE, NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN, MOURNING DOVE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, AMERICAN ROBIN, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, MEADOWLARK, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, HOUSE FINCH and COMMON REDPOLL.

On the 31st, a GYRFALCON was found in Grand Plain Township of Marshall County, southeast of the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge by Shelley Steva and Jeanie Joppru. They were able to observe the bird for nearly 30 minutes.

In Clay County on March 29th, Keith Corliss and Mark Otnes found a small flock of TUNDRA SWANS just south of the Felton Prairie and a MERLIN along CR 26 about 5 miles east of Hwy. 75.

Also on the 29th, Gretchen Mehmel found a PEREGRINE FALCON at the Red Lake WMA, about 5 ½ miles north of the Norris Fire Tower on the Roosevelt Forest Road, Lake of the Woods County.

On March 30th, Jeanie Joppru and Shelley Steva birded in Pennington, Red Lake and Polk Counties and reported, among others, the following birds: TUNDRA SWAN, SNOW GOOSE, NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, HORNED LARK, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING and COMMON REDPOLL.

Also on the 30th at Birchmere Resort on Little Toad Lake, Becker County, Bea Purdy reported WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and a male NORTHERN CARDINAL which has been present all winter.

>From the Itasca State Park and vicinity in Clearwater County on March 30th, Connie Cox reported BARRED OWL and AMERICAN ROBIN, and on April 3rd, WOOD DUCKS, GREAT BLUE HERON, COMMON REDPOLL and EVENING GROSBEAK.

Thanks also to Alma Ronningen, Mary & Bill Wyatt, Sally Hausken, Becky Marty and Wayne Runningen for reports.

To report bird sightings, contact Betsy Beneke by e-mail, no later than Thursday each week, at: betsybeneke@lakesnet.net OR call the Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202.

The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, April 12, 2002.

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