Previous reports: February 13 20 27 , March 6 13 20 27 , April 3 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 10, 2003
*MNDL0304.10

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Tundra Swan
• Trumpeter Swan
• Wood Duck
• Mallard
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Redhead
• Ring-necked Duck
• Common Goldeneye
• Bufflehead
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Gray Partridge
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Ruffed Grouse
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• American Woodcock
• Franklin's Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Great Horned Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Gray Jay
• Common Raven
• American Robin
• American Tree Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Western Meadowlark
• Common Grackle
• Purple Finch
• Pine Siskin

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 10, 2003
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 11, 2003 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.

Spring has sprung! Migrants such as swans, ducks, and robins are moving through the region and new species are appearing in northwestern Minnesota daily now. The first salamander was seen at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge by Gary Tischer on April 4th, and he reported that wood frogs are starting their chorus near the headquarters. Many reports of large flocks of COMMON GRACKLES and AMERICAN ROBINS were sent in this week.

>From Ottertail County, Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported PIED-BILLED GREBE on the 5th, BUFFLEHEAD, FRANKLIN'S GULL and RING-BILLED GULLS on the 7th, GREAT BLUE HERON , and 10 GREAT EGRETS at Lake Alice Rookery in Fergus Falls on the 8th, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS on the 9th, and REDHEADS on April 10th. Migration is really underway.

Five TRUMPETER SWANS were seen by Connie Norheim along Clay CR26 at Hotsie Lake on Wednesday.

Rick Gjervold birded the Lawndale area of Wilkin County on April 5th. He found GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, RED-TAILED HAWK, and AMERICAN KESTREL there. South west of Rothsay, 5.5 miles south of Wilkin CR 26 along CR 19, he found TUNDRA SWANS, and a variety of ducks including RING-NECKED DUCK, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, and MALLARD. A GREAT HORNED OWL, RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS , and SONG SPARROWS were also there.

Last Friday, April 4th, Rick visited the MSUM Science Center at Buffalo River State Park in Clay County, and turned up three AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, three WOOD DUCKS, a KILLDEER and 300 SANDHILL CRANES. Birds observed by Rick on April 5th in Clay County included TUNDRA SWANS, AMERICAN COOT, NORTHERN HARRIER, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, SHORT-EARED OWL with supper in its talons just north of Downer, and most exciting- about a thousand SANDHILL CRANES. The latter were in two fields northeast of Downer about one and one-half miles east of the junction of 170th St. S and 80th Ave. S. On the 9th, Rick hiked in Bicentennial Prairie where he found one RED-NECKED GREBE, 45 GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS, one AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and 2 GRAY PARTRIDGE. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along the ditch of CR 26 just west of the junction with Highway 9.=20

Becker County birds reported by Connie Norheim at Hamden Slough included COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, HERRING GULL, and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.

Lori Becker reports a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK at the bird feeders of the Wetland, Pines, and Prairies Audubon Sanctuary in Polk County. WOOD DUCKS have also returned to the sanctuary. At the water impoundment near Malo Church she reports that TUNDRA SWANS (now about 300) , and 75 gulls have been gathering during the last week. A SHORT-EARED OWL, GREAT HORNED OWL, and 2 SANDHILL CRANES were also seen there on April 9th.

In Pennington County on Friday, April 4th , I was surprised to see a TURKEY VULTURE soaring above a line of houses along the Red Lake River near the 8th St. bridge in Thief River Falls. On Thursday, April 10th, 10 WOOD DUCKS were paddling along the narrow lead of water where the ice has left the banks of the Red Lake River.

Gary Tischer reported that the ducks are returning to Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, Marshall County. Larry Johnson reported 300 SANDHILL CRANES and 100 swans near Old Mill State Park. On Sunday, April 6th, I observed 12 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 4 RED-TAILED HAWKS, several AMERICAN KESTRELS, a BALD EAGLE, and a SHORT-EARED OWL in the county. The latter was perched on a short sign at the corner of a county road near Highway 32. Two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and 3 COMMON RAVENS were also seen.

Kittson sightings on April 6th included 4 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 3 NORTHERN HARRIERS, 2 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 3 BALD EAGLES, and five SANDHILL CRANES.

Gretchen Mehmel reports a good variety of birds are returning to Lake of the Woods County including SANDHILL CRANES, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK , and PURPLE FINCH. RUFFED GROUSE, GRAY JAYS, and PINE SISKINS have also been seen there this week.=09

Thanks to Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Gary Tischer, Gretchen Mehmel, Katie Haws, Connie Norheim, Rick Gjervold, and Lori Becker for their reports.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.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. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, April 18, 2003.

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