Previous reports: March 13 20 27 , April 3 10 17 24 , May 1 8 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*May 15, 2003
*MNDL0305.15

-Birds mentioned

• Common Loon
• Western Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night-Heron
• Trumpeter Swan
• Canvasback
• Lesser Scaup
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Swainson's Hawk
• Gray Partridge
• Spruce Grouse
• Ruffed Grouse
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Virginia Rail
• Upland Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• American Woodcock
• Black Tern
• Long-eared Owl
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Bluebird
• Wood Thrush
• Brown Thrasher
• Golden-winged Warbler
• Orange-crowned Warbler
• Yellow Warbler
• Cape May Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Ovenbird
• Wilson's Warbler
• Northern Cardinal
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• Lark Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Chestnut-collared Longspur
• Bobolink
• Baltimore Oriole

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: May 15, 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, May 16, 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.

Finally the weather has warmed up, and the leaves are rapidly unfurling, and lawn mowing has begun. The bird reports bear this out, as more and more new species are being seen in the region.

Of particular interest were two reports of GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER one was heard by Gretchen Mehmel in Beltrami County at the burn area along Dick's Parkway, and one was seen by Joe Gartner at the Fertile Sandhills of southern Polk County.

>From Lake of the Woods County, Gretchen Mehmel reported a SPRUCE GROUSE north of Brown's Lake, and a northern saw-whet owl nest in a wood duck box by Bednar Dam.=20

EASTERN BLUEBIRD and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW were among the birds reported by Larry Johnson in Marshall County on May 12th. Maggie Anderson at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge reported that two BLACK TERNS were on Headquarters Pool on May 8th, and also there, are several WESTERN GREBES, CANVASBACKS, and LESSER SCAUP.

I can report that RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK were seen in Pennington County on May 13th. Warblers seen this week in the county include ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PALM WARBLER, and BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER.

Joe Gartner reported from a trip to the Fertile Sandhills of southern Polk County. Birds sighted include seven TURKEY VULTURES, a BALD EAGLE, RUFFED GROUSE, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, WOOD THRUSH, CAPE MAY WARBLER, LARK SPARROW, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.

The Fargo-Moorhead birdathon was held in Clay County on Saturday, May 10th. Birders found 102 species there, including GRAY PARTRIDGE, MARBLED GODWIT, and CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR at Felton Prairie. A WESTERN KINGBIRD, and UPLAND SANDPIPER were also found in the county. 5 species of shorebirds were reported, and 7 warbler species. Of these only the YELLOW WARBLER and WILSON'S WARBLER have not been reported by multiple birders in other counties.=20

Licia Gibson saw a pair of nesting COMMON LOONS on Lake Sallie in Becker County. She also reported 8 TRUMPETER SWANS , a BALD EAGLE on a nest, and a SWAINSON'S HAWK at Tamarac NWR. Dee Watson has a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS at her feeder on the south shore of Little Detroit Lake. Bea Purdy reported a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER in the campgrounds at Birchmere Resort on Little Toad Lake in Becker County on Thursday, May 15th.

Carol Schumacher led a birding tour of Ottertail County on May 9th and 10th. They saw lots of interesting birds, among them COMMON LOON, GREAT EGRET, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, SWAINSON'S HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN, UPLAND SANDPIPER, MARBLED GODWIT, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, LONG-EARED OWL, and BOBOLINK. Dave Sorgen saw a GREEN HERON on the 7th, a BROWN THRASHER on the 8th, and a YELLOW WARBLER on the 9th , all in Ottertail County. Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported a VIRGINIA RAIL on May 8th.

>From Douglas County, Susan Wiste reported an OVENBIRD, the first for the season, on May 9th.

Thanks to all the birders who sent in reports this week.

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, May 23, 2003.

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