Previous reports: January 26 , February 2 9 16 23 , March 2 9 16 23 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 30, 2006
*MNDL0603.30

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Tundra Swan
• Trumpeter Swan
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Northern Pintail
• Greater Scaup
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Northern Goshawk
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Wild Turkey
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Snowy Owl
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Brown Creeper
• American Robin
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Fox Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Rusty Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• House Finch
• Red Crossbill
• Common Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 30, 2006
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, March 31, 2006 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 is fast arriving, water is running all over, and ice is slowing disappearing from streams and rivers. Migrants are flooding in , more every day. This week there are numerous reports of Canada Goose, swans, a variety of ducks, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, and an assortment of the early arriving sparrows; even a few American Robins are showing up.

Rick Holbrook was birding in Wilkin County on March 25 where he reported GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported that many migrants are passing through Otter Tail County. On March 26, they found 40 TRUMPETER SWANS, NORTHERN PINTAIL , 65 COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, HERRING GULL, and 25 COMMON GRACKLES along the Otter Tail River and area lakes. WOOD DUCKS and two SANDHILL CRANES have been seen at Glendalough State Park. Six GREAT BLUE HERONS were seen on Sunday in Otter Tail County. On March 27, a PIED-BILLED GREBE returned, on the 29th, BELTED KINGFISHER,AMERICAN COOT, RING-BILLED GULL, and TREE SWALLOW were seen. Amy Drake reported BROWN CREEPER, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, and FOX SPARROW at Walker Lake. Alma Ronningen reported an EASTERN MEADOWLARK seen on March 27, GREAT EGRET and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK on the 29th, and RED-TAILED HAWK and FOX SPARROW on March 30.

>From Todd County, Beau Shroyer reported a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK along CR 19 south of MN 28 on March 25.

Beau Shroyer found a NORTHERN GOSHAWK soaring over a wetland in Douglas County on March 25, and on March 27, he found a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE off CR 23 east of Alexandria.

Shar Legenhausen in Becker County mentioned CANADA GOOSE, 4 TRUMPETER SWANS, HOODED MERGANSER, and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS along the Buffalo River on March 28.

Pat Rice found 7 TRUMPETER SWANS in Cass County at the Federal Dam on March 25. On March 30, she had 40 RED CROSSBILLS, a RED-TAILED HAWK, and an AMERICAN KESTREL along CR 91. Three GREAT BLUE HERONS were found along the south side of US 2 near Cass Lake.

Pat also reported a NORTHERN GOSHAWK that appeared at the home of Earl and Bonnie Ockenga in Beltrami County on March 28.Other species seen in Beltrami County included 45 COMMON GOLDENEYE, a RED-TAILED HAWK, 40 RING-BILLED GULLS, and 3 HERRING GULLS at the Mississippi River inlet in Bemidji. An AMERICAN ROBIN was seen in Bemidji on March 29.

Bruce Flaig reported that there were 4 TRUMPETER SWANS at Maple Lake in Polk County on March 23. Other species in the county included BALD EAGLE, HORNED LARK, FOX SPARROW, COMMON REDPOLL, and HOUSE FINCH.

In Red Lake County, Shelley Steva found four TUNDRA SWANS, three AMERICAN ROBINS and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD on March 28, all near Oklee. On March 29 she saw the first KILLDEER in the county, and COMMON GRACKLES in Oklee.

Tammy Swick reported a WILD TURKEY in Pennington County southwest of Thief River Falls on March 24. AMERICAN ROBINS were singing in our yard east of Thief River Falls on March 29.

>From Marshall County , Alice Sather reported WESTERN MEADOWLARK on March 26. Jodi Graham reported the sighting of a SNOWY OWL along CR 30 six miles northeast of Newfolden on March 26.

>From the Roseau River WMA, Randy Prachar reported that migrants are flooding in daily. On March 27 came COMMON GOLDENEYE, the first AMERICAN ROBIN, and MOURNING DOVE; on March 28 there was AMERICAN KESTREL, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and WESTERN MEADOWLARK, while on the 29th, it was COMMON MERGANSER, HOODED MERGANSER, and NORTHERN HARRIER. On March 30, GREATER SCAUP and WOOD DUCK showed up.

Larry Wilebski reported a RED-TAILED HAWK and a MERLIN in Kittson County near Lancaster on the weekend. Other species that he mentioned included CANADA GOOSE, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, and AMERICAN ROBIN.

Thanks to Bruce Flaig, Tammy Swick, Rick Holbrook, Beau Shroyer, Larry Wilebski, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Pat Rice, Shar Legenhausen, Alice Sather, Shelley Steva , Alma Ronningen, Randy Prachar, Jodi Graham, and Amy Drake for their reports. Keep up the good work , and please be as specific as possible about the locations of your sightings.

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 7, 2006.

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