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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Minnesota Duluth/North Shore

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 12, 2007
*MNDL0704.12

• Tundra Swan
• Wood Duck
• Northern Pintail
• Lesser Scaup
• Barrow's Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Gray Partridge
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Ruffed Grouse
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Greater Prairie-Chicken
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Great Egret
• Osprey
• Osprey
• Northern Harrier
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Sandhill Crane
• Whooping Crane
• Killdeer
• Wilson's Snipe
• American Woodcock
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Mourning Dove
• Short-eared Owl
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Gray Jay
• Horned Lark
• Eastern Bluebird
• Varied Thrush
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• American Tree Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Lapland Longspur
• Snow Bunting
• Northern Cardinal
• Western Meadowlark
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Purple Finch
• Red Crossbill
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Pine Siskin

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 12, 2007
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 13, 2007 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 surely, but slowly, arriving in northern Minnesota. It shivered to a halt last week when the latest stretch of cold weather arrived , but migration has started to move again as temperatures rise. We hope that not too many individuals were lost due to cold and hunger when insect food failed to be available. Robins are singing loudly again so it seems that we are back on track.

The most exciting sighting this week was the observation of 7 WHOOPING CRANES by Ross Hier over the grasslands about 12 miles southeast of Crookston near the Pembina Trail WMA on April 10.

Connie Cox reported that the VARIED THRUSH that has been around most of the winter is still coming to her feeder 6 miles north of Itasca State Park in Clearwater County this week.

Larry Wilebski in northern Kittson County reported that as recently as April 11, two GRAY JAYS are still coming to his cabin northwest of Lancaster. On April 6, Larry reported that he had located three active SHARP-TAILED GROUSE leks in the county. He also observed an AMERICAN WOODCOCK on April 6. On the 8th, he saw RUFFED GROUSE, on the 11th, WOOD DUCK, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GRAY PARTRIDGE, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD.

In Clearwater County, Connie Cox saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK on April 9.

Pat Rice, reporting from Beltrami County saw two SNOW BUNTINGS along Power Dam Road on April 6. COMMON REDPOLLS were still hanging around her yard, and a MERLIN was seen in Bemidji. On April 7, she had a PINE SISKIN in the yard.

Pat relocated the BARROW'S GOLDENEYE at Kabekona Narrows on Leech Lake in Cass County on April 10.

Mary Broten reported 12 TUNDRA SWANS in Marshall County south of Newfolden on April 8.

Bruce Flaig in southern Polk County observed MOURNING DOVES and EASTERN PHOEBE on April 10. Nate Emery has been observing GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS and SHARP-TAILED GROUSE in the Glacial Ridge area and reported that there are several active leks in the area with large numbers of males displaying. Other species seen there included TUNDRA SWANS, RING-BILLED GULLS, WILSON'S SNIPE, SHORT-EARED OWLS, SONG SPARROW, and several species of ducks.

Glenace Metcalfe in Otter Tail County saw WOOD DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, and OSPREY on April 8. Tom and Sheryl Smith observed TUNDRA SWAN, RING-NECKED PHEASANT, PIED-BILLED GREBE, RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN KESTREL, KILLDEER, HERRING GULL, and HORNED LARK on April 9. The GREAT EGRETS and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS have returned to Lake Alice. Teresa Jaskiewicz observed a very early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at her suet feeder on April 6, along with BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS. On the 8th, she saw SHARP-SHINNED HAWK , SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and many others in the county.

Douglas County sightings sent in by Deb Johnson included MOURNING DOVE, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, CHIPPING SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO, PURPLE FINCH, RED CROSSBILL, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL on April 11. Susan Wiste near Alexandria reported NORTHERN CARDINAL, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, and DARK-EYED JUNCO on April 7.

Thanks to Bruce Flaig, Connie Cox, Deb Johnson, Glenace Metcalfe, Larry Wilebski, Mary Broten, Nate Emery, Pat Rice, Susan Wiste, Teresa Jaskiewicz, and Tom and Sheryl Smith 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 20, 2007.

Jeanie Joppru Pennington County

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