Previous reports: January 16 23 30 , February 6 13 20 27 , March 6 13 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*March 20, 2003
*MNST0303.20

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Tundra Swan
• Mute Swan
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Turkey Vulture
• Golden Eagle
• Spruce Grouse
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Ring-billed Gull
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Eastern Bluebird
• Song Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Rusty Blackbird
• Common Grackle

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: March 20, 2003
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@uswest.net)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, March 20th.

On March 16th, a few SPRUCE GROUSE were seen 30.5 and 37 miles north of Two Harbors on Lake County Road 2, and two more were along state highway 1, 10 miles northwest of its intersection with Lake County Road 2. And BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were found at four locations in Lake and St. Louis counties: along the Spruce Road in Lake County; just south of the Lake County Road 2 and state highway 1 intersection; just east of Jenkins Creek along St. Louis County Road 16; and along McDavitt Road in the Sax-Zim bog in St. Louis County.

On the 17th, a pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES was still in the town of Renville in Renville County. From U.S. Highway 212, go north on Main Street to Railroad Street and turn right. The birds were found one block east of this intersection and north of the tracks. In Blue Earth County, another Eurasian Collared-Dove was calling on a power pole in the alley between the Amboy Cottage Cafe and the water tower on the afternoon of March 16th. A Eurasian Collared-Dove made a brief appearance in Carver County on the 12th. It was found near New Germany just past the creek going south along Yancy Avenue from state highway 7. And a pair was seen again Caledonia, Houston County where they nested last year.

A MUTE SWAN was seen on the 15th at the gravel pits found between the towns of Hutchinson and Biscay along state highway 22 and McLeod County Road 11. Another was seen on the 17th along Olmsted County Road 25 west of County Road 22. And a Mute Swan is still being seen at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County.

Many people called to report TURKEY VULTURES passing overhead. Reports have come from the counties of Houston, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Olmsted. And SANDHILL CRANES have been seen in the counties of Houston, Olmsted, Isanti, Winona, Wabasha, and Carver. KILLDEER have been reported from numerous locations, including Hennepin, Ramsey, Houston, and Carver counties.

Most of the waterfowl have returned to the state, and there are several reports of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. They have been seen in Rochester, Olmsted County and south of Brownsville in Houston County, plus a few more is Lincoln County at the Coon Creek WMA. Other migrants reported include PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREAT BLUE HERON, GREAT EGRET, TUNDRA SWAN, GOLDEN EAGLE, RING-BILLED GULL, EASTERN PHOEBE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, SONG SPARROW, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, COMMON GRACKLE, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

This state-wide birding report is brought to you and financially supported by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU). The MOU is Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club.

The report is composed from observations generously submitted by MOU members and other birders throughout the state. You can support this weekly update by submitting your bird reports to Anthony Hertzel at axhertzel@sihope.com or by calling the hotline directly at 763-780-8890 and leaving a detailed message.

MOU members receive this report directly on MOU-net, the club's free e-mail listservice, which is available to anyone interested. For information contact David Cahlander at .

MOU members receive the organization's quarterly journal "The Loon" and the bimonthly magazine, "Minnesota Birding". For membership information, send an e-mail message to our membership secretary at moumembers@yahoo.com.

The MOU is pleased to offer this service. Thank you, and good birding.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, March 27th.

-- Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com

Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.

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