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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*May 6, 2004
*MNST0405.06

-Birds mentioned

• Snowy Egret
• Little Blue Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Yellow Rail
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• Caspian Tern
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Whip-poor-will
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• ROCK WREN
• Carolina Wren
• Swainson's Thrush
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Prothonotary Warbler
• Hooded Warbler
• Summer Tanager
• Indigo Bunting
• Spotted Towhee
• LARK BUNTING
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Harris's Sparrow
• Great-tailed Grackle

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: May 6, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday May 6th.

There is no recent word on the ROCK WREN discovered May 2nd at Split Rock Creek Recreation Area in Pipestone County. The bird was hanging out among the rocks below the dam.

A male LARK BUNTING was reported by Jeff Tordoff on May 6th in Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park. One mile northwest of the town of Centerville along Anoka County Road 14 is the Wargo Nature Center. Opposite the entrance to the nature center is a gated road, and the bunting was seen about 100 yards past the gate.

Three SNOWY EGRETS were reported from the wetlands just north of Thompson Lake in Big Stone County on the 2nd. A pair of Snowy Egrets was found on the 2nd along Big Stone County Road 21, one mile south of county road 21. And CATTLE EGRETS were on the southeast side of Lake Christina in Grant County on the same day.

A LITTLE BLUE HERON was at the upper pond of River Bend Nature Center in Rice County on the 6th.

EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES have been reported in the towns of Lynd and Russell, both in Lyon County, and the birds in Russell appear to be nesting in a spruce tree in the park across from the Amoco station.

YELLOW RAILS have returned to the McGregor Marsh and the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County.

In Olmsted County, a CAROLINA WREN was in Bob Ekblad's yard on the 4th. Bob's address is 5737 Sherri Drive NW, Byron. Also in Byron, a SUMMER TANAGER was at the home of Diane and John Framstead on the same day.

On the 6th, a HOODED WARBLER was at Rice Creek Park in Fridley, Anoka County. From the 69th St. entrance go down the path from the parking lot and then left on asphalt path and across two bridges. The warbler was on right as trail turns left up a slight incline. On the 4th, a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER was seen at Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, Hennepin County.

A pair of GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES was in the marsh on the north side of the Hills sewage ponds in Rock County on the 1st.

A SPOTTED TOWHEE was seen on the 4th at Gray Cloud Dunes SNA in southern Washington County. The bird was foraging along the trail that runs past the SNA sign post.

And recent migrants reported in the past week also include WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, CASPIAN TERN, WHIP-POOR-WILL, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, INDIGO BUNTING, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. and HARRIS'S SPARROW.

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.

In cooperation with the Minnesota Office of Tourism, highlights of this hotline can be now heard at a toll free number which is available to callers outside the Twin Cities area. The number is 1-800-657-3700.

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

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, May 12th.

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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