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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *March 6, 1997 *MNST9703.06 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: March 6, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday March 6th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. As always, to skip this recording and leave a message you can press 5 on your touch tone phone.
On March 1st at the Blue Lake settling ponds near Shakopee six of what were identified as Greater Scaup were reported, although Lesser Scaup is much more likely at this time of year and in this type of location. A NORTHERN PINTAIL was at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County on the 2nd.
A record early pair of SANDHILL CRANES was spotted by John Schladweiler on March 3rd in Carver County along highway 212 2.1 miles west of the junction of highway 284.
A possible GYRFALCON was reported by Doug Johnson along highway 72 between the towns of Kelliher and Waskish in Beltrami County. The bird was not positively identified and has not been seen since.
I have many Snowy Owl reports to pass along:
On the days of February 22nd, 23rd and 24th Karl Bardon and Peder Svingen reported SNOWY OWLS from the following locations: in Kittson County on county road 1 three and a half miles west of highway 59, in Marshall County near the town of Gatzke along county road 133 between county road 54 and highway 89, in Polk County at the junction of county road 51 and highway 9, in Red Lake County near the town of Marcoux Corners, in Norman County at county road 15 and highway 32, and in Clay County on Interstate 94 and county road 9.
Ray Glassel, Steve Millard and Bob Janssen recorded an amazing 20 SNOWY OWLS in six western counties on March 6th. One bird was in Otter Tail County near Western Township, seven were seen in Wilkin near Lawndale, one owl was found in Clay County 1/2 mile N of highway 10 on county road 113, three were in Norman County on county road 28 near its junction with 33, two were seen in Mahnomen County along highway 113 west of the town of Waubun, and six were in Becker County in the Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge. They also report forty-one GREATER PRAIRIE- CHICKENS southwest of the town of Twin Valley along county road 187 in Norman County.
I have a report of a BOREAL OWL that was seen March 2nd at the Maplewood Nature Center in Ramsey County, but no details were given.
Steve Weston reports that the Hastings GREAT GRAY OWL was still present as of March 2nd along 4th Street east of Lake Street, and Leeann Overman reports that the GREAT GRAY OWL in Washington County reported recently along state highway 95 and 150th street was still present on March 2nd. On the 4th she found 3 additional Great Grays in a construction area called Stonehenge, which is off of Washington County 11 just south of Big Carnelian Lake.
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were found on the 23rd in the towns of Lake Bronson in Kittson County, in Roseau, Roseau County and Thief River Falls in Pennington County. Forty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in the town of Bemidji in Beltrami County on the 5th of March, and on the 27th of February Warren Wagner found them in Aurora in northern St. Louis County along with many COMMON REDPOLLS.
In the Minneapolis / St. Paul area BALD EAGLES are nesting in Elm Creek Park in Hennepin County and at Carlos Avery Refuge in Anoka County. A COOPER'S HAWK was seen along Nicollet Ave near Interstate 494, BROWN CREEPERS are being reported all around the Twin Cities metro area, as are AMERICAN ROBINS, and PINE SISKINS were at Lou Dinzls's feeder in Brooklyn Park.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday March 13th.