Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
|
-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *April 2, 1997 *MNST9804.02 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
This is the Minnesota statewide birding report for Thursday April 2nd
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Many, many spring migrants were reported over the week. As one caller put
it, "Things are popping" and indeed they are. I have had so many reports
this week of returning migrants that I will only be able to report on the
more unusual species.
Warren Nelson reported an unusually early GREEN HERON on March 29th
flying over Aitkin County. He also reports many large flocks of
SNOW GOOSE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE plus TUNDRA SWANS and
many species of ducks on the rice patties in the central and north
central part of the county. Also, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE can be found
on the north side of Gun Lake in Aitkin County.
Two ROSS'S GOOSE were seen by Diane Anderson on March 28th at Rochester's
South Landfill in Olmsted County.
LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen on March 26th by Craig Mandel in Scott County.
Three LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen by Tony Hertzel on the 28th at Carlos
Avery Refuge in Anoka County. He also reports two GREATER YELLOWLEGS on
April 1st from a flooded field in Dakota County. And Common Snipe were
seen on the 28th east of Rochester at Viola Pond.
An OSPREY was found by Howard Towle at Prairie Island in Winona County on
the 29th of March and a GOLDEN EAGLE was seen by Ken LaFond at Carlos
Avery Refuge also on the 29th.
Ron Silverman found a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE on March 29th along 70th Ave.
Southwest, about a quarter of a mile north of Olmsted County Road 25. A
second LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen at Carlos Avery Refuge on April 2nd.
Though the Carolina Wren apparently departed on March 27th, Leslie Kotkke
now has two WINTER WRENS at her feeder in Rochester.
On March 30th two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen by Mark Alt near the
Best Buy just off of U.S. Highway 212 and Shady Oak Road.
PURPLE FINCHES are showing up and I have received numerous reports from
area feeders. Note that at this time of year callers often mistake female
Purple Finches for female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Typically Rose-breasted
Grosbeaks do not return to Minnesota until very late April.
Other migrants reported by many callers include COMMON LOON, HORNED GREBE and
PIED-BILLED GREBE, all species of mergansers and ducks except Ruddy Duck,
KILLDEER, GREAT EGRET, NORTHERN HARRIER, TURKEY VULTURE, MERLIN, PEREGRINE
FALCON, SANDHILL CRANE including eight seen in Rice County on March 28th,
EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, HERMIT THRUSH, SONG
SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK and WESTERN
MEADOWLARK. And yet there are still a few winter birds around, such as the
200 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in the town of Crosby, Crow Wing County, a SNOWY OWL
at the north end of Hamden Slough NWR at the corner of Becker County Roads
13 & 14, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS at Warren Nelson's feeder in the town of
Aitkin in Aitkin County, and the hundreds of COMMON REDPOLLS reported by
many callers from area feeders.
Thanks to Sally Hague, Oscar Johnson, Mark Ochs, Mark Thomas, Erika Sitz,
Tom Lewanski, Steve Westen, and Becky Mellentin for their consice reports.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday April 9th.
Date: April 2, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
Return to Home Page