-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 16, 2009
*MNDL0904.16
-Birds mentioned
Greater White-fronted Goose
Ross's Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Common Loon
American White Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Osprey
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Marbled Godwit
Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock
Franklin's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Barred Owl
Short-eared Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Shrike
Tree Swallow
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Purple Finch
-Transcript
Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 16, 2009
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru ([log in to unmask])
This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, April 16,
2009 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.
A massive migration has taken place this week with the advent of the
warmer weather. The early wave has arrived in force. Species that have
arrived in large numbers are several species of goose, nearly all the
common ducks are finding some open water, and many raptors, a few early
shorebirds, and all the early passerines are arriving. Nearly all the
counties in the northwest have reported large movements of all of these
species. Please understand that not all of the sightings can be reported
here due to the large number of reports. Large bodies of still water are
still ice covered, but all the flooded fields, and shallower bodies of
water, and all the rivers are ice free now. Roads are drying up so
travel is much easier.
Maggie Anderson saw a TURKEY VULTURE along MN 72 in Lake of the Woods
County on April 10.
Beth Siverhus in Roseau County on April 12 reported a GREAT BLUE HERON,
six ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS northwest of the intersection of CR13 and CR 12,
and a NORTHERN SHRIKE along CR 12 five miles west of CR 5. Other species
reported by Beth included SANDHILL CRANE, BARRED OWL, SONG SPARROW, and
FOX SPARROW. Pat Roth reported an egret species north of Roseau on April
13.
Larry Wilebski reported HOODED MERGANSER in Kittson County on April 15.
Lance Crandall reported that the lake at Lake Bronson State Park is
starting to open up letting COMMON LOON , DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and
many species of ducks find water. Other species arriving included
NORTHERN FLICKER, and PURPLE FINCH.
Kelly Larson reported an OSPREY on the nest along CR 14 west of Bemidji.
Other species seen included AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, and EASTERN PHOEBE.
In Clearwater County, Kelly Larson reported SANDHILL CRANE, WILSON'S
SNIPE, and AMERICAN WOODCOCK on April 12.
A BELTED KINGFISHER was seen by Beth Siverhus on April 12 north of
Grygla in Marshall County. Maggie Anderson at Agassiz NWR reported that
there was a major influx of waterfowl to the refuge on the weekend
including several TRUMPETER SWANS, all the common ducks, 3 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, and one FRANKLIN'S GULL among many other species.
Headquarters pool still had ice on it when I went through last weekend,
but shallower pools are opening up.
The first COMMON LOON appeared in the Red Lake River at Thief River
Falls on April 16 as reported by Maggie Anderson. Here at home, today I
had BROWN CREEPER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and FOX SPARROW.
Shelley Steva saw a NORTHERN FLICKER along US 75 bypass at Crookston in
Polk County on April 14. Bruce Flaig observed WOOD DUCK, EASTERN PHOEBE,
and SONG SPARROW on April 12. Nathaniel Emery found an early MARBLED
GODWIT along MN 32 in the Glacial Ridge area on April 12. Other species
seen at Glacial Ridge included booming GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS,
SANDHILL CRANES, and SHORT-EARED OWLS.
Scott Kahan, reporting from Hamden Slough NWR in Becker County mentioned
seeing 25 GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS dancing on the ice at the refuge on
April 10. Other species seen there included HOODED MERGANSER, GREAT BLUE
HERON, and AMERICAN KESTREL.
Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend found a flock of about 2500
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on April 10 along Otter Tail County CR 1.
Tom Smith reported AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, TURKEY VULTURE, AMERICAN
COOT, KILLDEER, RING-BILLED GULL, and a long list of waterfowl on April
13. Brad and Dee Ehlers reported the first YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER of the
season on April 16. Also mentioned were DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and
GREAT EGRETS. Dan and Sandy Thimgan saw both RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, and
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS on April 16, also EASTERN PHOEBE and TREE
SWALLOW.
In Wilkin County the MOU birding Weekend found a ROSS'S GOOSE flying
over CR 26 four miles west of Rothsay on April 11. On the 12th, a flock
of over 3000 TUNDRA SWANS were seen just west of the Otter Tail County
line, 2.5 miles north of Wilkin CR 4. Several MARBLED GODWITS and a
SHORT-EARED OWL were seen along Wilkin CR 26 on April 11. Both
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen together, a rare
sighting indeed, on April 11 along 190th St. a half mile east of Wilkin
CR 15.
Susan Wiste in Douglas County near Alexandria reported NORTHERN FLICKER,
NORTHERN CARDINAL, and FOX SPARROW on April 16.
Species reported in nearly all the counties include CANADA GOOSE, TUNDRA
SWAN, TRUMPETER SWAN, all the common ducks, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS,
RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, MERLIN, SANDHILL CRANE, KILLDEER,
AMERICAN WOODCOCK, NORTHERN FLICKER, and SONG SPARROW.
Thanks to all who sent in reports this week.
Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than
Thursday each week, at [log in to unmask] 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. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, April 23,
2009.
Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN
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