-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 19, 2015
*MNDL1503.19

-Birds mentioned
Greater White-fronted Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Ruffed Grouse
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Merlin
Northern Shrike
Gray Jay
Horned Lark
Eastern Bluebird
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 19, 2015
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, March 19,
2015 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.

Although we are cooler today than earlier in the week, spring seems to
be finally on the way. The skies are full of hopeful geese looking for
open water, and the fields are full of horned larks, and migrating
Lapland longspurs. The first singing robins are shouting from the
crabapple trees, and woodpeckers have started courting. Raptors are
visible soaring in the skies again, and the first kestrels have been
reported.

In Lake of the Woods County, Gretchen Mehmel this week observed a
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER near Norris Camp.

Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann saw one NORTHERN HAWK OWL , one SNOWY
OWL, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, a flock of LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and a large flock
of SNOW BUNTINGS in northern Roseau County on March 13. At least 10
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were also seen in the area and in several counties to
the south as well.

In central and northeastern Marshall County, Ron and Herb found BALD
EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and an
AMERICAN KESTREL on March 13.

Here in Pennington County, several observers have seen the two EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES in Thief River Falls this week. Zeann Linder reported
hearing a MERLIN in the city on March 15.

Twelve BALD EAGLES were seen by Anita Vettleson within a mile two miles
southeast of Oklee in Red Lake County on March 12. Ron Erpelding and
Herb Dingmann found a NORTHERN CARDINAL in Red Lake Falls on March 14.

Joanne Johnson saw two SNOWY OWLS in the Sherack area of Polk County on
March 15. Sandy Aubol reported two more- one on CR 20 and one on CR 23.
At the Agassiz Valley Impoundment she noted CANADA GEESE, some GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, MALLARDS, and NORTHERN PINTAIL. A GOLDEN EAGLE was
seen on a power pole along CR 23 east of Angus. Other species seen in
Polk County included NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK , AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW and HORNED LARK. Bruce Flaig reported a flock of RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS and about 12 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS in southern Polk County.

Kelly Larson in Clearwater County this week reported a calling NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL, drumming RUFFED GROUSE, and a strong movement of waterfowl
to the rice paddies along the Clearwater River . Other species seen
included ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, BALD EAGLES, one AMERICAN KESTREL, a
NORTHERN HARRIER, a SHORT-EARED OWL and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD. Connie Cox
at Itasca State Park reported TRUMPETER SWANS and CANADA GEESE gathering
on whatever open water they could find.

This week in Hubbard County, Marshall Howe reported HOOEDED MERGANSER,
GRAY JAY, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and PINE SISKINS at the Lake Alice Bog.
Near Dorset he saw a few COMMON REDPOLLS, a HOARY REDPOLL, a few
DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and a NORTHERN CARDINAL. Near Park Rapids he saw an
AMERICAN KESTREL.

From Douglas County, Benjamin Eckhoff reported large flocks of geese,
and a spreading out of other waterfowl as lakes and rivers begin to
thaw. Species reported included CANADA GEESE, TRUMPETER SWANS, COMMON
MERGANSER, COMMON GOLDENEYE, many BALD EAGLES, and COMMON REDPOLLS.

Thanks to Anita Vettleson, Benjamin Eckhoff, Bruce Flaig, Connie Cox,
Gretchen Mehmel, Joanne Johnson, Kelly Larson, Marshall Howe, Sandy
Aubol, Zeann Linder, Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann for their reports.

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, March 26,
2015.