-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*April 22, 2010
*MNDL1004.22

-Birds mentioned
Trumpeter Swan
Wood Duck
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Egret
Osprey
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Broad-winged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Virginia Rail
Sora
Sandhill Crane
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock
Bonaparte's Gull
Mourning Dove
Short-eared Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Brown Creeper
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Yellow-headed Blackbird
White-winged Crossbill
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: April 22, 2010
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 22,
2010 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.

What a wonderful weather week it has been in the northwest. Warm
temperatures have made the grass green up and the leaf buds swell. If it
stays warm, one can expect leaves well ahead of the peak warbler wave,
so bone up on your songs, as birding will be a challenge this year.

From Douglas County, John Ellis reported that on April 17, most of the
sparrows had returned to the area , including CHIPPING SPARROW, FIELD
SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, SWAMP SPARROW , and
DARK-EYED JUNCOS. On Lake Osakis he found PIED-BILLED GREBE, HORNED
GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE and WESTERN GREBE along with a large variety of
ducks, and GREAT EGRETS.

Dan and Sandy Thimgan in Otter Tail County reported that the colonial
nesters at Grotto Lake in Fergus Falls are back including GREAT EGRETS
and one BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. At Battle Lake Wastewater Treatment
Ponds they saw BONAPARTE'S GULL. On April 16, CHIPPING SPARROW returned,
and on April 20, they saw a BROWN THRASHER.

Polk County sightings by Sandy Aubol included NORTHERN HARRIER,
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK , several AMERICAN KESTRELS, and CHIPPING SPARROW on
April 15. She reported that the WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS are nesting at
Northland Community and Technical College at East Grand Forks. On April
20 a flight of about 50 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS flew over East Grand
Forks. Other species that have returned to the area include BROAD-WINGED
HAWK, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, BROWN CREEPER, HERMIT THRUSH,
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, and SWAMP SPARROW. Kelly Larson found
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, SORA, and VIRGINIA RAIL at Glacial Ridge on April
17.

Sandy Aubol observed hundreds of SANDHILL CRANES in Pennington County
along CR 8 on April 15. Other species seen there included SHARP-TAILED
GROUSE, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and AMERICAN KESTRELS. Shelley Steva saw two
MERLINS flying near the turkey plant in Thief River Falls on April 18.
Several pairs of WOOD DUCKS and HOODED MERGANSERS have been flying over
the yard this week.

Maggie Anderson reported from Agassiz NWR this week. On April 17, there
were sightings of AMERICAN BITTERN, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, WILSON'S SNIPE,
AMERICAN WOODCOCK and WHITE-TROATED SPARROW at the refuge. COMMON
MERGANSERS were seen on Headquarters Pool. On April 20 a COMMON LOON was
observed on Headquarters Pool, and a flock of 25 LAPLAND LONGSPURS was
seen along CR 7. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS appeared on April 21.
SHORT-EARED OWLS have been seen south of the southwest corner of the
refuge, and all the ducks except ruddy are back.

Connie Cox , reporting from Itasca SP on mentioned KILLDEER on April 16,
BALD EAGLE, four TRUMPETER SWANS, WOOD DUCKS, and COMMON LOON on April
18, and a WOOD THRUSH on April 19.

Beltrami County sightings by Katie Haws included WOOD DUCK, and COMMON
GOLDENEYE sitting on eggs, COMMON LOON, an OSPREY on the nest, and
MOURNING DOVE this week.

Thanks to Connie Cox, Dan and Sandy Thimgan, Gary Tischer, John Ellis,
Katie Haws, Kelly Larson, Maggie Anderson, Sandy Aubol, and Shelley
Steva 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, April 29,
2010.



Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN