-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *April 6, 2012 *MNST1204.06 -Birds mentioned Neotropic Cormorant Green Heron Virginia Rail Sora American Golden-Plover Spotted Sandpiper Black-backed Woodpecker Purple Martin Brown Creeper Magnolia Warbler Eastern Towhee -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: April 6, 2012 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel ([log in to unmask]) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for April 5th, 2012. On March 30th, Craig Mandel found a NEOTROPIC CORMORANT from Swensen County Park, on the east side of Current Lake in Murray County. The bird was seen standing on a small peninsula to the southwest of the boat ramp. The park is about 12 miles north of the town of Lake Wilson on the west side of state highway 91. On April 4th, Jim Poff photographed a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at St. John's Arboretum in Collegeville, Stearns County. It was working the trees near the parking lot just northwest of Lake Sagatagan. Leo Dery reported the spring's first MAGNOLIA WARBLER on March 31st from Green Lake in Chisago City. Other recent spring arrivals include AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, GREEN HERON, PURPLE MARTIN, BROWN CREEPER, and EASTERN TOWHEE. The next scheduled update of this tape is April 12th, 2012.