This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Wednesday, March 15, 2017 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. With the very cold weather this last week, bird activity has been sparse. This being also true of people, there have been few reports in the northwest. One can say, however, that BALD EAGLES have been reported from all areas. They are being seen in groups , suggesting that there is definitely migration going on. CANADA GEESE have been filtering in and the flocks are getting larger. Other waterfowl have been stopped at a few sites that have open water. That will change this weekend, as many spots were thawed previously, and have re-frozen in the past week. HORNED LARKS are paired up and getting ready to nest. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and AMERICAN KESTRELS are beginning to be reported. Cliff Steinhauer reported the first WESTERN MEADOWLARK of the season in Marshall County on March 13. On the 15th, he saw 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in his yard near the western entrance to Agassiz NWR. Here in Pennington County, I found 31 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in our yard looking for crabapples when I got home from work yesterday. The PILEATED WOODPECKERS had cleaned off the few that were left in recent days. In Red Lake County, Shelley Steva reported 2 BALD EAGLES and 200 CANADA GEESE on March 8. Shelley saw 20 SNOW BUNTINGS, 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and an AMERICAN KESTREL in Polk County on March 8. Two NORTHERN HARRIERS were seen in Clay County on March 8. In Becker County, Shawn Goodchild reported 40 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flying over Cormorant Lake on March 6. On the 10th, he found RUSTY BLACKBIRD there. Heather Hundt saw a KILLDEER in the county on March 10. In Otter Tail County, Wayne Perala found a GREAT HORNED OWL on March 14. Hundreds of CANADA GEESE were found at the power plant in Fergus Falls on March 10, along with a number of COMMON GOLDENEYE, and a BUFFLEHEAD. Jason Swelstad saw a KILLDEER in the county on March 6.
Ben Eckhoff reported KILLDEER in Douglas County on March 5, EASTERN BLUEBIRD on March 6, and GADWALL on March 7. >From the North Ottawa impoundment in Grant County, Wayne Perala reported 6 TRUMPETER SWANS, 6 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a ROSS'S GOOSE, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and 6 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS on March 5. Thanks to all who sent in sightings this week. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> 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 23, 2017. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
