-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*March 15, 2018
*MNDL1803.15

-Birds mentioned
Canada Goose
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Wild Turkey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Rough-legged Hawk
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
American Kestrel
Northern Shrike
Horned Lark
Common Redpoll
Snow Bunting
Western Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: March 15, 2018
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjop...@mncable.net)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, March 15,
2018 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You
may also see this report on the Chamber of Commerce website:
https://www.visitdetroitlakes.com/birding-report .

Spring appears to be on the way here in the northwest this week. We have
been having a nice slow melt, with the sun doing the work and
temperatures remaining quite close to freezing. Slowly the dirt in the
fields will start to show, and more birds will arrive. In the southern
part of the area, where some open water is appearing, waterfowl are
already coming in, and HORNED LARKS are increasing greatly in numbers
throughout the area. For now they are along the roadsides but as more
black dirt shows up , they will be harder to see as they pair off and
move into the fields for nesting. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are also increasing
in numbers this week and we can expect a big push of them in the next
couple of weeks. Wayne Perala saw 40 to 50 of them on March 15 from
Grant County to Felton Prairie in Clay County so they are on the way,
but still not that common in the far north.

In Kittson County, a SNOWY OWL was observed on March 9 by Sparky
Stensaas. He also found a WESTERN MEADOWLARK near Lake Bronson.

In Pennington County, Josh Tharaldson saw two male WILD TURKEYS near
Goodridge on March 14. Two CANADA GEESE were observed by Shelley Steva
in Thief River Falls on March 10. A BARRED OWL reappeared in our yard on
March 9. We are hoping it nests nearby.

The BALD EAGLES have returned to the nest site near East Grand Forks in
Polk County as reported by several observers. At Glacial Ridge, Sparky
Stensaas found 15 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 48 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, 28 GREATER
PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, and one PILEATED WOODPECKER , on March 9th and 10th.
Three SNOWY OWLS were also seen that day in Polk County. In his travels
through Polk and up to Kittson County, Sparky found 441 SNOW BUNTINGS
and 373 HORNED LARKS.

The waterfowl are arriving in Otter Tail County to join those that have
overwintered in the river near Fergus Falls. On March 1st, Wayne Perala
reported NORTHERN SHRIKE, AMERICAN KESTREL and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD in
Otter Tail County. By March 15, he found a pair of BALD EAGLES at Battle
Lake at a nest site. Gary and Marion Otnes reported COMMON REDPOLLS, and
HORNED LARKS on March 9, and also a male NORTHERN HARRIER in Western
Township.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than
Thursday each week, at ajjop...@mncable.net OR call the Detroit Lakes
Chamber's numbers 218-847-5743 or 218- 847-9202. Please include the
county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this
report is Thursday, March 22, 2018.


Jeanie Joppru
Pennington County, MN

Reply via email to