Northwest Minnesota Birding Report – April 10, 2020

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, April 10, 2020 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

There has been a pause in the arrival of spring as temperatures today while still quite mild are tempered by a cold wind. Birds continue to arrive each day, and the first wave is nearly over in the northwest. We now have horned larks, American kestrels, dark-eyed juncos, pine siskins, northern flickers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers and hundreds of American robins. The sun pops through from time to time, but doesn’t last long today. Waterfowl are coming in also.

Here in Pennington County, we have seen FOX SPARROWS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, PURPLE FINCH, MOURNING DOVE, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, COMMON GRACKLES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, EASTERN BLUEBIRD and hundreds of AMERICAN ROBINS this week. On April 6th, a COOPER’S HAWK lit on our deck for a quick second, and MALLARDS, WOOD DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYE and GREATER SCAUP were seen on the Red Lake River. Zeann Linder reported her first of the season sighting of a MERLIN in Thief River Falls yesterday.

From Polk County, Sara Johnson reported a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at Tympanuchus Prairie on April 6th. An EASTERN BLUEBIRD was spotted by Allyson Engelstad at Rydell NWR on April 5th. Sandy Aubol reported a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK in her yard in East Grand Forks on April 4th.

In Clay County, Patrick Beauzay found a HARLAN’S RED-TAILED HAWK on April 7th.

A EURASIAN WIGEON was discovered by Beau Shroyer in Becker County on April 6th along CR 12 a half mile east of CR 13 near Hamden Slough NWR. Scott Green saw a RUFFED GROUSE at Tamarac NWR on April 4th. A MARBLED GODWIT was reported at Hamden Slough by Noah Kuck on April 6th, and a COMMON MERGANSER was seen by Lee Kensinger at Dunton Locks County Park on April 5th. Also seen were PURPLE FINCH and FOX SPARROW.

FOX SPARROWS were reported from Otter Tail County on April 3rd, and Chad Tolsma found a BROWN CREEPER in Fergus Falls on April 4th. Wayne Perala reported that WOOD DUCKS, and most of the other common waterfowl and some large waders were now present in Fergus Falls by April 5th. GOLDEN-GROWNED KINGLET and EASTERN PHOEBE were also reported in Otter Tail County this week.

The North Ottawa Impoundment in Grant County continues to host many waterfowl and waders as shorebirds start to come in. Chad Tolsma reported HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE and RUDDY DUCK there on April 7th. Charlene Nelson reported HERMIT THRUSH on April 3rd, TURKEY VULTURE on April 6th, WINTER WREN on April 7th, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET on April 9th and WOOD DUCK on April 10th at her home near Battle Lake.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@mncable.net. Please include the county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, April 16, 2020.