-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*April 16, 1997
*MNST9804.16

-Birds mentioned

• Pied-billed Grebe
• Horned Grebe
• Red-necked Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Cattle Egret
• Harlequin Duck
• Osprey
• Swainson's Hawk
• Peregrine Falcon
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Least Sandpiper
• Baird's Sandpiper
• Bonaparte's Gull
• California Gull
• Short-eared Owl
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Purple Martin
• Barn Swallow
• House Wren
• Swainson's Thrush
• Brown Thrasher
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Northern Parula
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Field Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Lapland Longspur
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: April 16, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota statewide birding report for Thursday April 16th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A female HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen April 12th by Kim Risen below the dam at Big Stone NWR in Lac Qui Parle County. Kim also reports finding an adult CALIFORNIA GULL 1/2 mile south of Lac Qui Parle County Road 24 along County Road 7. This is just north of the town of Marietta.

On Wednesday the 15th, a CATTLE EGRET was discovered near Winona, Winona County. Directions from highway 61 are to turn at the intersection of highway 43 and head toward the Mississippi River. This is Mankato Street. Turn left onto Sarnia Street, paralleling Highway 61. Look in the grass between Sarnia and Lake Winona.

A SWAINSON'S HAWK was identified by Val Cunningham as it flew over the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge in Bloomington on April 10th. A very early SWAINSON'S THRUSH and EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE were also reported in the area. An EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE and FIELD SPARROW were identified by Oscar Johnson on April 10th at Elm Creek Park in Hennepin County, and another FIELD SPARROW along with a VESPER SPARROW were seen in Carver County on the 12th at Eagle Lake.

Shorebird reports have been unexpectedly few. On the 15th a LESSER YELLOWLEGS was seen in Carver County at Lippert Lake and in Scott County at the junction of Newport & 233rd street, and a LEAST SANDPIPER was in Carver County at the junction of Salem & 138th St., also on the 15th. Three BAIRD'S SANDPIPER were seen on the 12th, north of Lac Qui Parle County Road 65 and east of U.S. highway 75.

The first BARN SWALLOWS of the year were seen by Dick Hartman at Maplewood Nature Center in Ramsey County on April 11th.

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was found by Terry Brashear on April 11th; this was east of the area known as the Etter Bottoms, which are south of the water access on Goodhue County Road 18.

Interesting is the PINE WARBLER found by Karl Bardon at Carlos Avery Refuge in Anoka County on April 12th. This is a record early date for Pine Warbler. In Rochester, Olmsted County, Leslie Kotkke reports seeing early BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS as well as YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS in her yard on the 13th. NORTHERN PARULAS were reported from Robert's Sanctuary in Minneapolis on the 12th, and from the Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington on the 15th.

Other birds reported in good numbers include PIED-BILLED GREBES, HORNED GREBES, RED-NECKED GREBES, WESTERN GREBES, OSPREY, BONAPARTE'S GULL, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, PURPLE MARTIN, HOUSE WREN, BROWN THRASHER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, and both EASTERN MEADOWLARK and WESTERN MEADOWLARK. As well most of the Twin Cities' nesting PEREGRINE FALCONS have now returned to their usual nest sites. Also, SHORT-EARED OWLS, typical migrants at this time of year, have been reported from the counties of Renville, Redwood, Yellow Medicine and Lac Qui Parle.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday April 23rd.

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