- RBA
* North Dakota
* Statewide
* March 7, 2006
* NDST0603.07
- Transcript
Hotline: North Dakota Update
Date: March 7, 2006
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: March 7, 2006
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson@fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
CAROLINA WREN
Northern Goshawk
Great Horned Owl
Canada Goose
Bald Eagle
Common Merganser
Bufflehead
Mallard
Common Goldeneye
Rough-legged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Snow Goose
Ross' Goose
CACKLING GOOSE
Gadwall
Ring-necked Duck
American Coot
Redhead
Snow Bunting
Northern Harrier
Horned Lark
American Tree Sparrow
Blue Jay
Gray Partridge
Snowy Owl
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Mourning Dove
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
American Godfinch
Lapland Longspur
Mountain Bluebird
Red-tailed Hawk
Gyrfalcon
Merlin
Golden Eagle
Northern Shrike
Northern Flicker
Welcome to the Birding Hotline operated by the North Dakota Birding Society and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service... This report was recorded on Tuesday, March 7, 2006.
Transcriber's Note: Birds listed in ALL CAPS in the Birds Mentioned section signify
that the
Revised Checklist of North Dakota Birds lists them as Occasional, Accidental,
Extirpated, or
never having occured before for the season being reported.
A wren has taken the spotlight from the raptors. And, then, there's also
the start of the spring waterfowl migration.
Ron Martin relays word that a CAROLINA WREN has been seen occasionally at a
residence near Devils Lake. The bird is a "hypothetical," and was seen
several times in February, with the latest sighting on Feb. 27. Homeowner
Eldon Anderson says visitors are welcome, but please call before you come.
It's 701-662-1921.
Ron Martin was able to do some birding of his own, and didn't have to leave
home. He reports an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK and a GREAT HORNED OWL were
playing tag in front of his house near Sawyer on the evening of March 2.
Contact Ron at jrmartin@srt.com
Dan Svingen and his youngest child birded Garrison Dam on March 5. They
saw thousands of CANADA GEESE between Bismarck and the dam, along with
about six BALD EAGLES. The tailrace area held only a lone male COMMON
MERGANSER. Other sightings included a few BUFFLEHEADS, MALLARDS and COMMON
GOLDENEYES, plus a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. You can
reach Dan at 250-4443, ext. 107.
Mark Gonzalez reported flocks of 50-250 CANADA GEESE heading north over
Bismarck and Mandan on Feb. 28. He says the flocks were passing through
about every 90-seconds. Mark is at 250-4443, ext. 106.
Corey Ellingson closed out February with a visit to Nelson Lake, a power
plant lake near Center that stays open year around. In two hours, Corey
saw a blue phase SNOW GOOSE, ROSS' GOOSE, several CACKLING GEESE, a female
GADWALL, 425 MALLARDS, a male RING-NECKED DUCK, three COMMON GOLDENEYE,
four COMMON MERGANSERS and an AMERICAN COOT. Contact Corey at
tcellingson@juno.com
Clark Talkington adds that 10 REDHEADS joined the other waterfowl at Nelson
Lake on March 1. You can reach Clark at 663-8103.
The first CANADA GEESE of the season have been reported in the Jamestown
area. Larry Igl reports three near McVille on Feb. 28, a pair over
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center near Jamestown on March 3, and
three more near the center on that same date. Larry saw an adult BALD
EAGLE over the center on March 4, a flock of about 15 SNOW BUNTINGS north
of the center on March 4, and a male NORTHERN HARRIER at the center on
March 5. Earlier, Larry saw five pairs of HORNED LARKS near the Jamestown
Airport on Feb. 25, the first ones there since late fall. On Feb. 28, he
found several hundred pairs of HORNED LARKS along I-94 between Jamestown
and Fargo. On March 1, Larry observed several large flocks of HORNED LARKS
flying over the center. Contact him at 253-5511.
Sandra Opp reports a BALD EAGLE just east of Jamestown on March 4. You can
reach her at sandraopp@daktel.com
>From the Valley City area, Jean Legge saw her first AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
of the year on March 5, and the first EUROPEAN STARLING of the year on
March 4, when five BLUE JAYS tried to run it away from her feeder. She
says 12 GRAY PARTRIDGE flew off when she drove into her yard; and a day
earlier, she had heard them calling from a nearby field. You can contact
Jean at 845-4762.
Becky Oberlander of Fargo saw her first-ever SNOWY OWL in mid-February.
She found the bird in Wilkin County, Minnesota. Contact Becky at
raoberlander@hotmail.com
Pat Beauzay discovered an adult BALD EAGLE perched in a tree on the west
side of the NDSU campus in Fargo on March 1. After a one-month absence,
the subarctic GREAT HORNED OWL that Pat had seen every day in January has
returned to the old willows east of Aaker's Business College in Fargo.
Call Pat at 231-9491.
>From north Fargo, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld saw their first flock of 25-30
MALLARDS heading east with the wind on March 5. You can reach them at
emben1@juno.com
>From the northeast corner of the state, Janne Myrdal reports COMMON
REDPOLLS and PINE SISKINS have been irregular all winter, but are present
in the Edinburg area now, along with SNOW BUNTINGS, HORNED LARKS and
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Janne adds that a MOURNING DOVE was reported west of
Grafton and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was observed north of Edinburg, both during
the first week of March. For details, e-mail Janne at mybros@polarcomm.com
Charles Taft saw two adult BALD EAGLES near the Denbigh Experimental Forest
on March 3. During a drive from Minot to Grand Forks, he saw various-sized
flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS and HORNED LARKS. On March 5, Charles saw a flock
of GRAY PARTRIDGE in the road in the Sheyenne area, and a good number of
HORNED LARKS plus a few SNOW BUNTINGS. Contact him at
ndfalcon@earthlink.net
David Walsh observed a probable female SNOWY OWL along Ward County Road 19
north of Minot on March 6. Other sightings included three HORNED LARKS, a
RING-NECKED PHEASANT and 23 WILD TURKEYS on the same road. David reports
the AMERICAN TREE SPARROW is still in his yard, along with PINE SISKINS,
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, EUROPEAN STARLINGS and BLUE JAYS. He's at
davidw@ndak.net
Ross Lagasse birded southwestern North Dakota on March 4. He reports
scattered flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS
everywhere, plus a few small flocks of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS on the North
Dakota side between Sidney, MT and Beach. Between Medora and Amidon, he
saw a group of three male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS. His raptor highlights
included nine ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, two RED-TAILED HAWKS, four NORTHERN
HARRIERS, a brown-morph GYRFALCON in Slope County and a MERLIN near Amidon.
For more information, contact Ross at on2stix@yahoo.com
Jesse Kolar reported seeing a few neat birds in several hundred miles of
gravel roads in southwestern North Dakota in late February and early March.
He saw his first pair of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS on March 3 near the Montana
border about 15 miles south of Marmarth, two brown-phase GYRFALCONS, two
pairs of GOLDEN EAGLES, at least 15 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a MERLIN near
Stewart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, many flocks of CANADA GEESE
including a flock of about 40 on the ice at White Lake National Wildlife
Refuge, plus HORNED LARKS, NORTHERN SHRIKES, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, RING-NECKED
PHEASANTS, NORTHERN FLICKERS and ROCK PIGEONS. Jesse reports at least
three SNOWY OWLS were still near Beach in late February. For details,
e-mail Jesse at jekolar@hotmail.com
That concludes this report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
North Dakota Birding Society. This report is normally updated each
Tuesday. The Fish and Wildlife Service operates 62 National Wildlife
Refuges and 1,100 Waterfowl Production Areas in North Dakota...offering
some of the best birding opportunities in the state. Contact refuge
managers for more information about visiting. For phone numbers of
individual refuges, as well as additional information, go to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service web site at www.fws.gov Click on Offices, and click
on North Dakota on the map.
- End Transcript
* North Dakota
* Statewide
* March 7, 2006
* NDST0603.07
- Transcript
Hotline: North Dakota Update
Date: March 7, 2006
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: March 7, 2006
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson@fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
CAROLINA WREN
Northern Goshawk
Great Horned Owl
Canada Goose
Bald Eagle
Common Merganser
Bufflehead
Mallard
Common Goldeneye
Rough-legged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Snow Goose
Ross' Goose
CACKLING GOOSE
Gadwall
Ring-necked Duck
American Coot
Redhead
Snow Bunting
Northern Harrier
Horned Lark
American Tree Sparrow
Blue Jay
Gray Partridge
Snowy Owl
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Mourning Dove
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
American Godfinch
Lapland Longspur
Mountain Bluebird
Red-tailed Hawk
Gyrfalcon
Merlin
Golden Eagle
Northern Shrike
Northern Flicker
Welcome to the Birding Hotline operated by the North Dakota Birding Society and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service... This report was recorded on Tuesday, March 7, 2006.
Transcriber's Note: Birds listed in ALL CAPS in the Birds Mentioned section signify
that the
Revised Checklist of North Dakota Birds lists them as Occasional, Accidental,
Extirpated, or
never having occured before for the season being reported.
A wren has taken the spotlight from the raptors. And, then, there's also
the start of the spring waterfowl migration.
Ron Martin relays word that a CAROLINA WREN has been seen occasionally at a
residence near Devils Lake. The bird is a "hypothetical," and was seen
several times in February, with the latest sighting on Feb. 27. Homeowner
Eldon Anderson says visitors are welcome, but please call before you come.
It's 701-662-1921.
Ron Martin was able to do some birding of his own, and didn't have to leave
home. He reports an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK and a GREAT HORNED OWL were
playing tag in front of his house near Sawyer on the evening of March 2.
Contact Ron at jrmartin@srt.com
Dan Svingen and his youngest child birded Garrison Dam on March 5. They
saw thousands of CANADA GEESE between Bismarck and the dam, along with
about six BALD EAGLES. The tailrace area held only a lone male COMMON
MERGANSER. Other sightings included a few BUFFLEHEADS, MALLARDS and COMMON
GOLDENEYES, plus a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. You can
reach Dan at 250-4443, ext. 107.
Mark Gonzalez reported flocks of 50-250 CANADA GEESE heading north over
Bismarck and Mandan on Feb. 28. He says the flocks were passing through
about every 90-seconds. Mark is at 250-4443, ext. 106.
Corey Ellingson closed out February with a visit to Nelson Lake, a power
plant lake near Center that stays open year around. In two hours, Corey
saw a blue phase SNOW GOOSE, ROSS' GOOSE, several CACKLING GEESE, a female
GADWALL, 425 MALLARDS, a male RING-NECKED DUCK, three COMMON GOLDENEYE,
four COMMON MERGANSERS and an AMERICAN COOT. Contact Corey at
tcellingson@juno.com
Clark Talkington adds that 10 REDHEADS joined the other waterfowl at Nelson
Lake on March 1. You can reach Clark at 663-8103.
The first CANADA GEESE of the season have been reported in the Jamestown
area. Larry Igl reports three near McVille on Feb. 28, a pair over
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center near Jamestown on March 3, and
three more near the center on that same date. Larry saw an adult BALD
EAGLE over the center on March 4, a flock of about 15 SNOW BUNTINGS north
of the center on March 4, and a male NORTHERN HARRIER at the center on
March 5. Earlier, Larry saw five pairs of HORNED LARKS near the Jamestown
Airport on Feb. 25, the first ones there since late fall. On Feb. 28, he
found several hundred pairs of HORNED LARKS along I-94 between Jamestown
and Fargo. On March 1, Larry observed several large flocks of HORNED LARKS
flying over the center. Contact him at 253-5511.
Sandra Opp reports a BALD EAGLE just east of Jamestown on March 4. You can
reach her at sandraopp@daktel.com
>From the Valley City area, Jean Legge saw her first AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
of the year on March 5, and the first EUROPEAN STARLING of the year on
March 4, when five BLUE JAYS tried to run it away from her feeder. She
says 12 GRAY PARTRIDGE flew off when she drove into her yard; and a day
earlier, she had heard them calling from a nearby field. You can contact
Jean at 845-4762.
Becky Oberlander of Fargo saw her first-ever SNOWY OWL in mid-February.
She found the bird in Wilkin County, Minnesota. Contact Becky at
raoberlander@hotmail.com
Pat Beauzay discovered an adult BALD EAGLE perched in a tree on the west
side of the NDSU campus in Fargo on March 1. After a one-month absence,
the subarctic GREAT HORNED OWL that Pat had seen every day in January has
returned to the old willows east of Aaker's Business College in Fargo.
Call Pat at 231-9491.
>From north Fargo, Mel and Elaine Bennefeld saw their first flock of 25-30
MALLARDS heading east with the wind on March 5. You can reach them at
emben1@juno.com
>From the northeast corner of the state, Janne Myrdal reports COMMON
REDPOLLS and PINE SISKINS have been irregular all winter, but are present
in the Edinburg area now, along with SNOW BUNTINGS, HORNED LARKS and
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Janne adds that a MOURNING DOVE was reported west of
Grafton and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was observed north of Edinburg, both during
the first week of March. For details, e-mail Janne at mybros@polarcomm.com
Charles Taft saw two adult BALD EAGLES near the Denbigh Experimental Forest
on March 3. During a drive from Minot to Grand Forks, he saw various-sized
flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS and HORNED LARKS. On March 5, Charles saw a flock
of GRAY PARTRIDGE in the road in the Sheyenne area, and a good number of
HORNED LARKS plus a few SNOW BUNTINGS. Contact him at
ndfalcon@earthlink.net
David Walsh observed a probable female SNOWY OWL along Ward County Road 19
north of Minot on March 6. Other sightings included three HORNED LARKS, a
RING-NECKED PHEASANT and 23 WILD TURKEYS on the same road. David reports
the AMERICAN TREE SPARROW is still in his yard, along with PINE SISKINS,
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, EUROPEAN STARLINGS and BLUE JAYS. He's at
davidw@ndak.net
Ross Lagasse birded southwestern North Dakota on March 4. He reports
scattered flocks of SNOW BUNTINGS, LAPLAND LONGSPURS and HORNED LARKS
everywhere, plus a few small flocks of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS on the North
Dakota side between Sidney, MT and Beach. Between Medora and Amidon, he
saw a group of three male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS. His raptor highlights
included nine ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, two RED-TAILED HAWKS, four NORTHERN
HARRIERS, a brown-morph GYRFALCON in Slope County and a MERLIN near Amidon.
For more information, contact Ross at on2stix@yahoo.com
Jesse Kolar reported seeing a few neat birds in several hundred miles of
gravel roads in southwestern North Dakota in late February and early March.
He saw his first pair of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS on March 3 near the Montana
border about 15 miles south of Marmarth, two brown-phase GYRFALCONS, two
pairs of GOLDEN EAGLES, at least 15 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a MERLIN near
Stewart Lake National Wildlife Refuge, many flocks of CANADA GEESE
including a flock of about 40 on the ice at White Lake National Wildlife
Refuge, plus HORNED LARKS, NORTHERN SHRIKES, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, RING-NECKED
PHEASANTS, NORTHERN FLICKERS and ROCK PIGEONS. Jesse reports at least
three SNOWY OWLS were still near Beach in late February. For details,
e-mail Jesse at jekolar@hotmail.com
That concludes this report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
North Dakota Birding Society. This report is normally updated each
Tuesday. The Fish and Wildlife Service operates 62 National Wildlife
Refuges and 1,100 Waterfowl Production Areas in North Dakota...offering
some of the best birding opportunities in the state. Contact refuge
managers for more information about visiting. For phone numbers of
individual refuges, as well as additional information, go to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service web site at www.fws.gov Click on Offices, and click
on North Dakota on the map.
- End Transcript