- RBA
* North Dakota
* Statewide
* April 4, 2006
* NDST0601.24
- Transcript
Hotline: North Dakota Update
Date: April 4, 2006
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: April 4, 2006
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson@fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
GRAY JAY
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Harrier
Canada Goose
Rough-legged Hawk
Tundra Swan
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Franklin's Gull
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Osprey
Golden Eagle
Snow Bunting
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Great Blue Heron
Canvasback
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
Common Grackle
Mourning Dove
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Bohemian Waxwing
Eastern Bluebird
Fox Sparrow
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Goshawk
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Common Merganser
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Redhead
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Harrier
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Sandhill Crane
Rusty Blackbird
Ross' Goose
Lapland Longspur
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
American White Pelican
Northern Shoveler
Lesser Yellowlegs
Killdeer
Brewer's Blackbird
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Pintail
Great Egret
Snowy Owl
California Gull
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Blue-winged Teal
Wood Duck
Greater Scaup
Song Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Northern Shrike
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Canvasback
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Fox Sparrow
Short-eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
Prairie Falcon
American Kestrel
Horned Lark
Purple Finch
American Tree Sparrow
Greater Yellowlegs
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Welcome to the North Dakota Rare Bird Alert compiled by the North Dakota
Birding Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This report was
prepared on Tuesday, April 4. Unless otherwise noted, all phone numbers
mentioned are area code 701.
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.
This week, an unusual visitor, a large raptor migration, and lots of
waterfowl.
The GRAY JAY originally spotted by Eve Freeberg in southern Grand Forks on
April 1 attracted lots of attention. The species is an occasional fall and
winter visitor to North Dakota. Eve saw it again on April 3. She recorded
many other species during the first weekend in April. Eve counted 468
RED-TAILED HAWKS in 2 ½ hours, plus 50 BALD EAGLES, seven SHARP-SHINNED
HAWKS, two COOPER'S HAWKS, five NORTHERN HARRIERS and 3,000 CANADA GEESE.
Eve reported a good variety of species in the movement of March 25-26. The
list included more than 40 BALD EAGLES, about 40 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and
RED-TAILED HAWKS, TUNDRA SWANS, PIED-BILLED GREBE, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED
MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD,
FRANKLIN'S GULL, HERRING GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, OSPREY and GOLDEN EAGLE.
On March 24, Eve counted 45 SNOW BUNTINGS. Contact her at 741-8105.
Dave Lambeth noticed a good migration on March 31. His highlights from
Grand Forks County included a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, PIED-BILLED GREBE,
four GREAT BLUE HERONS, 20 RING-BILLED GULLS, two HERRING GULLS, a
CANVASBACK, four LESSER SCAUP, six HOODED MERGANSERS, 15 COMMON GOLDENEYE,
20 MALLARDS, three NORTHERN PINTAILS and two NORTHERN SHOVELERS. On March
29, Dave got a brief glimpse of a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK reported to him by
Tim Driscoll who had seen it a day earlier at Turtle River State Park, west
of Grand Forks. Dave also noted first-of-season sightings of COMMON
GRACKLE and TUNDRA SWAN on March 29 and MOURNING DOVE on April 30. You can
reach Dave at davidlambeth58201@yahoo.com
Dennis Wiesenborn reports birds are congregating near the flooding Red
River in Fargo. His sightings included a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER north of
the Oak Grove neighborhood, a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET south of there, and a
HERMIT THRUSH at Trefoil Park on April 1. Other birds that day included a
BOHEMIAN WAXWING at Woodland Drive in north Fargo and a pair of EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS at Oak Grove High School. On March 30, Dennis reported his first
singing FOX SPARROW of spring. That was preceded on March 28 by a
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER just south of El Zagal golf course, plus COMMON
GRACKLE and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Also, Trefoil Park hosted five HOODED
MERGANSERS that day. For more information, contact Dennis at
d.wiesenborn@ndsu.edu
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW joined the host of DARK-EYED JUNCOS in Keith
Corliss' yard in West Fargo on March 30. He's at 241-5452.
A NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew in front of Pat Beauzay on March 31 just east of
Aaker's Business College in Fargo. Call him at 231-9491.
Joe and Linda Gregg got to see the male and female EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES
in Harwood on April 2. Contact them at lgregg@wah.midco.net
Connie Norheim and Becky Oberlander drove to Tewaukon National Wildlife
Refuge and Kraft Slough in Sargent County on March 30. They report COMMON
GOLDENEYE were common all day, as were LESSER SCAUP. Other, less common
species, included eight HOODED MERGANSERS, about 20 COMMON MERGANSERS, four
GADWALL, an AMERICAN WIGEON, two CANVASBACKS, two REDHEADS, about 30
RING-NECKED DUCKS, about six BUFFLEHEADS, about eight RUDDY DUCKS, two
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, a NORTHERN HARRIER, many RED-TAILED HAWKS, eight
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD. The waterfowl list included
large flocks of SNOW GEESE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. For more
information, contact Connie at cnorheim@msn.com
Mark Otnes noticed TUNDRA SWANS all over Richland County on March 31. At
the junction of ND 18 and County Road 8, he observed two SANDHILL CRANES
and a large blackbird flock that included some RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Just
south of Wyndmere, Mark got a good look at two ROSS' GEESE. He also
reported a large northward movement of LAPLAND LONGSPURS going into a
strong north wind. Back in Fargo, Mark saw a flock of about 20 SANDHILL
CRANES over the Blue Cross building on April 4. Call him at 241-4194.
>From the Sheyenne National Grassland, Bryan Stotts recorded a singing
EASTERN MEADOWLARK on about March 29. If you want directions, call Bryan
at 683-4342.
There have been lots of recent arrivals in the Jamestown area. About 30
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS turned up in central Cass County on March 30, and
two more near Woodworth, marking the earliest arrival in Stutsman County in
42 years. A lone COMMON MERGANSER was seen on March 26, and a pair on
March 28, with both sightings at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
COMMON GOLDENEYES and NORTHERN SHOVELERS were recorded on March 27 near
Jamestown. RED-TAILED HAWKS, including several dark birds, were seen in
large numbers in the eastern one-third of the state on March 30. Larry Igl
found GOLDEN EAGLES east of Valley City and near Absaraka, also on March
30. Jill Shaffer saw a flock of about 100 RING-BILLED GULLS and a single
FRANKLIN'S GULL near Jamestown on March 27. Larry Igl found a lone LESSER
YELLOWLEGS near Absaraka on March 30. Marsha Sovada and Pam Pietz
discovered KILLDEER at the Northern Prairie Center on March 28, with many
more the following day. Jill Shaffer reported seeing BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS
near Jamestown on March 29, and a COMMON GRACKLE east of Jamestown on March
30, while Tom Buhl saw another in northeastern Jamestown on March 29. For
details on any of those sightings, call Larry Igl at 253-5511.
Dan Buchanan got in a couple good days of birding over the weekend of April
1 and 2. He observed treetops full...or about 50...CEDAR WAXWINGS below
the Jamestown Dam, a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS below the dam plus several
pair at the Alkali Lakes Sanctuary, 12 or more pairs of COMMON GOLDENEYE
and a GOLDEN EAGLE at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, and his
first-of-spring KILLDEER, NORTHERN SHOVELERS and NORTHERN PINTAILS. For
more information, call Dan at 252-6604.
Just north of Sheyenne on the Sheyenne River, Ann Hoffert saw about 20
HOODED MERGANSERS and 15 COMMON GOLDENEYE on April 1. You can reach her at
652-2623.
Clark Talkington and Corey Ellingson birded from Bismarck-Mandan to Dawson
on March 31. Highlights included a GREAT EGRET and four SNOWY OWLS at Long
Lake National Wildlife Refuge, plus about 2,000 gulls...mostly at the
refuge and the Bismarck landfill. The mix was mostly CALIFORNIA GULLS and
RING-BILLED GULLS, with a few FRANKLIN'S GULLS and HERRING GULLS. At the
Dawson WMA in Kidder County, they added a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. On March
29, Clark hit some Morton County hot spots. At the Kist Livestock pond, he
found an all-white CANADA GOOSE with correct plumage for the neck and head,
plus a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 10 HOODED MERGANSERS, 10 WOOD DUCKS and a
KILLDEER. At the Tesoro Refinery, he added two GREAT BLUE HERONS, a male
GREATER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, KILLDEER, SONG SPARROW and a singing WESTERN
MEADOWLARK. Along the Heart River west of Mandan, Clark found an immature
GOLDEN EAGLE and NORTHERN SHRIKE. On March 27, he saw seven TUNDRA SWANS
at DeWald Slough, plus a big assortment of birds at Long Lake National
Wildlife Refuge. The mix included 5 SNOW GEESE, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE, ROSS' GOOSE, 50 CACKLING GEESE, about 5,000 CANADA GEESE, six
GADWALLS, two AMERICAN WIGEONS, six NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 50 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, 20 REDHEADS, a BUFFLEHEAD, 55 COMMON GOLDENEYE and 75 COMMON
MERGANSERS. Between the refuge and the Tesoro Refinery in Mandan, he found
25 CANVASBACKS, 30 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 120 LESSER SCAUP. Other sightings
on March 28 included a FRANKLIN'S GULL at the Bismarck landfill, 250
CALIFORNIA GULLS and more than 200 RING-BILLED GULLS between the landfill
and Salt Lake in Burleigh County, a GREAT BLUE HERON at Long Lake refuge
and a CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR northwest of the linerefuge. Contact
Clark at ctalkington@bis.midco.net
Mark Gonzalez had a FOX SPARROW in his Bismarck yard on March 30. He had
similar visits throughout the winter, but none since Feb. 28. On March 28,
Mark found a SHORT-EARED OWL and two GREAT HORNED OWLS in CRP fields south
of Dickinson. On the 29th, he noticed numerous NORTHERN HARRIERS, a
PRAIRIE FALCON, a half-dozen buteos and a couple AMERICAN KESTRELS between
Dickinson and Bismarck. Contact Mark at 250-4443, ext. 106.
New arrivals at the Minot lagoons on March 29 included 11 GREATER SCAUP and
four FRANKLIN'S GULLS. Contact Ron Martin at jrmartin@srt.com
Sherry Leslie reports the first EASTERN BLUEBIRD of the spring arrived in
her rural Burlington yard on April 3. She says that marks the
second-latest arrival in the 12 years she has been keeping records. On
April 2, Sherry birded south and west of Minot, finding 13 RED-TAILED HAWKS
including an adult Krider and two dark juveniles, female and male AMERICAN
KESTREL, three NORTHERN HARRIERS including two males, a FERRUGINOUS HAWK
and several small flocks of HORNED LARKS. West of there, she added four
more NORTHERN HARRIERS and three more RED-TAILED HAWKS. Sherry recorded
other seasonal firsts on April 1. They included two adult NORTHERN
HARRIERS and an adult Krider's RED-TAILED HAWK at Foxholm; a PURPLE FINCH,
DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, WESTERN
MEADOWLARK and 250 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at Carpio; 19 SANDHILL CRANES,
thousands of SNOW GEESE with many dark morphs, a great variety of ducks and
geese, a KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 225 RING-BILLED GULLS at Lake
Darling on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge; and more waterfowl
plus a WESTERN MEADOWLARK and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at the Minot lagoons.
Contact Sherry at sherry_leslie@excite.com
Dan Svingen says the GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE is still being seen at Mandt in
Walsh County. The bird has been a regular since last fall, but the
homeowner reports it now looks much thinner. For details, call Dan at
250-4443, ext. 107.
>From Fort Yates, Thane Popelka's feeders have been busy. Recent sightings
include a yellow-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY
WOODPECKER, EUROPEAN STARLINGS, COMMON GRACKLES, DARK-EYED JUNCOS,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and MOURNING DOVES. Contact Thane at
lightningfog@yahoo.com
Bernice Houser reports the first MOURNING DOVE of the season in rural New
Town on April 1, plus two male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. On March 30, her
feeders attracted dozens of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS.
Her first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD appeared on March 29. For details, Bernice
is at sanishnd@hotmail.com
Now, some reminders: Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge is taking
reservations for their sharp-tailed grouse viewing blinds. Lynda Knutsen
of the refuge staff says they have two new, spacious, birder-friendly
blinds. Call 387-4397. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for
reports of any whooping crane sightings. You know the drill: Prompt,
accurate reports of the location, number of adults, number of juveniles,
date, and presence of any leg bands. Get your reports to Gregg Knutsen at
387-4397 or the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. at 328-6300. And, the N.D.
Birding Society's spring "field trip" is scheduled for June 3-4 in the
Turtle Mountains. There's more information on the web site at
www.ndbirdingsociety.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
* April 4, 2006
* NDST0601.24
- Transcript
Hotline: North Dakota Update
Date: April 4, 2006
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: April 4, 2006
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson@fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
GRAY JAY
Red-tailed Hawk
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Harrier
Canada Goose
Rough-legged Hawk
Tundra Swan
Pied-billed Grebe
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Franklin's Gull
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Osprey
Golden Eagle
Snow Bunting
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Great Blue Heron
Canvasback
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
Common Grackle
Mourning Dove
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Bohemian Waxwing
Eastern Bluebird
Fox Sparrow
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Goshawk
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Common Merganser
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Redhead
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Double-crested Cormorant
Northern Harrier
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Sandhill Crane
Rusty Blackbird
Ross' Goose
Lapland Longspur
EASTERN MEADOWLARK
American White Pelican
Northern Shoveler
Lesser Yellowlegs
Killdeer
Brewer's Blackbird
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Pintail
Great Egret
Snowy Owl
California Gull
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Blue-winged Teal
Wood Duck
Greater Scaup
Song Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
Northern Shrike
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Redhead
Canvasback
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Fox Sparrow
Short-eared Owl
Great Horned Owl
Prairie Falcon
American Kestrel
Horned Lark
Purple Finch
American Tree Sparrow
Greater Yellowlegs
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Welcome to the North Dakota Rare Bird Alert compiled by the North Dakota
Birding Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This report was
prepared on Tuesday, April 4. Unless otherwise noted, all phone numbers
mentioned are area code 701.
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.
This week, an unusual visitor, a large raptor migration, and lots of
waterfowl.
The GRAY JAY originally spotted by Eve Freeberg in southern Grand Forks on
April 1 attracted lots of attention. The species is an occasional fall and
winter visitor to North Dakota. Eve saw it again on April 3. She recorded
many other species during the first weekend in April. Eve counted 468
RED-TAILED HAWKS in 2 ½ hours, plus 50 BALD EAGLES, seven SHARP-SHINNED
HAWKS, two COOPER'S HAWKS, five NORTHERN HARRIERS and 3,000 CANADA GEESE.
Eve reported a good variety of species in the movement of March 25-26. The
list included more than 40 BALD EAGLES, about 40 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and
RED-TAILED HAWKS, TUNDRA SWANS, PIED-BILLED GREBE, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED
MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, REDHEAD,
FRANKLIN'S GULL, HERRING GULL, RING-BILLED GULL, OSPREY and GOLDEN EAGLE.
On March 24, Eve counted 45 SNOW BUNTINGS. Contact her at 741-8105.
Dave Lambeth noticed a good migration on March 31. His highlights from
Grand Forks County included a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, PIED-BILLED GREBE,
four GREAT BLUE HERONS, 20 RING-BILLED GULLS, two HERRING GULLS, a
CANVASBACK, four LESSER SCAUP, six HOODED MERGANSERS, 15 COMMON GOLDENEYE,
20 MALLARDS, three NORTHERN PINTAILS and two NORTHERN SHOVELERS. On March
29, Dave got a brief glimpse of a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK reported to him by
Tim Driscoll who had seen it a day earlier at Turtle River State Park, west
of Grand Forks. Dave also noted first-of-season sightings of COMMON
GRACKLE and TUNDRA SWAN on March 29 and MOURNING DOVE on April 30. You can
reach Dave at davidlambeth58201@yahoo.com
Dennis Wiesenborn reports birds are congregating near the flooding Red
River in Fargo. His sightings included a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER north of
the Oak Grove neighborhood, a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET south of there, and a
HERMIT THRUSH at Trefoil Park on April 1. Other birds that day included a
BOHEMIAN WAXWING at Woodland Drive in north Fargo and a pair of EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS at Oak Grove High School. On March 30, Dennis reported his first
singing FOX SPARROW of spring. That was preceded on March 28 by a
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER just south of El Zagal golf course, plus COMMON
GRACKLE and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Also, Trefoil Park hosted five HOODED
MERGANSERS that day. For more information, contact Dennis at
d.wiesenborn@ndsu.edu
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW joined the host of DARK-EYED JUNCOS in Keith
Corliss' yard in West Fargo on March 30. He's at 241-5452.
A NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew in front of Pat Beauzay on March 31 just east of
Aaker's Business College in Fargo. Call him at 231-9491.
Joe and Linda Gregg got to see the male and female EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES
in Harwood on April 2. Contact them at lgregg@wah.midco.net
Connie Norheim and Becky Oberlander drove to Tewaukon National Wildlife
Refuge and Kraft Slough in Sargent County on March 30. They report COMMON
GOLDENEYE were common all day, as were LESSER SCAUP. Other, less common
species, included eight HOODED MERGANSERS, about 20 COMMON MERGANSERS, four
GADWALL, an AMERICAN WIGEON, two CANVASBACKS, two REDHEADS, about 30
RING-NECKED DUCKS, about six BUFFLEHEADS, about eight RUDDY DUCKS, two
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, a NORTHERN HARRIER, many RED-TAILED HAWKS, eight
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD. The waterfowl list included
large flocks of SNOW GEESE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE. For more
information, contact Connie at cnorheim@msn.com
Mark Otnes noticed TUNDRA SWANS all over Richland County on March 31. At
the junction of ND 18 and County Road 8, he observed two SANDHILL CRANES
and a large blackbird flock that included some RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Just
south of Wyndmere, Mark got a good look at two ROSS' GEESE. He also
reported a large northward movement of LAPLAND LONGSPURS going into a
strong north wind. Back in Fargo, Mark saw a flock of about 20 SANDHILL
CRANES over the Blue Cross building on April 4. Call him at 241-4194.
>From the Sheyenne National Grassland, Bryan Stotts recorded a singing
EASTERN MEADOWLARK on about March 29. If you want directions, call Bryan
at 683-4342.
There have been lots of recent arrivals in the Jamestown area. About 30
AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS turned up in central Cass County on March 30, and
two more near Woodworth, marking the earliest arrival in Stutsman County in
42 years. A lone COMMON MERGANSER was seen on March 26, and a pair on
March 28, with both sightings at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
COMMON GOLDENEYES and NORTHERN SHOVELERS were recorded on March 27 near
Jamestown. RED-TAILED HAWKS, including several dark birds, were seen in
large numbers in the eastern one-third of the state on March 30. Larry Igl
found GOLDEN EAGLES east of Valley City and near Absaraka, also on March
30. Jill Shaffer saw a flock of about 100 RING-BILLED GULLS and a single
FRANKLIN'S GULL near Jamestown on March 27. Larry Igl found a lone LESSER
YELLOWLEGS near Absaraka on March 30. Marsha Sovada and Pam Pietz
discovered KILLDEER at the Northern Prairie Center on March 28, with many
more the following day. Jill Shaffer reported seeing BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS
near Jamestown on March 29, and a COMMON GRACKLE east of Jamestown on March
30, while Tom Buhl saw another in northeastern Jamestown on March 29. For
details on any of those sightings, call Larry Igl at 253-5511.
Dan Buchanan got in a couple good days of birding over the weekend of April
1 and 2. He observed treetops full...or about 50...CEDAR WAXWINGS below
the Jamestown Dam, a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS below the dam plus several
pair at the Alkali Lakes Sanctuary, 12 or more pairs of COMMON GOLDENEYE
and a GOLDEN EAGLE at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, and his
first-of-spring KILLDEER, NORTHERN SHOVELERS and NORTHERN PINTAILS. For
more information, call Dan at 252-6604.
Just north of Sheyenne on the Sheyenne River, Ann Hoffert saw about 20
HOODED MERGANSERS and 15 COMMON GOLDENEYE on April 1. You can reach her at
652-2623.
Clark Talkington and Corey Ellingson birded from Bismarck-Mandan to Dawson
on March 31. Highlights included a GREAT EGRET and four SNOWY OWLS at Long
Lake National Wildlife Refuge, plus about 2,000 gulls...mostly at the
refuge and the Bismarck landfill. The mix was mostly CALIFORNIA GULLS and
RING-BILLED GULLS, with a few FRANKLIN'S GULLS and HERRING GULLS. At the
Dawson WMA in Kidder County, they added a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. On March
29, Clark hit some Morton County hot spots. At the Kist Livestock pond, he
found an all-white CANADA GOOSE with correct plumage for the neck and head,
plus a male BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 10 HOODED MERGANSERS, 10 WOOD DUCKS and a
KILLDEER. At the Tesoro Refinery, he added two GREAT BLUE HERONS, a male
GREATER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, KILLDEER, SONG SPARROW and a singing WESTERN
MEADOWLARK. Along the Heart River west of Mandan, Clark found an immature
GOLDEN EAGLE and NORTHERN SHRIKE. On March 27, he saw seven TUNDRA SWANS
at DeWald Slough, plus a big assortment of birds at Long Lake National
Wildlife Refuge. The mix included 5 SNOW GEESE, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE, ROSS' GOOSE, 50 CACKLING GEESE, about 5,000 CANADA GEESE, six
GADWALLS, two AMERICAN WIGEONS, six NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 50 GREEN-WINGED
TEAL, 20 REDHEADS, a BUFFLEHEAD, 55 COMMON GOLDENEYE and 75 COMMON
MERGANSERS. Between the refuge and the Tesoro Refinery in Mandan, he found
25 CANVASBACKS, 30 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 120 LESSER SCAUP. Other sightings
on March 28 included a FRANKLIN'S GULL at the Bismarck landfill, 250
CALIFORNIA GULLS and more than 200 RING-BILLED GULLS between the landfill
and Salt Lake in Burleigh County, a GREAT BLUE HERON at Long Lake refuge
and a CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR northwest of the linerefuge. Contact
Clark at ctalkington@bis.midco.net
Mark Gonzalez had a FOX SPARROW in his Bismarck yard on March 30. He had
similar visits throughout the winter, but none since Feb. 28. On March 28,
Mark found a SHORT-EARED OWL and two GREAT HORNED OWLS in CRP fields south
of Dickinson. On the 29th, he noticed numerous NORTHERN HARRIERS, a
PRAIRIE FALCON, a half-dozen buteos and a couple AMERICAN KESTRELS between
Dickinson and Bismarck. Contact Mark at 250-4443, ext. 106.
New arrivals at the Minot lagoons on March 29 included 11 GREATER SCAUP and
four FRANKLIN'S GULLS. Contact Ron Martin at jrmartin@srt.com
Sherry Leslie reports the first EASTERN BLUEBIRD of the spring arrived in
her rural Burlington yard on April 3. She says that marks the
second-latest arrival in the 12 years she has been keeping records. On
April 2, Sherry birded south and west of Minot, finding 13 RED-TAILED HAWKS
including an adult Krider and two dark juveniles, female and male AMERICAN
KESTREL, three NORTHERN HARRIERS including two males, a FERRUGINOUS HAWK
and several small flocks of HORNED LARKS. West of there, she added four
more NORTHERN HARRIERS and three more RED-TAILED HAWKS. Sherry recorded
other seasonal firsts on April 1. They included two adult NORTHERN
HARRIERS and an adult Krider's RED-TAILED HAWK at Foxholm; a PURPLE FINCH,
DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, WESTERN
MEADOWLARK and 250 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at Carpio; 19 SANDHILL CRANES,
thousands of SNOW GEESE with many dark morphs, a great variety of ducks and
geese, a KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 225 RING-BILLED GULLS at Lake
Darling on the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge; and more waterfowl
plus a WESTERN MEADOWLARK and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at the Minot lagoons.
Contact Sherry at sherry_leslie@excite.com
Dan Svingen says the GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE is still being seen at Mandt in
Walsh County. The bird has been a regular since last fall, but the
homeowner reports it now looks much thinner. For details, call Dan at
250-4443, ext. 107.
>From Fort Yates, Thane Popelka's feeders have been busy. Recent sightings
include a yellow-shafted NORTHERN FLICKER, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY
WOODPECKER, EUROPEAN STARLINGS, COMMON GRACKLES, DARK-EYED JUNCOS,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and MOURNING DOVES. Contact Thane at
lightningfog@yahoo.com
Bernice Houser reports the first MOURNING DOVE of the season in rural New
Town on April 1, plus two male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. On March 30, her
feeders attracted dozens of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS.
Her first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD appeared on March 29. For details, Bernice
is at sanishnd@hotmail.com
Now, some reminders: Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge is taking
reservations for their sharp-tailed grouse viewing blinds. Lynda Knutsen
of the refuge staff says they have two new, spacious, birder-friendly
blinds. Call 387-4397. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for
reports of any whooping crane sightings. You know the drill: Prompt,
accurate reports of the location, number of adults, number of juveniles,
date, and presence of any leg bands. Get your reports to Gregg Knutsen at
387-4397 or the N.D. Game and Fish Dept. at 328-6300. And, the N.D.
Birding Society's spring "field trip" is scheduled for June 3-4 in the
Turtle Mountains. There's more information on the web site at
www.ndbirdingsociety.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