* RBA
* North Dakota
* Statewide
* March 27, 2007
* NDST0703.27
Hotline: North Dakota
Update Date: March 27, 2007
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: March 27, 2007
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson at fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
Peregrine Falcon
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
Greater Scaup
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Northern Pintail
Franklin's Gull
Greater Yellowlegs
Sandhill Crane
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ross's Goose
Snow Goose
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Long-eared Owl
Ring-billed Gulls
California Gull
Herring Gull
Gadwall
Canvasback
Redhead
Killdeer
Ring-necked Duck
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
Great Blue Heron
American White Pelican
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ferruginous Hawk
Great Horned Owl
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Horned Lark
American Crow
Merlin
Rock Pigeon
Common Merganser
American Coot
American Tree Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Wild Turkey
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Greater White-fronted Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Common Redpoll
American Kestrel
Eastern Bluebird
American Wigeon
Mallards
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Common Goldeneyes
Northern Shrike
Rusty Blackbird
Tundra Swan
HOARY REDPOLL
American Robin
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Rough-legged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Prairie Falcon
Short-eared Owls
Pied-billed Grebe
Black-billed Magpie
Dark-eyed Junco
Mountain Bluebird
Ring-necked Pheasant
Gray Partridge
-Transcript
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, March 27. All phone numbers
mentioned are area code 701 unless otherwise noted.
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
occurred before for the season being reported.
The downtown Fargo peregrines are back, but so are lots of other
species, and still others are already gone.
Wick Corwin says the first PEREGRINE FALCON sightings came on March
11. The appearance of the male was followed on March 20 by the
female. Corwin and other observers believe it is the same pair
that has occupied the area since 2003. For details, contact him at
wcorwin@conmylaw.com
Ron Martin discovered a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL during a stop at
the Bismarck landfill on March 23. It's the fourth year in a row the
species has been seen at that location, although this was the
earliest record for the area. Elsewhere that day, Ron saw three
GREATER SCAUP in McLean County and four DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS
at Coleharbor. On March 24, he counted 26 BALD EAGLES, and at least
four active nests in McHenry County, including a new one very close
to Velva. Among the thousands of geese and ducks Ron saw at J. Clark
Salyer National Wildlife Refuge were about 7,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS.
He also found an early DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, two FRANKLIN'S GULLS
and an early GREATER YELLOWLEGS. New species for McHenry County on
March 25 were SANDHILL CRANE, SONG SPARROW and COMMON GRACKLE. Ron
also saw 200 ROSS'S GEESE in a flock of about 2,000 SNOW GEESE. On
March 24, Ron heard a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL calling in his yard
near Sawyer in the morning, and a LONG-EARED OWL calling that
evening. For more information, contact him at jrmartin@srt.com
Clark Talkington had good birding on March 22 at the Bismarck
landfill, McKenzie Slough and Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
He picked out three FRANKLIN'S GULLS at the landfill; about 3,500
RING-BILLED GULLS total and 75 CALIFORNIA GULLS at the landfill,
McKenzie Slough and Long Lake refuge; 10 HERRING GULLS at the refuge;
about 3,500 NORTHERN PINTAILS at McKenzie Slough and the refuge;
and a lone GADWALL at McKenzie Slough. On March 25, Clark re-visited
some of the same spots, finding a total of 7,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS,
200 CANVASBACKS, 800 REDHEADS and 12 KILLDEER. At the YMCA Waterfowl
Production Area, he added 12 RING-NECKED DUCKS and two GREATER SCAUP.
Clark saw a total of three RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at the refinery
and the refuge, as well as 12 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS at the refuge.
He also heard SANDHILL CRANES flying over McKenzie Slough and the
refuge. Birding the Mandan area on March 24, Clark saw three WOOD
DUCKS about 10 miles north of town, a total of 35 HOODED MERGANSERS,
most of them at the refinery, and a GREAT BLUE HERON at the refinery.
For more information, contact Clark at ctalkington@bis.midco.net
Corey Ellingson and four others took part in a field trip to McKenzie
Slough and Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Moffit on March 24.
They had three AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flyovers at the refuge, and
saw 10,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS at McKenzie Slough, the first BUFFLEHEAD
of spring, two male RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and three RUDDY DUCKS.
Corey notes the FERRUGINOUS HAWK has returned to the Menoken territory,
and they saw three GREAT HORNED OWL nests. At the Bismarck landfill,
they saw FRANKLIN'S GULL and added that the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
was still present. On March 25, Corey saw a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
on a utility pole in his back yard in Bismarck. He says it was the
fourth dove species for his yard list. Contact him at
tcellingson@juno.com
Russ Dawson and his wife saw two PEREGRINE FALCONS, a HORNED LARK,
48 AMERICAN CROWS and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK at Double Ditch historic
site north of Bismarck on March 23. Contact Russ at
nicroft@bis.midco.net
From southeast of Bismarck, Bob Scarlett reports that "his" WOOD
DUCKS are back, and a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS arrived on March 23.
For details, Bob is at bobkat@btinet.net
Pat Beauzay saw two adult CALIFORNIA GULLS just north of the Fargo
landfill on March 21. He watched a pair of MERLINS chasing ROCK PIGEONS
at the 12th Ave. North railroad overpass on March 20. He says there
was a pair at the same location last year. Call Pat at 231-9491.
Rick Holbrook reports a single MERLIN around his feeders in Fargo
several times this winter and spring. Contact him at
fholbrook@cableone.net
Connie Norheim saw her first SNOW GEESE of the spring on March 24.
At the Lake Elsie Recreation Area, she and Lew Daley saw RING-BILLED
GULLS, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, AMERICAN COOT, AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS and MOURNING DOVE. They added a displaying WILD TURKEY
while heading west along Highway 11. At Cayuga, they saw a large
flock of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS in a tree, and saw a lone YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD. Moving on to Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, they saw
one large flock of SNOW GEESE on the ground, and noticed that all the
big water is still frozen. The best numbers of SNOW GEESE were at
Lake Bertha in Cass County. Connie found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE near the West Fargo Sheyenne Diversion on March 22, along with
a RED-TAILED HAWK and two KILLDEER near the Fargo sewage lagoons.
Earlier that day, she had two COMMON REDPOLLS at her feeders in
north Fargo – her first of the winter. On March 20, Connie found
three adult BALD EAGLES south of Casselton, along with an AMERICAN
KESTREL and a RED-TAILED HAWK. Call her at 232-4386.
Mark Otnes reports "full-blown spring" on March 23 at Tewaukon
National Wildlife Refuge, counting 53 species including all five
species of geese. Other migrants that day included DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON, AMERICAN COOT, KILLDEER, RING-BILLED
GULL, HERRING GULL, MOURNING DOVE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and COMMON
GRACKLE. In addition to common or abundant GADWALLS, AMERICAN
WIGEON, MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAILS, RING-NECKED DUCKS and scaup
species, other waterfowl included two WOOD DUCKS, nine NORTHERN
SHOVELERS, 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 15 CANVASBACKS, 20 REDHEADS, six
BUFFLEHEADS, 80 COMMON GOLDENEYES, four HOODED MERGANSERS, 50
COMMON MERGANSERS and eight RUDDY DUCKS. Mark says the last of
the winter species he saw that day were two NORTHERN SHRIKES.
For more information, call Mark at 241-4194.
Keith Corliss and Dean Riemer found a SONG SPARROW near Alice on
March 24, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS in both Ransom and Cass counties, and
a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Pigeon Point in Ransom County on March 25.
You can reach Keith at koolhandluke@juno.com
Gary Nielsen watched several skeins of TUNDRA SWANS over the Fargo
sewage lagoons on March 24. He says one flock included two black
birds of the same size and shape, but he couldn't identify them.
Gary's at 232-3588.
On March 24, Linda Gregg saw at least 100 redpolls at her feeders
in Horace, including one HOARY REDPOLL that came within about three
feet of her. Earlier that day, the first AMERICAN ROBIN of the
season showed up in her yard. Contact Linda at lgregg@wah.midco.net
Jean Legge says the GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH was seen by a homeowner
in Rogers on March 19. Jean reports a sudden invasion of her yard
near Valley City by a large flock of AMERICAN ROBINS. On March 25,
she had fly-overs by TUNDRA SWANS and 14 SANDHILL CRANES. Her feeders
had two HOARY REDPOLLS all day. North of Valley City on the Sheyenne
River Scenic Byway, Jean saw two pairs of BALD EAGLES and an
immature, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and two GREAT HORNED OWLS on a nest.
You can reach her at 845-4762.
Shiela Rabe saw tens of thousands of SNOW GEESE and CANADA GEESE
in the air between Cando and Devils Lake on March 22. She also found
22 RED-TAILED HAWKS, a BALD EAGLE, two AMERICAN KESTRELS, a small
group of male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and two unidentified gulls.
From her yard near Cando, Sheila said most of the COMMON REDPOLLS
have vanished, and been replaced by five AMERICAN ROBINS. She added
that a pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES overwintered there. Contact
her at 869-3383.
Dave Lambeth found a good vantage point on the Red River Greenway
dike in Grand Forks on March 24 to watch a large raptor movement.
In about 90 minutes, he counted 274 buteos – mostly RED-TAILED HAWKS,
but also several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. Dave also saw 12 SHARP-SHINNED
HAWKS, three COOPER’S HAWKS, an adult BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE FALCON
and MERLIN, plus a pair of MALLARDS. On March 23, he found a PRAIRIE
FALCON north of Mekinock. Dave says it's a species he hasn't seen
much in the Grand Forks area in the past few years. He's at
davidlambeth58201@yahoo.com
Eve Freeberg also watched a large raptor migration along the Red
River on March 24. After the fog finally lifted that afternoon,
Eve counted a whopping 552 RED-TAILED HAWKS and 31 BALD EAGLES
in well under two hours from her location about 10 miles south of
Grand Forks. Eve said one kettle held 80 hawks. She also saw eight
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 25 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and about 30
SHORT-EARED OWLS. On March 23, Eve recorded EASTERN BLUEBIRD,
KILLDEER and TUNDRA SWAN in Grand Forks County. On March 25, she
observed a PIED-BILLED GREBE at Kellys Slough National Wildlife
Refuge, along with 1,600 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 100 TUNDRA SWANS.
On March 26, she added GREATER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOT and CALIFORNIA
GULL. Then, on March 27, Eve found an early GREATER YELLOWLEGS at
the north unit of Kellys Slough refuge. For more information, call
her at 741-8105.
Kay Buri recorded a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE east of Carpio on March 20.
You can reach her at kayaktheprairie@srt.com
Bernice Houser was glad to see some DARK-EYED JUNCOS on March 20.
She did not have any that spent the winter in her yard near New Town.
The nearby Sanish Cemetery held quite a few MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, about
a dozen AMERICAN ROBINS and a pair of HORNED LARKS. She saw her first
WESTERN MEADOWLARK of the season on March 23, along with a pair of
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS north of New Town. Other sightings that day
included a likely NORTHERN SHRIKE, an AMERICAN KESTREL and about
two dozen SHARP-TAILED GROUSE close to a new oil well. She saw more
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS along with 11 WILD TURKEYS and more DARK-EYED
JUNCOS including one Oregon race on March 25, and noted that the
winter appeared to have been kind to the RING-NECKED PHEASANTS,
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and GRAY PARTRIDGE. On March 24, a trip to
Minot produced the first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS of the season.
Contact Bernice at sanishnd@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 more than 1,100 Waterfowl Production Areas in
North Dakota... offering some of the best birding opportunities in
the state. Contact Refuge offices for more information about visiting.
For phone numbers of individual Refuges, as well as additional
information, go to the 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 27, 2007
* NDST0703.27
Hotline: North Dakota
Update Date: March 27, 2007
Number: 701-250-4418
To Report: 701-250-4418
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson, USFWS
Compiled: March 27, 2007
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto:kenneth_torkelson at fws.gov
- Birds Mentioned
Peregrine Falcon
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
Greater Scaup
Double-crested Cormorant
Bald Eagle
Northern Pintail
Franklin's Gull
Greater Yellowlegs
Sandhill Crane
Song Sparrow
Common Grackle
Ross's Goose
Snow Goose
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Long-eared Owl
Ring-billed Gulls
California Gull
Herring Gull
Gadwall
Canvasback
Redhead
Killdeer
Ring-necked Duck
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Wood Duck
Hooded Merganser
Great Blue Heron
American White Pelican
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ferruginous Hawk
Great Horned Owl
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Horned Lark
American Crow
Merlin
Rock Pigeon
Common Merganser
American Coot
American Tree Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Wild Turkey
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Greater White-fronted Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Common Redpoll
American Kestrel
Eastern Bluebird
American Wigeon
Mallards
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Common Goldeneyes
Northern Shrike
Rusty Blackbird
Tundra Swan
HOARY REDPOLL
American Robin
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Rough-legged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Prairie Falcon
Short-eared Owls
Pied-billed Grebe
Black-billed Magpie
Dark-eyed Junco
Mountain Bluebird
Ring-necked Pheasant
Gray Partridge
-Transcript
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, March 27. All phone numbers
mentioned are area code 701 unless otherwise noted.
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
occurred before for the season being reported.
The downtown Fargo peregrines are back, but so are lots of other
species, and still others are already gone.
Wick Corwin says the first PEREGRINE FALCON sightings came on March
11. The appearance of the male was followed on March 20 by the
female. Corwin and other observers believe it is the same pair
that has occupied the area since 2003. For details, contact him at
wcorwin@conmylaw.com
Ron Martin discovered a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL during a stop at
the Bismarck landfill on March 23. It's the fourth year in a row the
species has been seen at that location, although this was the
earliest record for the area. Elsewhere that day, Ron saw three
GREATER SCAUP in McLean County and four DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS
at Coleharbor. On March 24, he counted 26 BALD EAGLES, and at least
four active nests in McHenry County, including a new one very close
to Velva. Among the thousands of geese and ducks Ron saw at J. Clark
Salyer National Wildlife Refuge were about 7,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS.
He also found an early DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, two FRANKLIN'S GULLS
and an early GREATER YELLOWLEGS. New species for McHenry County on
March 25 were SANDHILL CRANE, SONG SPARROW and COMMON GRACKLE. Ron
also saw 200 ROSS'S GEESE in a flock of about 2,000 SNOW GEESE. On
March 24, Ron heard a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL calling in his yard
near Sawyer in the morning, and a LONG-EARED OWL calling that
evening. For more information, contact him at jrmartin@srt.com
Clark Talkington had good birding on March 22 at the Bismarck
landfill, McKenzie Slough and Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
He picked out three FRANKLIN'S GULLS at the landfill; about 3,500
RING-BILLED GULLS total and 75 CALIFORNIA GULLS at the landfill,
McKenzie Slough and Long Lake refuge; 10 HERRING GULLS at the refuge;
about 3,500 NORTHERN PINTAILS at McKenzie Slough and the refuge;
and a lone GADWALL at McKenzie Slough. On March 25, Clark re-visited
some of the same spots, finding a total of 7,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS,
200 CANVASBACKS, 800 REDHEADS and 12 KILLDEER. At the YMCA Waterfowl
Production Area, he added 12 RING-NECKED DUCKS and two GREATER SCAUP.
Clark saw a total of three RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at the refinery
and the refuge, as well as 12 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS at the refuge.
He also heard SANDHILL CRANES flying over McKenzie Slough and the
refuge. Birding the Mandan area on March 24, Clark saw three WOOD
DUCKS about 10 miles north of town, a total of 35 HOODED MERGANSERS,
most of them at the refinery, and a GREAT BLUE HERON at the refinery.
For more information, contact Clark at ctalkington@bis.midco.net
Corey Ellingson and four others took part in a field trip to McKenzie
Slough and Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Moffit on March 24.
They had three AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flyovers at the refuge, and
saw 10,000 NORTHERN PINTAILS at McKenzie Slough, the first BUFFLEHEAD
of spring, two male RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and three RUDDY DUCKS.
Corey notes the FERRUGINOUS HAWK has returned to the Menoken territory,
and they saw three GREAT HORNED OWL nests. At the Bismarck landfill,
they saw FRANKLIN'S GULL and added that the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
was still present. On March 25, Corey saw a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
on a utility pole in his back yard in Bismarck. He says it was the
fourth dove species for his yard list. Contact him at
tcellingson@juno.com
Russ Dawson and his wife saw two PEREGRINE FALCONS, a HORNED LARK,
48 AMERICAN CROWS and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK at Double Ditch historic
site north of Bismarck on March 23. Contact Russ at
nicroft@bis.midco.net
From southeast of Bismarck, Bob Scarlett reports that "his" WOOD
DUCKS are back, and a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS arrived on March 23.
For details, Bob is at bobkat@btinet.net
Pat Beauzay saw two adult CALIFORNIA GULLS just north of the Fargo
landfill on March 21. He watched a pair of MERLINS chasing ROCK PIGEONS
at the 12th Ave. North railroad overpass on March 20. He says there
was a pair at the same location last year. Call Pat at 231-9491.
Rick Holbrook reports a single MERLIN around his feeders in Fargo
several times this winter and spring. Contact him at
fholbrook@cableone.net
Connie Norheim saw her first SNOW GEESE of the spring on March 24.
At the Lake Elsie Recreation Area, she and Lew Daley saw RING-BILLED
GULLS, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, AMERICAN COOT, AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS and MOURNING DOVE. They added a displaying WILD TURKEY
while heading west along Highway 11. At Cayuga, they saw a large
flock of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS in a tree, and saw a lone YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD. Moving on to Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, they saw
one large flock of SNOW GEESE on the ground, and noticed that all the
big water is still frozen. The best numbers of SNOW GEESE were at
Lake Bertha in Cass County. Connie found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE near the West Fargo Sheyenne Diversion on March 22, along with
a RED-TAILED HAWK and two KILLDEER near the Fargo sewage lagoons.
Earlier that day, she had two COMMON REDPOLLS at her feeders in
north Fargo – her first of the winter. On March 20, Connie found
three adult BALD EAGLES south of Casselton, along with an AMERICAN
KESTREL and a RED-TAILED HAWK. Call her at 232-4386.
Mark Otnes reports "full-blown spring" on March 23 at Tewaukon
National Wildlife Refuge, counting 53 species including all five
species of geese. Other migrants that day included DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON, AMERICAN COOT, KILLDEER, RING-BILLED
GULL, HERRING GULL, MOURNING DOVE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and COMMON
GRACKLE. In addition to common or abundant GADWALLS, AMERICAN
WIGEON, MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAILS, RING-NECKED DUCKS and scaup
species, other waterfowl included two WOOD DUCKS, nine NORTHERN
SHOVELERS, 20 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 15 CANVASBACKS, 20 REDHEADS, six
BUFFLEHEADS, 80 COMMON GOLDENEYES, four HOODED MERGANSERS, 50
COMMON MERGANSERS and eight RUDDY DUCKS. Mark says the last of
the winter species he saw that day were two NORTHERN SHRIKES.
For more information, call Mark at 241-4194.
Keith Corliss and Dean Riemer found a SONG SPARROW near Alice on
March 24, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS in both Ransom and Cass counties, and
a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Pigeon Point in Ransom County on March 25.
You can reach Keith at koolhandluke@juno.com
Gary Nielsen watched several skeins of TUNDRA SWANS over the Fargo
sewage lagoons on March 24. He says one flock included two black
birds of the same size and shape, but he couldn't identify them.
Gary's at 232-3588.
On March 24, Linda Gregg saw at least 100 redpolls at her feeders
in Horace, including one HOARY REDPOLL that came within about three
feet of her. Earlier that day, the first AMERICAN ROBIN of the
season showed up in her yard. Contact Linda at lgregg@wah.midco.net
Jean Legge says the GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH was seen by a homeowner
in Rogers on March 19. Jean reports a sudden invasion of her yard
near Valley City by a large flock of AMERICAN ROBINS. On March 25,
she had fly-overs by TUNDRA SWANS and 14 SANDHILL CRANES. Her feeders
had two HOARY REDPOLLS all day. North of Valley City on the Sheyenne
River Scenic Byway, Jean saw two pairs of BALD EAGLES and an
immature, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and two GREAT HORNED OWLS on a nest.
You can reach her at 845-4762.
Shiela Rabe saw tens of thousands of SNOW GEESE and CANADA GEESE
in the air between Cando and Devils Lake on March 22. She also found
22 RED-TAILED HAWKS, a BALD EAGLE, two AMERICAN KESTRELS, a small
group of male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and two unidentified gulls.
From her yard near Cando, Sheila said most of the COMMON REDPOLLS
have vanished, and been replaced by five AMERICAN ROBINS. She added
that a pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES overwintered there. Contact
her at 869-3383.
Dave Lambeth found a good vantage point on the Red River Greenway
dike in Grand Forks on March 24 to watch a large raptor movement.
In about 90 minutes, he counted 274 buteos – mostly RED-TAILED HAWKS,
but also several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. Dave also saw 12 SHARP-SHINNED
HAWKS, three COOPER’S HAWKS, an adult BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE FALCON
and MERLIN, plus a pair of MALLARDS. On March 23, he found a PRAIRIE
FALCON north of Mekinock. Dave says it's a species he hasn't seen
much in the Grand Forks area in the past few years. He's at
davidlambeth58201@yahoo.com
Eve Freeberg also watched a large raptor migration along the Red
River on March 24. After the fog finally lifted that afternoon,
Eve counted a whopping 552 RED-TAILED HAWKS and 31 BALD EAGLES
in well under two hours from her location about 10 miles south of
Grand Forks. Eve said one kettle held 80 hawks. She also saw eight
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 25 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and about 30
SHORT-EARED OWLS. On March 23, Eve recorded EASTERN BLUEBIRD,
KILLDEER and TUNDRA SWAN in Grand Forks County. On March 25, she
observed a PIED-BILLED GREBE at Kellys Slough National Wildlife
Refuge, along with 1,600 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 100 TUNDRA SWANS.
On March 26, she added GREATER SCAUP, AMERICAN COOT and CALIFORNIA
GULL. Then, on March 27, Eve found an early GREATER YELLOWLEGS at
the north unit of Kellys Slough refuge. For more information, call
her at 741-8105.
Kay Buri recorded a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE east of Carpio on March 20.
You can reach her at kayaktheprairie@srt.com
Bernice Houser was glad to see some DARK-EYED JUNCOS on March 20.
She did not have any that spent the winter in her yard near New Town.
The nearby Sanish Cemetery held quite a few MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, about
a dozen AMERICAN ROBINS and a pair of HORNED LARKS. She saw her first
WESTERN MEADOWLARK of the season on March 23, along with a pair of
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS north of New Town. Other sightings that day
included a likely NORTHERN SHRIKE, an AMERICAN KESTREL and about
two dozen SHARP-TAILED GROUSE close to a new oil well. She saw more
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS along with 11 WILD TURKEYS and more DARK-EYED
JUNCOS including one Oregon race on March 25, and noted that the
winter appeared to have been kind to the RING-NECKED PHEASANTS,
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and GRAY PARTRIDGE. On March 24, a trip to
Minot produced the first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS of the season.
Contact Bernice at sanishnd@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 more than 1,100 Waterfowl Production Areas in
North Dakota... offering some of the best birding opportunities in
the state. Contact Refuge offices for more information about visiting.
For phone numbers of individual Refuges, as well as additional
information, go to the Fish and Wildlife Service web site at
www.fws.gov Click on Offices, and click on North Dakota on the map.
- end transcript