North Dakota (Statewide) RBA
March 23, 2010
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:32:16 -0400
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Subject: RBA: North Dakota, March 23, 2010
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o2PDWc92007543
* RBA
* North Dakota
* Statewide
* Marcg 23, 2010
* NDST1003.23
- Transcript
Hotline: North Dakota Update
Date: March 23, 2010
Number: 701-527-0730
To Report: 701-527-0730
Coverage: Statewide
Compiler: Ken Torkelson
Compiled: March 23, 2010
Transcriber: Jane Kostenko
mailto: tork02@juno.com
- Birds Mentioned
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Canada Goose
Merlin
American Tree Sparrow
Rough-legged Hawk
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Northern Pintail
Northern Harrier
Killdeer
Red-winged Blackbird
Wood Duck
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Western Meadowlark
Prairie Falcon
Horned Lark
American Robin
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Cedar Waxwing
Red-tailed Hawk
Pine Siskin
Dark-eyed Junco
Ring-billed Gull
Common Goldeneye
Gray Partridge
White-winged Crossbill
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Cackling Goose
Mallard
California Gull
Herring Gull
Northern Shoveler
Great Horned Owl
Ross' Goose
Bald Eagle
American Crow
American Wigeon
Green-winged Teal
Lesser Scaup
Belted Kingfisher
Long-tailed Duck
American Goldfinch
Black-billed Magpie
Golden Eagle
Northern Shrike
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
White-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Saw-Whet Owl
Snowy Owl
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Peregrine Falcon
Tundra Swan
Black-capped Chickadee
Welcome to the North Dakota Rare Bird Alert compiled by the North
Dakota Birding Society. This report was prepared on Tuesday, March 23.
Unless otherwise noted, any 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
occurred before for the season being reported.
If you don't believe winter is over, just ask all these birds-- or birders.
The longest list of seasonal firsts comes from Stutsman County. Larry Igl
relays these sightings: COMMON MERGANSER on March 17 at Northern
Prairie Wildlife Research Center, HOODED MERGANSER the following day,
CANADA GOOSE on March 13, pair of MERLINS near Jamestown College
on March 18, four AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS near Ypsilanti on
March 17, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK near Pipestem Reservoir on March
20, March 21 brought GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE over Jamestown,
the first SNOW GEESE at both Jamestown and Ypsilanti, NORTHERN
PINTAIL over Jamestown, NORTHERN HARRIER near Woodworth,
KILLDEER near Jamestown and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS near
Jamestown. On March 22, observers added two WOOD DUCKS southeast
of Jamestown, a single and a pair of MERLINS in Jamestown and both an
EASTERN BLUEBIRD and a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at the Northern
Prairie site. For details, contact Larry at 253-5511.
Bob Scarlett saw four or five WESTERN MEADOWLARKS along Big
Muddy Creek in Morton County on March 14. Other sightings included
two NORTHERN HARRIERS, PRAIRIE FALCON and large flocks of
HORNED LARKS and AMERICAN ROBINS. In Almont, he added a
pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES, and he finished up with a lone
CEDAR WAXWING at his feeders southeast of Bismarck. Bob is at
bobkat@btinet.net
Four MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS showed up in Peder Stenslie's back
yard in Mandan on March 17. March 22 arrivals were about 12 AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS. He's at Peder.Stenslie@sendit.nodak.edu
Just a few miles south of Hettinger, in South Dakota, Gerry Sailer discovered
a male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on March15. Contact jngsailer@yahoo.com
Lillian Crook saw a RED-TAILED HAWK in Mandan, just west of the Missouri
River, along I-94. She's at lilliancrook@hotmail.com
About 20 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS appeared in Dan Svingen's Bismarck
yard on March 22. They were accompanied by a few PINE SISKINS and
DARK-EYED JUNCOS. Dan and Ila Svingen visited Long Lake National Wildlife
Refuge and McKenzie Slough on March 20. They saw many CANADA GOOSE
pairs, two large flocks of migrating CANADA GEESE with a few SNOW GEESE,
a likely RING-BILLED GULL, a few COMMON GOLDENEYE, a pair of GRAY
PARTRIDGE, and four female and one male NORTHERN HARRIERS. Contact
Dan at 250-4443, ext. 107.
Clark Talkington found a WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL singing on territory at
Mandan Union Cemetery on March 17. The site also held RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH and several PINE SISKINS. Near Fort Lincoln, Clark added three
CANADA GEESE, six GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, SNOW GOOSE,
three CACKLING GEESE, 50 NORTHERN PINTAILS and about 300 MALLARDS.
His trip to Fox Island resulted in three RING-BILLED GULLS, 45 CALIFORNIA
GULLS, two HERRING GULLS, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and
three male COMMON MERGANSERS. At the south end of McKenzie Slough,
Clark discovered more than 100 NORTHERN PINTAILS, four male NORTHERN
SHOVELERS, three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, SNOW GOOSE
and another 225 CACKLING GEESE nearby. He also saw three GREAT HORNED
OWLS on nests, and added a pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in Menoken.
Clark's travels on March 23 included McKenzie Slough, the Bismarck landfill and
Mandan.
He recorded five ROSS' GEESE among 50 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
and 500 CACKLING GEESE, MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER and NORTHERN
PINTAILS. Other sightings included BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, 250
RING-BILLED GULLS, 20 CALIFORNIA GULLS, two HERRING GULLS, 15
AMERICAN CROWS, 100 HORNED LARKS, five DARK-EYED JUNCOS and
three WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. Clark is at ctalkington@bis.midco.net
On March 16, Corey Ellingson recorded 10 CALIFORNIA GULLS on the Missouri
River, south of the Expressway Bridge between Bismarck and Mandan. He also saw
three CACKLING GEESE. He's at crackerjackbirder@bis.midco.net
At the Minot lagoons, Ron Martin recorded 14 CANADA GEESE and a COMMON
GOLDENEYE on March17. Two days later, he saw six MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS
northwest of Burlington. A trip to the Garrison Dam area on March 20 turned up
some
seasonal firsts: GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE,
AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, LESSER SCAUP, RING-BILLED
GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, HERRING GULL and BELTED KINGFISHER. Ron
reports the LONG-TAILED DUCK is still near the boat landing. He moved on to
McHenry County on March 21, recording four active BALD EAGLE nests including
two new ones, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD and WESTERN MEADOWLARK.
Contact Ron at jrmartin@srt.com
From rural Minot/Burlington, Sherry Leslie had several flocks of AMERICAN CROWS
and
NDST
saw at least eight WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, some on territory, plus a MERLIN
and several RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. At Starkweather, Sherry added adult
BALD EAGLE, both male and female NORTHERN HARRIERS and large flocks of
CANADA GEESE. At the Minot lagoons, she found two male NORTHERN HARRIERS,
plus a MERLIN at the Zion Lutheran Church. At home, she spotted at least 12
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS plus numerous AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, DARK-EYED
JUNCOS and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. Contact Sherry at bird_nd@yahoo.com
Pius Klein counted 15 HORNED LARKS near Lake Darling on March 17, and found
six MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS southeast of Minot two days later. He's at
pk@min.midco.net
NDST
the following day, calling from an evergreen tree. Howard can be reached at
hlpromo@srt.com
Bernice Houser saw an adult BALD EAGLE just east of Watford City on March 17,
and
added nine mostly sub-adult BALD EAGLES at the confluence of the Missouri and
Yellowstone rivers. For details, it's sanishnd@rtc.coop
From the Little Missouri National Grassland, Mo O'Mara saw an adult BALD EAGLE
and two MERLINS plus BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, AMERICAN CROW, CANADA
GOOSE and then a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the Montana side of the state line.
Contact her at mo1_omara@yahoo.com
Rod Fossen finally found a GOLDEN EAGLE on March 17. It was near Crary, and he
saw an adult BALD EAGLE near Granville the same day. On the following day, Rod
saw
adult BALD EAGLES near St. Michael and at Penn. His drive west from Minot
produced
a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, NORTHERN SHRIKE and two BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES.
At home in northwest Minot, he saw a MERLIN in a tree on March 21. A visit to
the old
bison plant turned up active HAIRY WOODPECKERS and DOWNY WOODPECKERS
plus WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. Rod added a GOLDEN EAGLE near Sundre
Sand and Gravel, and saw it again later near Nedrose School and Gavin Yard. For
more
information, contact him at rfossen@min.midco.net
Tom Ibsen and his wife found several PINE SISKINS in the Devils Lake cemetery on
March
21, plus two pairs of BALD EAGLES overhead. Tom reminds birders of three events
scheduled
for Sullys Hill National Game Preserve near Devils Lake this summer:
International Migratory
Bird Day activities and programs on May 8, Warbler Weekend on May 22-23, and the
11th
annual Birding and Nature Festival on June 12. That last event is the big one,
with events for
beginning and experienced birders plus wildflower walks and hayrides. You can
reach Tom
at 766-4272 ext. 428.
From Grand Forks, Dave Lambeth reports he was still seeing WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS
with flock sizes up to 15 or so birds on March 17. On the 15th, a NORTHERN
SAW-WHET
OWL responded to recordings and a possible mate was also heard along the Red
River. He
heard another one near Lincoln golf course and a possible fourth. Dave observed
a major SNOW
GOOSE migration just west of Larimore, with an estimated 100,000 birds flying
over in 45 minutes.
His seasonal firsts were CACKLING GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, five
NORTHERN HARRIERS, two RING-BILLED GULLS and two AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS.
He also saw a SNOWY OWL. Contact him at davidlambeth58201@yahoo.com
Sandy Aubol visited Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge on March 19, finding
five CANADA
GEESE and nine SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Seasonal firsts were NORTHERN HARRIER,
nine COMMON GOLDENEYE and a HOODED MERGANSER. Sandy is at
egf_baseball@yahoo.com
Two NORTHERN PINTAILS landed in water near Sharon Watson's home near Buxton on
March 16. She also reported CANADA GEESE and SNOW GEESE flying over.
Contact her at alanwat@infionline.net
Keith Corliss reports a PEREGRINE FALCON has been seen in downtown Fargo since
March 14. It is believed to be the female that nested there last year. Keith
may have more
information at koolhand@juno.com
Dennis Wiesenborn found a WOOD DUCK pair near the Fargo toll bridge on March 19,
near
about 25 MALLARDS and 10 CANADA GEESE. He's at d.wiesenborn@ndsu.edu
Mark Otnes reported flocks of waterfowl over south Fargo on March 22. He says
they were
mostly GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, but one flock included five TUNDRA SWANS.
Contact Mark at 241-4194.
Pat Beauzay observed wave after wave of SNOW GEESE over West Fargo on March 20,
with
numbers probably reaching 10,000. He also saw a MERLIN. On March 18, Pat saw a
very pale
PRAIRIE FALCON at the Denbigh Experimental Forest. He's at 231-7064.
Connie Norheim birded Embden and Lake Bertha on March 18, finding a small flock
of CANADA
GEESE and several HORNED LARKS. She added her first EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
plus several AMERICAN ROBINS and a DARK-EYED JUNCO in Embden. You can reach
her at 232-4386.
From Barnes County, Jean Legge saw five CEDAR WAXWINGS and several pairs of
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, along with
many HORNED LARKS, and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and a DARK-EYED JUNCO
at her feeders near Valley City. You can reach Jean at 845-4762.
That concludes this report from the North Dakota Birding Society. This
report is normally updated each Tuesday.
- end transcript