Explore Minnesota Birding Report Update March 1, 2013
The month of March kicks off with a couple of popular birding events. The International Festival of Owls will be held March 1-3 in the town of Houston, located in southeastern Minnesota. Immerse yourself in owls at the only annual, full-weekend, all-owl festival in North America. Highlights include seven species of live owls, an outdoor photography session with the owls, and owl prowls to call in wild owls. Families can build an owl nest box, make a variety of owl crafts, search for the medallion, and have a hoot eating owl-themed food. More serious owl aficionados will enjoy presentations by internationally renowned owl experts. And don't miss SOAR with the Eagles held Saturdays and Sundays, March 2-17 in Wabasha. SOAR with the Eagles offers special events, guest presenters, artists, exhibitors, a raffle and more. Come see an abundance of eagles soaring, catching fish, nesting, and chattering.
Information in this report has been provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and their affiliates. This report is brought to you by ExploreMinnesota.com.
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The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
The King Eider first found on February 9th near Duluth was still present on the 23rd along Scenic Highway 61, one-quarter of a mile southwest of Lakewood Road. Several White-Winged Scoters and hundreds of Long-Tailed Ducks were also present from here up the shore to Burlington Bay in Two Harbors.
Mike Hendrickson reported ten Spruce Grouse on the 24th along Lake County Road 2, a third of a mile north of the Sand River. Sparky Stensaas saw four more on the 25th at Mile Marker 301.3 of State Highway 1, also in Lake County.
On the 28th, Kevin Smith was at the industrial park complex just north of Randolph in Dakota County and found six Gray Partridge along the railroad tracks.
Also on the 28th, a Great Gray Owl was seen along Fall River Road, just inland from State Highway 61 and west of Grand Marais in Cook County.
Boreal Owls are more difficult to find lately, although there was one recent report from east Duluth and another from the 100 block of 3rd Avenue in Two Harbors. Dead Boreals have been found as far south as Sherburne County.
Martin Reid found a Northern Hawk Owl in the Sax-Zim Bog of St. Louis County on the 27th. It was on the east side of Admiral Road, one-half mile north of Cranberry Road. On the 17th, Steve Millard reported eight Northern Hawk Owls along State Highway 310 in Roseau County.
In Minneapolis, a Townsend's Solitaire was seen on the 23rd near the south side of St. Mary's Cemetery. It was feeding in a red cedar east of the junction of 46th Street East and Chicago Avenue.
A few new spring migrants have been reported recently, including Redhead, Golden Eagle, American Coot, Wilson's Snipe, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, and Eastern Bluebird.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
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