Explore Minnesota Birding Report Update April 13, 2012 Any wildlife lover will enjoy the following story about a young bird that was saved from an untimely death. While this is the time of year that people find displaced baby bunnies and robins, it is not very common to stumble upon a baby great horned owl (shown above). One caring family from Richfield found the little bird, which had fallen from its nest in a tree several stories high. After calls and visits from wildlife specialists, they placed the owlet in a basket, securing it high in a tree. The owl parents inspected the basket, brought a mouse and have been seen caring for the baby. All signs indicate the rescue attempt has been a success!To learn more about owls and how to handle an injured bird, visit the University of Minnesota Raptor Center or check out their website at
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/raptor.
The following information 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:
On April 3rd, Ben Harste reported a Brown Pelican flying overhead in Bloomington, Hennepin County. This was followed by dozens of reports and several photographs from the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Goodhue County up until April 8th. It was then seen flying north over the town of Coates in Dakota County on the 9th, and later that day it was seen about a mile south of the town of Stacy in Chisago County, still heading north. It may still be in the area northwest of Stacy on one of the many lakes.
A Prairie Falcon was reported along U.S Highway 75 north of the town of Euclid in Polk County, but no further details are available.
Shawn Conrad found the first American Bittern of the year in Itasca County, about a week earlier than usual. Other migrants arriving the week include Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit, Dunlin, Bonaparte's Gull, Brown Thrasher, American Pipit, Nashville Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Smith's Longspur, and Lark Sparrow.
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.
