* * *
GRANT pre-MBW & ROTHSAY MBW SUMMARY
April 21 - 22 - 23, 2017
Summary by Craig Mandel (with minor edits by KRE)
The North Ottawa Impoundment in Grant County proved to be the most productive location on the trip, with a large variety of waterfowl and shorebirds there to study. In addition, the Greater Prairie-Chickens were much easier to hear and see there than at Rothsay WMA. The Western Grebes we relocated on there on Sunday were also fun to see, as were the Sanderling and Willet found that day. American Golden Plovers were also observed in a number of locations.
In Otter Tail County, we made an evening visit to Adams Park each evening to observe the Great Egret rookery on Grotto Lake and the Black-crowned Night-Herons that were nesting in the spruce trees [AKA pine trees? -KRE] over the picnic shelter. We also were able to see a Great Horned Owl in a nearby woods.
My thanks to all who came on this MBW, especially those who drove during the weekend, and to Nancy for her tips on the herons and owl in Fergus Falls. -Craig
Composite Bird List (105 species)
G = Grant County (April 21, 23)
T = Traverse County (April 21)
O = Otter Tail County (April 21, 22, 23)
W = Wilkin County (April 22)
Canada Goose GTOW
Trumpeter Swan GW
Wood Duck GTOW
Gadwall GW
American Wigeon GW
Mallard GTOW
Blue-winged Teal GTOW
Northern Shoveler GTOW
Northern Pintail GW
Green-winged Teal GTOW
Canvasback GOW
Redhead GOW
Ring-necked Duck GOW
Greater Scaup G
Lesser Scaup GW
Bufflehead GOW
Hooded Merganser GO
Common Merganser G
Ruddy Duck GW
Ring-necked Pheasant GOW
Greater Prairie-Chicken GW
Wild Turkey W
Pied-billed Grebe GW
Horned Grebe GW
Western Grebe G
Rock Pigeon GOW
Eurasian Collared-Dove GW
Mourning Dove GOW
Sora W
American Coot GOW
Sandhill Crane W
American Golden-Plover GTW
Killdeer GTOW
Marbled Godwit GW
Sanderling G
Least Sandpiper G
Pectoral Sandpiper GW
Long-billed Dowitcher G
Wilson's Snipe GW
Greater Yellowlegs GW
Willet G
Lesser Yellowlegs GW
Bonaparte's Gull GW
Franklin's Gull GW
Ring-billed Gull GTOW
Herring Gull GT
Common Loon G
Double-crested Cormorant GTOW
American White Pelican GOW
American Bittern GW
Great Blue Heron GO
Great Egret GOW
Black-crowned Night-Heron O
Turkey Vulture GO
Osprey O
Bald Eagle GOW
Northern Harrier GOW
Sharp-shinned Hawk GW
Cooper's Hawk W
Broad-winged Hawk W
Red-tailed Hawk GOW
Great Horned Owl GO
Belted Kingfisher GO
Red-bellied Woodpecker GW
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker W
Downy Woodpecker GOW
Hairy Woodpecker G
Northern Flicker GOW
Pileated Woodpecker G
American Kestrel GW
Eastern Phoebe GOW
Blue Jay GW
American Crow GOW
Horned Lark GW
Tree Swallow GOW
Northern Rough-winged Swallow G
Barn Swallow GTW
Black-capped Chickadee GW
White-breasted Nuthatch OW
Brown Creeper W
House Wren G
Ruby-crowned Kinglet GOW
Eastern Bluebird GOW
Hermit Thrush GO
American Robin GTOW
Brown Thrasher GW
European Starling GW
House Sparrow GOW
House Finch GOW
Purple Finch O
Orange-crowned Warbler GW
Yellow-rumped Warbler GOW
Chipping Sparrow GOW
Clay-colored Sparrow G
Vesper Sparrow GTW
Savannah Sparrow GW
Song Sparrow GOW
Swamp Sparrow GW
White-throated Sparrow GOW
Dark-eyed Junco GOW
Red-winged Blackbird GTOW
Western Meadowlark GTW
Yellow-headed Blackbird GTOW
Common Grackle GOW
Brown-headed Cowbird GTOW
* * *
Grant Co - Rothsay WMA Summary
April 19-20-21, 2019
Given that this MBWeekend was in western Minnesota in April, when windy days are typical, cold temperatures often persist, snowstorms are not unusual...well, we shouldn’t complain too much about the weather. True, those high winds really impacted our birding efforts on Saturday morning and Sunday, but it was basically pleasant all day on Friday, Saturday afternoon (in the low 70s), and Saturday evening, rainfall was almost non-existent, and we were never snowed on.
In all, then, we compiled a respectable list of 113 species during our 2 1/2 days. Our highlights on Friday’s pre-MBW, which was mostly in Grant County (plus some in Otter Tail Co and a bit on the Traverse Co side of North Ottawa impoundment), included a lingering group of Tundra Swans, Horned Grebes at two spots, a few fly-by Sandhill Cranes (we eventually saw cranes in all three counties), a couple of early Forster’s Terns, a late Rough-legged Hawk, plus a wide variety of ducks (18 species) in the numerous flooded fields and other wetlands we encountered.
Saturday’s highlights (mostly in Wilkin County) featured territorial Marbled Godwits and distant prairie-chickens at Rothsay WMA (our views of another lek in the evening were somewhat better), an American Bittern en route to Breckenridge, at least 4 Swainson’s Hawks, a modest but surprising kettle of buteos (including Broad-wingeds and a Swainson’s) riding a thermal over Breckenridge, and a nice total of 10 shorebird species – with most of these at the Breckenridge sewage ponds, including 2 unexpected Dunlins.
And on Sunday morning, all in Otter Tail County, we began with a copulating pair of pale richardsoni Merlins in Ferg (the males of this race are a soft powder blue), a nice variety of passerines (including a singling Winter Wren) at Oak Grove Cemetery, and Palm and Orange-crowned warblers below the dam at Orwell WMA feasting with Yellow-rumpeds and Tree Swallows on a recent insect hatch.
Bird List
Fri = found on April 19 pre-MBW, mostly Grant County (also Otter Tail, Traverse)
Sat = found on April 20, mostly Wilkin County (also Otter Tail)
Sun = found on April 21, Otter Tail County
Snow Goose Fri
Canada Goose Fri, Sat, Sun
Trumpeter Swan Fri, Sat, Sun
Tundra Swan Fri
Wood Duck Fri, Sun
Blue-winged Teal Fri, Sat, Sun
Northern Shoveler Fri, Sat, Sun
Gadwall Fri, Sat, Sun
American Wigeon Fri, Sat
Mallard Fri, Sat, Sun
Northern Pintail Fri, Sat, Sun
Green-winged Teal Fri, Sat, Sun
Canvasback Fri, Sat, Sun
Redhead Fri, Sat
Ring-necked Duck Fri, Sat, Sun
Lesser Scaup Fri, Sat, Sun
Bufflehead Fri, Sat, Sun
Common Goldeneye Fri
Hooded Merganser Fri, Sat
Common Merganser Fri
Red-breasted Merganser Fri
Ruddy Duck Fri
Ring-necked Pheasant Fri, Sat, Sun
Greater Prairie-Chicken Sat
Wild Turkey Fri, Sat, Sun
Pied-billed Grebe Fri, Sat, Sun
Horned Grebe Fri
Rock Pigeon Fri, Sat, Sun
Eurasian Collared-Dove Fri, Sat
Mourning Dove Fri, Sat, Sun
American Coot Fri, Sat, Sun
Sandhill Crane Fri, Sat, Sun
Killdeer Fri, Sat, Sun
Marbled Godwit Sat
Dunlin Sat
Baird’s Sandpiper Sat
Pectoral Sandpiper Sat
American Woodcock Sat
Wilson’s Snipe Fri, Sat
Solitary Sandpiper Sat
Lesser Yellowlegs Fri, Sat
Greater Yellowlegs Fri, Sat
Bonaparte’s Gull Fri, Sun
Ring-billed Gull Fri, Sat, Sun
Herring Gull Fri
Forster’s Tern Fri
Common Loon Fri, Sun
Double-crested Cormorant Fri, Sat, Sun
American White Pelican Fri, Sat, Sun
American Bittern Sat
Great Blue Heron Fri, Sat, Sun
Great Egret Fri, Sat, Sun
Black-crowned Night-Heron Fri
Turkey Vulture Fri, Sat
Northern Harrier Fri, Sat, Sun
Sharp-shinned Hawk Fri, Sun
Cooper’s Hawk Fri, Sun
Bald Eagle Fri, Sat, Sun
Broad-winged Hawk Sat
Swainson’s Hawk Sat
Red-tailed Hawk Fri, Sat, Sun
Rough-legged Hawk Fri
Great Horned Owl Sun
Belted Kingfisher Fri, Sat, Sun
Red-bellied Woodpecker Sun
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Fri, Sun
Downy Woodpecker Fri, Sat, Sun
Hairy Woodpecker Sat
Northern Flicker Fri, Sat, Sun
Pileated Woodpecker Sat, Sun
American Kestrel Fri, Sat
Merlin Sun
Eastern Phoebe Fri, Sat, Sun
Blue Jay Fri, Sat, Sun
American Crow Fri, Sat, Sun
Horned Lark Fri, Sat, Sun
Tree Swallow Fri, Sat, Sun
Barn Swallow Sat
Black-capped Chickadee Fri, Sat, Sun
White-breasted Nuthatch Fri, Sat, Sun
Brown Creeper Fri, Sun
Winter Wren Sun
Golden-crowned Kinglet Sun
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Fri, Sat, Sun
Eastern Bluebird Fri, Sun
Hermit Thrush Fri, Sat
American Robin Fri, Sat, Sun
Brown Thrasher Sat, Sun
European Starling Fri, Sat, Sun
Cedar Waxwing Fri, Sun
House Sparrow Fri, Sat, Sun
House Finch Fri, Sat, Sun
Purple Finch Fri, Sun
Pine Siskin Sun
American Tree Sparrow Fri, Sat
Chipping Sparrow Fri, Sat, Sun
Vesper Sparrow Fri, Sat
Savannah Sparrow Fri, Sat
Fox Sparrow Fri, Sun
Song Sparrow Fri, Sat, Sun
White-throated Sparrow Fri, Sun
Dark-eyed Junco Fri, Sat, Sun
Yellow-headed Blackbird Fri, Sat, Sun
Western Meadowlark Fri, Sat
Red-winged Blackbird Fri, Sat, Sun
Brown-headed Cowbird Fri, Sat, Sun
Rusty Blackbird Fri, Sat
Brewer’s Blackbird Sat, Sun
Common Grackle Fri, Sat, Sun
Orange-crowned Warbler Sun
Palm Warbler Sun
Yellow-rumped Warbler Fri, Sat, Sun
Northern Cardinal Sun
Also see the 2019 and 2017 MBW summaries
following the summary of the 2023 MBWeekend
__________
Rothsay MBWeekend Summary
April 13 - 14, 2023
(summary by Craig Mandel, with edits by KRE)
Mark Mueller photo
While we were not lucky enough to have had those 80 degree days that were occurring in SE Minnesota, it did remain dry and in the 50s and 60s for most of the trip. (The little rain we did receive occurred during our rest stop in Elbow Lake.) While the Eurasian Tree Sparrow and White-faced Ibis were some nice finds, the large numbers of swans and geese migrating on both days had to be the highlight for me. It was fun to see the large number of waterfowl in flight overhead and in some of the flooded fields. Despite the lakes being frozen, we still recorded 26 species of waterfowl.
In addition to being a first Wilkin County record, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a new species for the all-time MBW composite list, which is now at 368 species seen in Minnesota during MBWeekends! (This species had never been seen on any out-of-state MBWeeks, either.)
Greater Prairie-Chicken numbers seemed to be down, with the only ones found were on their 190th St lek at Rothsay WMA. I wonder if the large numbers of Ring-necked Pheasants have reduced the number of prairie- chickens in the area, since pheasants are known to be nest parasites as they lay eggs in the nests of other gallinaceous species.
Besides waterfowl, hundreds of Lapland Longspurs were found as well, with many close-up views in all four counties. In all we observed a total of 101 species for the two days, which seems pretty good for an early April trip in a year when winter just doesn’t want to end.
Bird List
W = Wilkin County (April 13)
C = Clay County (April 13)
O = Otter Tail County (April 14)
G = Grant County (April 14)
Snow Goose WCOG
Ross’s Goose WOG
Greater White-fronted Goose WCOG
Cackling Goose WCOG
Canada Goose WCOG
Trumpeter Swan WCOG
Tundra Swan WCOG
Wood Duck WCOG
Blue-winged Teal WCOG
Northern Shoveler WCOG
Gadwall WCOG
American Wigeon WCOG
Mallard WCOG
Northern Pintail WCG
Green-winged Teal WCOG
Canvasback WCOG
Redhead WCOG
Ring-necked Duck WCOG
Greater Scaup WCO
Lesser Scaup WCOG
Bufflehead WCOG
Common Goldeneye WCOG
Hooded Merganser WCOG
Common Merganser W
Red-breasted Merganser G
Ruddy Duck WCOG
Wild Turkey W
Greater Prairie-Chicken W
Ring-necked Pheasant – WCOG
Pied-billed Grebe WCOG
Horned Grebe OG
Red-necked Grebe OG
Rock Pigeon WCOG
Eurasian Collared-Dove WOG
Mourning Dove WCOG
American Coot WCOG
Sandhill Crane WC
Killdeer WCOG
Baird’s Sandpiper O
Pectoral Sandpiper O
Wilson’s Snipe WCO
Lesser Yellowlegs COG
Greater Yellowlegs WCOG
Ring-billed Gull WCOG
Double-crested Cormorant WO
American White Pelican WO
Great Blue Heron WCO
White-faced Ibis C
Turkey Vulture WCOG
Northern Harrier WCO
Sharp-shinned Hawk C
Bald Eagle WCOG
Red-tailed Hawk WCOG
Rough-legged Hawk WC
Belted Kingfisher WO
Red-bellied Woodpecker WCG
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker O
Downy Woodpecker WC
Hairy Woodpecker WO
Northern Flicker WCOG
Pileated Woodpecker WO
American Kestrel WCOG
Eastern Phoebe WOG
Blue Jay WCG
American Crow WCOG
Common Raven W
Black-capped Chickadee W
Horned Lark WCOG
Tree Swallow WOG
Ruby-crowned Kinglet WOG
Golden-crowned Kinglet WO
Cedar Waxwing W
White-breasted Nuthatch WCG
Brown Creeper W
Eastern Bluebird WO
Hermit Thrush G
American Robin WCOG
House Sparrow WCOG
Eurasian Tree Sparrow W
House Finch WCOG
Purple Finch C
Lapland Longspur WCOG
Snow Bunting C
Chipping Sparrow O
Fox Sparrow WCOG
American Tree Sparrow WCOG
Dark-eyed Junco WCOG
Vesper Sparrow WOG
Savannah Sparrow O
Song Sparrow WCOG
Swamp Sparrow W
Yellow-headed Blackbird CO
Western Meadowlark WCOG
Red-winged Blackbird WCOG
Brown-headed Cowbird WCOG
Rusty Blackbird WCOG
Brewer's Blackbird WG
Common Grackle WCOG
Yellow-rumped Warbler O
Northern Cardinal W
Darcy Pinotti photo