This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, March 25, 2015  sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218)847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

Though the weather has been cold this week, spring arrivals continue to be reported. HORNED LARKS  are paired off and preparing to nest, most of the summer breeding raptors have arrived in small numbers. Several large groups of AMERICAN CROWS  have been reported this week, and the first reports of large numbers of migrating  AMERICAN ROBINS have come in. That said, the cold has dampened the human activity more than that of the birds.

From Hubbard County, Marshall Howe reported NORTHERN HARRIER on March 20, RED-TAILED HAWK, COMMON REDPOLL, HOARY REDPOLL, PINE SISKINS, and PURPLE FINCH  on March 21, and RED CROSSBILLS, and DARK-EYED JUNCOS on March 22.

John Loegering heard a LONG-EARED OWL  calling along the Red Lake River in Crookston, Polk County on March 16, but has not heard it since. Sandy Martens reported a group of over 200 AMERICAN ROBINS at the point in East Grand Forks on March 23.

In Red Lake County, Shelley Steva found a flock of over 200 AMERICAN CROWS on March 23.

In Pennington County on March 21, I found a large flock of over 300 AMERICAN CROWS near the intersection of CR 27 and CR 3. These birds were still there the next day.

Connie Cox reported from the Itasca SP area on March 25 where she reported increasing numbers of TRUMPETER SWANS and CANADA GEESE, Other species reported included RED-TAILED HAWK, SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN ROBIN, DARK-EYED JUNCO, PINE SISKIN, COMMON REDPOLL, and PURPLE FINCH.

In Beltrami County, east of Lake Bemidji, Christine Herwig reported AMERICAN ROBIN on March 19.

Thanks to Christine Herwig, Connie Cox, John Loegering, Marshall Howe, Sandy Martens, and Shelley Steva for their reports.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@mncable.net OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber’s toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, April 2, 2015.