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First Spring Migrants
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Background photo: Grass Lake Spring 2005

2008 Spring sightings

  
Date Species       Location Spotter
February 28 A. Robin E., Sioux Falls MZ
Feb. 29 C. Goldeneye Brandon SC
Feb. 29 E. Collard Dove Haywarden Iowa SD
March 02 C. Merganser N. Bahnson Ave. MZ
   

First Robin 2008 March 3
3-2-08first-robin-08-s.gif
First Robin 2008 March 3 Sioux Falls Feeders

2007 First Spring Sightings

Date

Species

Location

Spotter

March 08

Snow Geese

over SF

MZ

March 09

Red-head duck

Arrowhead

MZ

March 09

Ring-necked duck

arrowhead

MZ

March 09

L. Scaup

Arrowhead

MZ

March 09

C. Goldeneye

Arrowhead

MZ

March 09

Robins

Arrowhead

MZ

March 09

RW Blackbirds

Perry Park

MZ

March 09

Cackling Geese

Fensterman Slough

DC

March 10

Bluebirds

Newton Hills

DC

March 10

C. Merganser

Newton Hills

DC

March 10

Bufflehead

Newton Hills

DC

March 11

Killdeer

Dell Rapids area

PD

March 11

Killdeer

Falls Park

MS

March 11

W. Meadowlark

West Minnehaha

MS

March 11

C. Grackle

West Minnehaha

MS

March 12

S. Crane

Woonsocket

RGR

March 12

Franklin's Gull

EROS

TS

March 16

Mourning Dove

E. 33rd st

MZ

 

24-Feb

4 Red Winged Blackbirds Perry Nature Park E. Sioux Falls by Mick

26-Feb

8 Robins singing Leif Ericson Camp Sioux Falls by Mick

3-March

Flock if Snow Geese N. of Sioux Falls by Dick Kappedal

4-March

Greater white-fronted goose

Weisensee GPA, by Mark Schmidtbauer

Northern pintail

Canvasback

Redhead

Lesser Scaup

Ring-necked Duck

Common Goldeneye

Bufflehead

Common Merganser

5-March

Ring-billed Gull

Englehardt GPA Rosemary and Mick

N. Harrier

Killdeer

Scott Lake Rosemary and Mick

A. Coot

Englehardt GPA Rosemary and Mick

GW Teal

Scott Lake Rosemary and Mick

9 March

E. Bluebirds (male and female)

Arrowhead by Mick

10 March  

 

Hooded Merganser

west Minn. co. by SFBC

Ruddy Duck

W. Meadowlark

 

C Grackle

11 March by Linda and Mick

Song Sparrow

18 March by SF Bird Club

GB Heron

BW Teal

Harris' Sparrow

G. Scaup

2005 Early Sightings

Date Species Location Observer
2-18-05 Red-winged Blackbird 200+ Atkins WPA Feldman, Zerr
2-22-05 Northern Harrier McRossan Ranch Doug Chapman
2-27-05 N. Pintail Sertoma Rosemary D.
2-27-05 Kildeer Sertoma Rosemary D.
3-3-05 Common Merganser Grass Lake Doug. C.
3-3 Greater White-fronted Geese  Grass Lake Doug C.
3-3 Snow Goose migrants Salem Doug C.
3-3 Ring-billed gull                  Grass Lake Doug C.
3-3 Herring Gull-                    Grass Lake Doug C.
3-3 Redhead Grass Lake Doug C.
3-3 Lesser Scaup Grass Lake Doug C.
3-3 Common Merganser Grass Lake Doug C.
3-4 A. Wigeon Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 C. Goldeneye Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 Canvasback Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 L. Scaup Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 Ring-necked Duck Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 Bufflehead Mud Lake Doug/Cary
3-4 Wood duck Wiebersiek GPA Doug

3-5

 Western Meadowlark

Minnehaha

 Rob Schenck

3-5 

Hooded Merganser Minnehaha Rob Schenck

3-6

 American Coot                    Minnehaha Doug

 
Birders are encouraged to put their sightings on the state reporting system at http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/palmerj/project/
 
Below is a list of first migrants, dates, locations, and observer.
If you are in the Southeast S.D. area, send your first sighting (for migrants, not winter residents) to zerrm@sio.midco.net

Species                    Date    Location    Observer
 
 
 
Below are the first sightings for 2004, compare to 2005 sightings
  1. Northern Harrier 2/28/04  Minnehaha       Robb Schenck
  2. Northern Pintail  2/29/04    Lincoln            ""         ""
  3. Robin flock          2/29/04    VA hospital    Mary Braley
  4. Brown Thrasher   2/29/04    SF                    Doug Chapman
  5. Great-Tailed Grackle 2/2/04 Brookings C. Kyle Kelsey
  6. Canada goose (all three subsp.) 3/6 Minn.  Esther Hanson
  7. Snow goose (migrating)     Minn.  3/6/04  Doug Chapman and   Esther Hanson
  8. White Fronted Goose 3/6/04     Minn   Rosemary Draeger
  9. Redhead duck              3/6/04     Minn             Mick Zerr
  10. Redwinged Blackbird migrating flock  3/6(c1.000's)  Minn. Esther Hanson
  11. Ross's Goose         03/07/04 Minnehaha   Robb Schenck
  12. Gadwall                  03/07/04 Minnehaha         Robb Schenck
  13. American Wigeon  03/07/04 Minnehaha Robb Schenck
  14. Killdeer 03/07/04 Minnehaha             Robb Schenck
  15. Western Meadowlark       03/07/04  Minn. Doug Chapman/Rosemary Draeger
  16. Lesser Scaup                  03/07/04  Minn. Mick Zerr
  17. Common Merganser  03/07/04        Rosemary Draeger
  18. Ring Necked Duck     03/07/04       Rosemary Draeger
  19. Common Goldeneye  03/07/04 Minn. Mick Zerr
  20. Ring-billed Gull          03/08/04  Minn. Doug Chapman
  21. Wood Duck  03/12/04   Minn. Mick Zerr/ Rosemary Draeger
  22. Northern Shoveler 03/12/04  McCook Robb Schenck
  23. Green-winged Teal 03/12/04 Minn. Rosemary D. and Robb Schenck
  24. Canvasback             03/12/04 McCook   Robb Schenck
  25. Bufflehead               03/12/04   McCook   Robb Schenck
  26. Rough Legged Hawk 03/13/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck, Minn. Mick Zerr
  27. Red-headed Woodpecker 03/13/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  28. Common Grackle    03/13/04   Minn. Esther Hanson
  29. Eastern Bluebird     03/13/04   Lincoln  Robb Schenck
  30. Fox Sparrow           03/13/04  Lincoln Robb Schenck
  31. Song Sparrow         03/13/04  Lincoln  Robb Schenck
  32. Hooded Merganser 03/14/04   Minn.   Mick Zerr/Lynne Williams/Robb Schenck

  33. Herring Gull            03/14/04  Minnehaha     Robb Schenck

  34. Harris's Sparrow 03/16/04 McCook Robb Schenck

  35. Savannah Sparrow 03/16/04 Minnehaha Robb Schenck (second earliest SD record with photo taken today)

  36. Lapland Longspur 03/16/04 McCook Robb Schenck

  37. Rusty Blackbird 03/17/04 McCook Robb Schenck

  38. Ruddy Duck 3/18/04 Minnehaha Robb Schenck

  39. Blue Winged Teal 3/20/04 Minnehaha Rosemary Draeger

  40. American Woodcock 3/20/04 Lincoln    Mick Zerr

  41. American Coot 3/20/04 Minnehaha  Mick Zerr

  42. Red-breasted Merganser 3/21/04 Minn.  Robb Schenck
  43. Merlin                3/21/04 Minnehaha      Robb Schenck
  44. Brown-headed Cowbird 3/21/04 Minn.    Robb Schenck
  45. Franklin's Gull 3/22/04 Minnehaha Robb Schenck
  46. Greater Yellowlegs 3/28/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  47. Pectoral Sandpiper 3/28/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  48. Eastern Phoebe 3/28/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  49. Eastern Kingfisher 3/28/04 Lincoln Rosemary Draeger
  50. Turkey Vulture 3/28/04  Lincoln Bill Draeger
  51. Wilson's Snipe 4/3/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  52. Lesser Yellowlegs 4/3/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  53. Common Loon 4/3/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  54. Baird's Sandpiper 4/3/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  55. Vesper Sparrow 4/3/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  56. Field Sparrow 4/4/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  57. Winter Wren 4/4/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  58. Great-tailed Grackle 4/4/04 Lincoln Robb Schenck
  59. Hermit Thrush 4/4/04  Minnehaha Mick Zerr
  60. American White Pelican 4/4/04 McCook  Lynn Williams
  61. Clay Colored Sparrow 4/4/04 McCook Lynn Williams
  62. Bonaparte's Gull 4/10/04 Day Mick Zerr
  63. Song Sparrow 4/10/04 Brown Mick Zerr
  64. Yellow-Headed Blackbird 4/10/04  Brown Mick Zerr
  65. Western Grebe 4/10/04 Brown Mick Zerr
  66. Pied-billed Grebe 4/10/04 Brown Mick Zerr