Went birding with my two sons Alex and Jesse Sunday and Monday (6/4 &6/5). Saw a pair of OSPREY near the farmstead grove on the East side of Lake Irene North of Miltona, MN on Sunday. Monday started with a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE on the wire along Clay 26 between MN 9 and the longspur road. We saw a pair of ORCHARD ORIOLES copulate in the cottonwoods along the south end of the longspur road. We had fantastic looks at a CHESNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR on the fence and another larking further off. We saw many MARBLED GODWITS buzzing the car and one with two young crossing the longspur road. THREE other male ORCHARD ORIOLES were in the environs of the farm house and N of there. LARK SPARROWS were across the road from the gravel pit lake north of Clay 108 on the way to CLAY 34. Heard and saw many CLAY-COLORED and GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, heard only one LECONTES SPARROW. We failed to find the Snowy Owl, Henslows or Bairds Sparrows. We also heard and saw several UPLAND SANDPIPERS, including some new calls (to us.) Grant County had two pairs of COMMON LOONS with young but we couldn't scare up any interesting herons in the early afternoon on Monday.
The CAROLINA WREN reported earlier by my son Jesse was at 10300 Grey Cloud Island Trail NOT at 1300 Grey Cloud Island Trail. John Ellis- St. Paul 5/7/06