With apologies for the belated nature of this message (and, secondarily, = with the hope that this topic is not too unexceptional for mou-net), = some of you may be interested to know about the progression of the = drawdown at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.
Presently, conditions at the refuge's East Pool - the pool bounded by = the highway-75 dam - are excellent, with extensive mud/sand flats. The = East Pool held 174 shorebirds of 10 species last Saturday, 17 June - a = respectable tally given the date, which is too late for most spring = migrants but too early for most fall migrants; most notable among these = was a single Piping Plover. As for the refuge's West Pool - the pool along the Auto Tour - water = levels are down, but not yet down far enough for flats to be exposed. Also at the refuge, on 11 June there was a single Common Moorhen. From = refuge headquarters, on CR 15, head south. On the east (left) side of = the road, at the second gate south of the Yellow Bank River, park and = walk past the gate; the moorhen was in the open channel immediately to = your left, about 50 yards beyond the gate. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321