As part of International Migratory Bird Day, we saw some excellent shorebirds in Western Township/Otter Tail County today.
Long-billed Dowitchers (12 in a flooded ditch alongside CR 15 south of Fergus Falls; differentiated from Short-billed by vocalization: we were clearly able to hear their persistent conversation while feeding and the single sharp flight note) Hudsonian Godwits (8 in both male/female breeding plumages; same ditch) Wilson's Phalaropes (4 here, plus another 6 at the Battle Lake Treatment Ponds) In the same general area were a mix of Least, Stilt, Solitary, and Pectoral Sandpipers. This made up for the weather. It started out cool (48 degrees) and got colder (38 degrees) and windier, and it persuasively rained all day long except when it snowed briefly in the afternoon. There's a certain something about using a scope and simultaneously holding a wind-whipped umbrella that loses it fascination after a while. The nesting colonies in Fergus Falls are wall-to-wall with birds. Great Egrets and Double-crested Cormorants on the islands in Lake Alice; Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night-herons on Grotto Lake. Another special treat: a raft of 75 Ruddy Ducks on Rush Lake WPA (pretty high cute quotient!). Dan & Sandy Thimgan Battle Lake MN Otter Tail County -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080510/3103bdf2/attachment.html