I birded parts of Stearns County on Sunday and Monday, and found a few FOY birds. The north central and northwest parts of the county still have a lot of snow on the ground, compared to central and south. Most large lakes remain ice-covered, with only a few open areas along the edges or where there is flowage. The Albany treatment ponds were 50% ice covered yet last night, but should be open within a couple of days - depending on temps and wind.
Just a couple of quick observations. I've never seen so many ruddy ducks throughout Sherburne and Stearns counties - they're everywhere! Also, lots of green-winged teal - more than I can remember seeing the last 2-3 springs. Not much diversity in shorebirds yet. Albany Treatment Ponds - Monday evening Sanderlings (3). I was very surprised to see them. No other shorebirds there besides killdeer. They were running along on the ice, heads down, tails up. Also, Franklin's and ring-billed gulls, horned grebe, a few of the normal migrant puddle and diving ducks. Wetlands west of Greenwald Shorebirds included greater and lesser yellowlegs in abundance. Two Baird's, one pectoral, and one solitary sandpiper. Two American pipits. Lots of waterfowl. Two different rough-legged hawks in that area. Large wetland on the SE corner of CR's 175 and 176 Eared and red-necked grebes, along with lots of waterfowl, and both yellowlegs. Floodplain of the Sauk River along Hwy. 4, just south of Melrose / I-94 Horned grebes, great egret, greater and lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte's gulls, yellow-headed blackbirds, tree swallows, northern rough-winged swallows (2). Lots of ducks. Please note - if you visit this area - Hwy. 4 is a busy road, and the shoulders are very narrow. You really can't pull off on the shoulders safely. There are two short, steep approaches on the south side of the bridge that you can pull into, but I wouldn't advise it unless you have 4-wheel drive. Sauk River at Melrose - just west of the dam - Monday evening Forster's Terns (3) - sitting on logs in the river. American white pelicans. Cormorants diving for and eating bullheads, right below the dam. Great opp for photos if you pull into the public access that's right there. Horned grebes, ruddy ducks, lots of divers. Purple martins in a couple of houses along the river. In the town of Melrose, a rose-breasted grosbeak was at a bird feeder. Betsy Beneke St. Cloud ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
