I went out very early this morning in miserable conditions to check out Park
Point and I was not disappointed. At the parking area next to the Sky Harbor
Airport on the lake side I ran into the best mixed species flocks of shorebirds
I have ever seen in St. Louis County. There were eight Ruddy Turnstones,
several Dunlin, a Semipalmated Plover, three Black-bellied Plover, many
Sanderlings, several Baird's Sandpipers, Several Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a
few Least Sandpipers. I then walked almost to the Wisconsin Entry and back and
this flock was replaced by a large flock of mostly Sanderlings with a few
Dunlin. As I was observing this flock flying I looked up and there was a flock
of twenty to twenty-five Whimbrel flying over the lake. I have never seen a
flock that large of Whimbrel before! I did try other locations for shorebirds
and only saw a few others including a Spotted Sandpiper and more Ruddy
Turnstones but overall the shorebird distribution was patchy. There were other
good birds around as well. I saw a Peregrine Falcon with a Sanderling-sized
shorebird in its talons and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying through the pines
successfully catching and consuming a bird on a visible branch. I also found a
Mourning Warbler, two Bonaparte's Gulls on Hearding Island, a Horned Grebe, two
Ring-necked Ducks and lots of Purple Martins feeding overhead. I really like
birding in difficult weather because it seems to bring me great treasures
during migration. Good Birding, Jason Caddy Minneapolis j.ca...@hotmail.com
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