I started early Sunday morning to try to see as many species as I could in
Stearns County. I really wanted to break 100 species for the first time for me
in Minnesota and I was able to hit that mark before noon. I was already
planning on Stearns county based on the previous report from Besty Beneke so
it was a bonus to have the two reports on Saturday night explaining where the
migrants were being seen. I started my morning at the St. John's University
Campus. It was raining for the first hour but when it stopped the birds were
fast and furious. It was a good start to the day! I then went to the Albany
sewage ponds. I wish all sewage ponds in Minnesota were as productive as these
with a large number and variety of shorebirds as well as waterfowl and even
some prairie species around the perimeter. I then went south and birded a bit
of the rural county until I got to the Paynesville sewage ponds. These were a
stark contrast to the Albany ponds and appeared almost lifeless despite having
a very similar appearance to the Albany ponds. As I turned left on Highway 23
to head back home something immediately caught my attention on the south side
of the highway. It was a pair of beautiful American Avocet! They were foraging
in a muddy pit that looks pretty good for shorebirds although I did not see any
others in the area. What a way to end the day! Highlights: 16 species of
warbler including Cape May, Mourning, and Blue-winged; 8 species of flycatcher
including a singing Alder and a Yellow-bellied; 4 species of vireo; 13 species
of shorebird including American Avocet, 4 Red-necked Phalarope, a large number
of Wilson's Phalarope, Willet, White-rumped Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Wilson's
Snipe. I did not do particularly well with sparrows with only 8 species seen.
The two big highlights of the day were seeing four Red-necked Phalarope in
breeding plumage, which I had never seen before, and, of course, finding the
Avocets. The woods around St. John's were particularly thick with empid
flycatchers, vireos and warblers. What a fun birding day in central Minnesota!
I will miss the posts from Al Schirmacher from this part of the state. Happy
May! Jason Caddy, Minneapolis, j.ca...@hotmail.com
----
Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net
Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
