Hi Birders, What a great day we had in Aiktin County on Saturday with the Bee-Nay-She bird group. While we were enjoying a flock of 41 American White Pelicans, Warren Nelson started his birthday (birdday, maybe?) out with finding a Cattle Egret. This was along CR 15 west of Aitkin and is known as the Cedar Brook area. It's the collection of flooded fields by the Mississippi River about 2 miles west of Aitkin. Lots of waterfowl and a few shorebirds were present for us to enjoy.
Later, while we were eating lunch at the Palisade Cafe, Warren was served cake with a candle to celebrate his birthday. We joked that he should wish for a good bird! Earlier, while driving the back roads of Aitkin County, we had been talking about the great birds that the Blanich's had seen in Aitkin County that the rest of us were still waiting to see. One species that was discussed was Long-billed Curlew. We even asked Steve & Jo where they had seen theirs--way back before the rest of us were birding Aitkin County! Warren blew out his single candle and told us he wished for a Long Billed Curlew. (Can you say foreshadowing?!) Immediately after lunch, while driving south on CR 5 from Palisade, as we neared Hwy 210 Cindy and Warren yelled for me to stop! They said there was something in the field that looked Long-billed Curlew-like. I thought they were joking, but turned around. I hoped it might be a Marbled Godwit. But we weren't disappointed when we saw there was a Long-billed Curlew feeding in the field! The excitement level was off the charts as we took the required field notes, some distant documentary photographs, and exchanged animated high-fives among the remaining group members. We eventually tracked down the rest of our scattered group and got them back to see the bird. We took some better digiscope photos and enjoyed some nice long looks at the bird before we said our good-byes. The Long-billed Curlew was a county bird for all of us in the group and a lifer for some. Very exciting! To find the Curlew, go West of McGregor on Hwy 210, north on CR 5 about 7/10th of a mile. On the west side of the road look for a blue house on the corner, the bird was activly feeding in the field north of the house and south of the Methodist Church. At one point it flew across the road, but returned within a short time. We'll send a complete birdlist later today. Happy Birthday Warren! Kim & Cindy Risen Tamarack, MN