Late this morning (Saturday, 9/16), we saw 11 Caspian Terns (including at least two in juvenile plumage with lighter colored bills begging food from adults) at the Ashby treatment ponds in northeast Grant County. The adults seemed to still be in mostly full breeding plumage. They were in the company of many Forster's Terns which were all in basic/non-breeding plumage.
The ponds are located just south of the town of Ashby along Hwy 78. The ponds are gated and locked, but by driving up to and then standing at the gate, you can see across to the far side of one of the ponds where the birds were seen loafing/preening/begging on the embankment. A scope is helpful but not required. There were a few large rafts of American Coot starting to gather on nearby Lake Christina (about 5 miles north of Ashby), as well as a few Western Grebes. Bird on! -- Dan & Sandy Thimgan Otter Tail County Battle Lake, MN