[mou] Townsend's Warbler - north metro

[COLE FOSTER]

Between 1:00 and 1:30 this afternoon I saw a Townsend’s Warbler in northern 
Anoka County.  The bird was seen at the southeast end of Linwood Lake in a 
large stand of white pines.  Linwood Lake is about 7 miles west of the town 
of Wyoming.  There’s a hiking trail that runs along the eastern shore of 
Linwood Lake  which can be accessed from the park entrance at the north end 
of the lake from Co Rd 22 (a/k/a Viking Blvd).  A dirt road leads to a paved 
parking area and a boat ramp.  The trail is easily seen from the parking 
area, and it’s about a mile walk from this point to the stand of white pines 
where the bird was seen.

There may be a shorter way to get to the stand of white pines from the south 
end of the lake.  Take Jordell street north past Boot Lake SNA until you 
come to a T-intersection, then turn right at the T and park at the dead end. 
  I think there’s a way to access the trail from this dead-end, though I 
haven’t tried myself.  The stand of white pines are, however, very near 
where this road dead-ends.

The bird is either an adult female or a first-year male.  It was associating 
fairly closely with a couple Black-throated Greens (both male and female), 
and a Blackburnian was also in the area.  The Townsend’s Warbler is fairly 
easy to separate from these two species.  There weren’t many birds in the 
area of the white pines, so the bird may not be hard to relocate if it 
sticks around.  The stand of white pines runs close to a quarter of a mile 
north and south along the lake.  It was last seen close to the trail about 
midway into the area with the white pines.

A male Black-throated Blue warbler was also seen at the south end of the 
trail in the area with the white pines.  Maybe something else to look and 
listen for.


Cole Foster