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My dad and I went birding out in Big Stone County and Lac Qui Parle County at Salt Lake throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning. At Salt Lake on Wednesday there was: Dunlin Greater White-Fronted Goose Many Waterfowl including: Pintails, Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaups, Ring-Necked Ducks Western Meadowlarks Semipalmated Sandpipers American White Pelicans Those are the only major ones we saw, no Avocets yet! We looked throughout the shore and only found flocks of 5 or 6 small shorebirds. Oh! And we spotted a lone Cattle Egret taking flight in a field of cows on Highway 212 The next morning we went up birding to the potholes in Big Stone County and spotted in one larger lake: Western Grebes Great Blue Herons Many Waterfowl (Albino Coot) and a few other birds. Northern Harriers were soaring over the fields throughout the three days as well. We then went up to the Dismal Swamp (Still in Bigstone County) near the eastern border of the county. The roads were covered in Canada Geese and Yellow-Headed Blackbirds! We heard a Sora from the reeds and hopped out to be met right in front of us with an American Bittern that leapt up into the air and dived into the reeds. We started to head back to Ortonville where we were staying and decided to check out small swamps on the way. Then, on road 6, before road 71 we stopped at a swamp. There were a few ducks on the swamp including a Pintail. We got back in the car and started to drive when we suddenly stopped and looked out at a shorebird in the water... The Black-Necked Stilt! It was a first for us and we were amazed. It stayed in the swamp for at least a half an hour and then a large truck scared it off. So, the directions again is in Big Stone County, on road 6, right before road 71 on the northern side of the road. The last day was amazingly cold, winds were heavy and it was about 40 degrees F. It was kind of funny to see all the birds trying to go places in the wind. We saw a Cormorant just hovering in midair, flapping frantically against the wind and not moving an inch. There was a Kestrel just barely hanging onto a road number sign and he kept almost falling off. There was a large lake on the southern side of the road that contained a Redhead and a Canvasback side-by-side. We continued up to Artichoke Lake to find nothing was out in the cold other than some Cormorants and Scaups. We finally got too cold and decided our excellent trip was over. Good birding to all! - Leo WM. --part1_1ab.372aafb1.2f9bf0ec_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY= =3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">My dad and I went birding out in Bi= g Stone County and Lac Qui Parle County at Salt Lake throughout Wednesday, T= hursday and Friday morning.<BR> <BR> At Salt Lake on Wednesday there was:<BR> Dunlin<BR> Greater White-Fronted Goose<BR> Many Waterfowl including: Pintails, Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaups, Ring-Necked=20= Ducks<BR> Western Meadowlarks<BR> Semipalmated Sandpipers<BR> American White Pelicans<BR> <BR> Those are the only major ones we saw, no Avocets yet! We looked throughout t= he shore and only found flocks of 5 or 6 small shorebirds. Oh! And we spotte= d a lone Cattle Egret taking flight in a field of cows on Highway 212<BR> <BR> The next morning we went up birding to the potholes in Big Stone County and=20= spotted in one larger lake:<BR> Western Grebes<BR> Great Blue Herons<BR> Many Waterfowl<BR> (Albino Coot)<BR> and a few other birds. Northern Harriers were soaring over the fields throug= hout the three days as well.<BR> We then went up to the Dismal Swamp (Still in Bigstone County) near the east= ern border of the county. The roads were covered in Canada Geese and Yellow-= Headed Blackbirds! We heard a Sora from the reeds and hopped out to be met r= ight in front of us with an American Bittern that leapt up into the air and=20= dived into the reeds.<BR> We started to head back to Ortonville where we were staying and decided to c= heck out small swamps on the way. Then, on road 6, before road 71 we stopped= at a swamp. There were a few ducks on the swamp including a Pintail. We got= back in the car and started to drive when we suddenly stopped and looked ou= t at a shorebird in the water... The Black-Necked Stilt!<BR> It was a first for us and we were amazed. It stayed in the swamp for at leas= t a half an hour and then a large truck scared it off.<BR> So, the directions again is in Big Stone County, on road 6, right before roa= d 71 on the northern side of the road.<BR> <BR> The last day was amazingly cold, winds were heavy and it was about 40 degree= s F.<BR> It was kind of funny to see all the birds trying to go places in the wind. W= e saw a Cormorant just hovering in midair, flapping frantically against the=20= wind and not moving an inch. There was a Kestrel just barely hanging onto a=20= road number sign and he kept almost falling off.<BR> There was a large lake on the southern side of the road that contained a Red= head and a Canvasback side-by-side. We continued up to Artichoke Lake to fin= d nothing was out in the cold other than some Cormorants and Scaups. We fina= lly got too cold and decided our excellent trip was over.<BR> <BR> Good birding to all!<BR> - Leo WM.</FONT></HTML> --part1_1ab.372aafb1.2f9bf0ec_boundary--
