I was able to enjoy the Salt Lake Festival this weekend, experiencing the optimal weather, good company, and a slightly different mix of birds than in the Metro Area.
Some of the highlights included: A flock of Smith's Longspurs flying by The display flight of Marbled Godwits Good shorebirds Cattle Egrets on Sunday a couple of miles south of Ortonville on 400th. White-faced Ibis Shorebird conditions were excellant with a plethera of flooded fields. The most common shorebirds were the Yellowlegs and Killdear. The later sometimes in dry areas. We had one flock of Hudsonian Godwits that hung around for the Sunday birders. I found two large flocks of Golden Plovers (74+ & 24). At one wet site we had Snipe flying and whinnowing all around. Phaesants and Turkeys were particularly abundant this year, while I only saw not even a half dozen Crows. This undoubably reflects the impact of West Nile, which has a higher incidence on the western border. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN [email protected]
