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July 10 - 12, 2005 Spent the last 3 days birding with a group from my Audubon Chapter in Rock and Pipestone Counties. Was warm, but very enjoyable. We encountered lots of singing birds on the Prairie, plus a good number of early migrating shorebirds at the city treatment ponds in Luverne. If you plan to bird these ponds, you should note that while the manager of the Golden Plump processing plant does not seem to care where you walk on there property, he does not want you park on the plants property. So you should park on the road that goes to the two western ponds. I also talked with the Luverne (city manager?, not totally sure of her title) and she did not have a problem with us birding there. But did request if we were spending much time there to contact the city and let them know. The number for the city is 507-449-2388 and I was connected with a woman named Jill. If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call me. Also note that the plant is running a 24 security guard. Our initial contact was with him at about 8:30pm on Sunday night. Here are some of the species we were able to observe during our stay. Gray Partridge - CR 11, 1/2 mile North of CR 20. Swainson's Hawk - CR 6, 1 mile North of CR 8. 13 species of shorebirds, most of them were at the City ponds in Luverne. Willet - 2 birds were at the Hills Sewage Ponds, along CR 6, 1 mile S. of Hwy 270. American Woodcock - This bird was seen actively feeding at 10:00am on 131st St., just past where the road becomes a minimum maintenance road, past the gravel pits. Black-billed Cuckoo - One was heard and seen along 144th Av at 81st St. Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Two or Three birds were heard and seen at Blue Mounds State Park. Eastern Screech-Owl - Nesting pair with 3 or 4 young. Great Horned Owl - Heard calling at Blue Mounds State Park. Common Nighthawk Loggerhead Shrike - One bird was observed on the power lines at the intersection of CR 4 and CR 6. Warbling Vireo - Found a pair and there nest at the state park. Grasshopper Sparrow - fairly common with nice looks at the new National Wildlife Refuge on 171 St Street, 3 miles West of Hwy. 75. Henslow's Sparrow - observed one in Carver county on our return trip at he Rapid's Lake Unit of the Minnesota Valley NWR. Northern Cardinal - Family at Blue Mounds State Park. Blue Grosbeak - Seen or heard at 5 locations including the Interpretive center for Blue Mounds State Park. Dickcissel - This is there year, with large numbers throughout the county. Great-tailed Grackle - Female carrying food at the marsh behind the Hills Sewage Ponds. Orchard Oriole - near the swimming beach at Blue Mounds State Park and the parking area for the picnic grounds at Split Rock Creek State Park in Pipestone County. Craig Mandel - [email protected] - Minnetonka, MN -------------------------------1121235912 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUS-ASCII"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=20= Arial"=20 bottomMargin=3D7 leftMargin=3D7 topMargin=3D7 rightMargin=3D7><FONT id=3Drol= e_document=20 face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2><FONT id=3Drole_document face=3DArial=20= color=3D#000000=20 size=3D2> <DIV>July 10 - 12, 2005</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Spent the last 3 days birding with a group from my Audubon Chapter in R= ock=20 and Pipestone Counties. Was warm, but very enjoyable. We encount= ered=20 lots of singing birds on the Prairie, plus a good number of early migrating=20 shorebirds at the city treatment ponds in Luverne. If you plan to= =20 bird these ponds, you should note that while the manager of the Golden=20 Plump processing plant does not seem to care where you walk on there propert= y,=20 he does not want you park on the plants property. So you should p= ark=20 on the road that goes to the two western ponds. I also talked wit= h=20 the Luverne (city manager?, not totally sure of her title) and she did not h= ave=20 a problem with us birding there. But did request if we were spending m= uch=20 time there to contact the city and let them know. The number for the c= ity=20 is 507-449-2388 and I was connected with a woman named Jill. If y= ou=20 have any questions, please feel free to email or call me. Al= so=20 note that the plant is running a 24 security guard. Our initial=20 contact was with him at about 8:30pm on Sunday night.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Here are some of the species we were able to observe during our stay.</= DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Gray Partridge - CR 11, 1/2 mile North of CR 20.</DIV> <DIV>Swainson's Hawk - CR 6, 1 mile North of CR 8.</DIV> <DIV>13 species of shorebirds, most of them were at the City ponds in=20 Luverne.</DIV> <DIV>Willet - 2 birds were at the Hills Sewage Ponds, along CR 6, 1 mile S.=20= of=20 Hwy 270.</DIV> <DIV>American Woodcock - This bird was seen actively feeding at 10:00am on 1= 31st=20 St., just past where the road becomes a minimum maintenance road, past=20= the=20 gravel pits.</DIV> <DIV>Black-billed Cuckoo - One was heard and seen along 144th Av at 81st=20 St.</DIV> <DIV>Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Two or Three birds were heard and seen at Blue=20 Mounds State Park.</DIV> <DIV>Eastern Screech-Owl - Nesting pair with 3 or 4 young.</DIV> <DIV>Great Horned Owl - Heard calling at Blue Mounds State Park.</DIV> <DIV>Common Nighthawk </DIV> <DIV>Loggerhead Shrike - One bird was observed on the power lines at th= e=20 intersection of CR 4 and CR 6.</DIV> <DIV>Warbling Vireo - Found a pair and there nest at the state park.</DIV> <DIV>Grasshopper Sparrow - fairly common with nice looks at the new National= =20 Wildlife Refuge on 171 St Street, 3 miles West of Hwy. 75.</DIV> <DIV>Henslow's Sparrow - observed one in Carver county on our return trip at= he=20 Rapid's Lake Unit of the Minnesota Valley NWR.</DIV> <DIV>Northern Cardinal - Family at Blue Mounds State Park.</DIV> <DIV>Blue Grosbeak - Seen or heard at 5 locations including the Interpretive= =20 center for Blue Mounds State Park. </DIV> <DIV>Dickcissel - This is there year, with large numbers throughout the= =20 county.</DIV> <DIV>Great-tailed Grackle - Female carrying food at the marsh behind the Hil= ls=20 Sewage Ponds.</DIV> <DIV>Orchard Oriole - near the swimming beach at Blue Mounds State Park and=20= the=20 parking area for the picnic grounds at Split Rock Creek State Park in Pipest= one=20 County.</DIV> <DIV></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10"= >Craig Mandel=20 - [email protected] - Minnetonka, MN </FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML> -------------------------------1121235912--
