Honestly, I don't know how Steve knows about the lark sparrows, since I haven't talked to him in months! I think he can just hear any bird conversation taking place within the metro! Anyway, when I was at the coulee a week ago we found 8 lark sparrows, and watched one making a nest under a thistle in the recently burned prairie. There are also orchard orioles, which also nest there.
The coulee is a very unique place - a sand gravel prairie with 13 rare plant and animal species documented so far. Friends of the Mississippi River has been working with both public and private landowners there to obtain long term protection and doing extensive habitat restoration. Since information is now posted on this list serve about accessing this site, I would like to take the opportunity to ask anyone who does visit to also be extra eyes for illegal activity. ATV users are causing significant destruction to the fragile soils, resulting in erosion, destroyed vegetation, and exotic species invasion, to name a few. If you happen to see any people on ATV's, please report them to the Hastings police (or if you care to talk to them directly, kindly inform them motorized vehicles are not allowed). I am also tracking bird species recorded at this site, so if visitors would like to report their findings to me, I would greatly appreciate it. I can also provide an extensive plant list to anyone who is interested, and we'd like to know of any new ones discovered. Or if you have expertise with any other organisms (insects, amphibians, reptiles etc) and would like to participate in surveying this unique area, please let me know. Karen Schik At 9:44 PM -0500 5/22/06, Steve Weston wrote: >A couple of people inquired about the directions to the Sand Coulee, >where I observed the Lark Sparrow. First, credit should go to >Karen Schik, who had found the bird. I appologize that I did not >give directions last night. This was the first time I had visited >this site. > >The Sand Coulee is the ravine on the south edge of city of Hastings. >Head out of Hastings on Hwy 316. Turn left on Tuttle Road and >follow the road around until you find an access road with a locked >gate (or maybe chain) leading down to the ravine to the east. the >Lark Sparrow was in the dirt on the "road" on the other side of the >pond. > >If you need a Lark Sparrow for Goodhue County, I found them last >year just off the road to the Treasure Is. casino on Prairie Island. >Head south on Hwy 316 and turn east (left) on CR 68, following the >signs for the casino. CR 68 becomes CR 18 when you cross into >Goodhue County. Take the first right turn. The Lark Sparrows were >associated with the pine trees along this road. I haven't check out >whether they are back this year. > >The most interesting missed specie for the trip around Dakota County >yesterday was the absences of Dickcissels. I checked out at least >three locations that I had them last year with no luck. > >Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN >[email protected] >_______________________________________________ >mou-net mailing list >[email protected] >http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net -- ________________________________ Karen Schik Restoration Ecologist Friends of the Mississippi River 360 North Robert Street Saint Paul MN 55101 Phone 651/222-2193 ext 15 Fax 651/222-6005 http://www.fmr.org Sign up for the Mississippi River Challenge: 1 or 2-day paddle, August 5-6, 2006 http://www.mississippiriverchallenge.org/
