I was lured into making a day for Park Point today. I missed out on several of the rarities, but had good luck anyway. I found 70 species, with these highlights:
Piping Plover (lifer!), Green-winged Teal, & several Dunlins on the flats at 40th Street Ruddy Duck, Merlin, & Green Heron around the ponds at 40th Street Red-headed Woodpecker at Park Point Rec Area....either I saw it 4 times or had multiple birds; 4 Sanderlings and Green-winged Teal at same location American White Pelicans at Interstate Island Just for the heck of it, I shelled out the $12 for an hour harbor cruise on the VISTA King. The cruise actually goes around the far side of Interstate Island (OK views!) where I was able to spot 2 Black-bellied Plovers with my binoculars! Lots of Common Terns and added Cliff and Northern Rough-winged Swallows to my Wisconsin list. No Whimbrels anywhere and even an hour on the lake couldn't end my 3 year streak of whiffs on the Red-throated Loon. I'll never see that bird.... Also, I stopped at the home that hosted the Summer Tanager. It was a regular until Saturday and hasn't been seen since. I've got jelly out.... On the way home, I had a few Bobolinks at the intersection of 446 & 10 in Itasca County (finally) and tried for Yellow Rail at the little marshy turnoff along Hwy 2, just NW of the Aitkin County border but had to be satisfied with a Marsh Wren (not an easy bird in Itasca). Shawn Conrad http://users.2z.net/itasca_chippewa_birding/ _________________________________________________________________ PC Magazine?s 2007 editors? choice for best Web mail?award-winning Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-us&ocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_pcmag_0507
