101 (99 personal) species for the week in Sherburne, Mille Lacs and a bit of Benton Counties:
* Very few waterfowl, although nesting Trumpeter Swans in Sherburne Refuge are always a crowd pleaser (check both the back of Blue Hill and also the Prairie Wildlife Auto Tour) * Ruffed Grouse drumming has declined, but not completely absent * Few shorebirds, best sightings of week were two Uppies along the Auto Tour and a single Sanderling along the St. Francis River last Saturday * Both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos at Kunkel WMA, Mille Lacs County * Red-headed Woodpecker, Sherburne CR 9 & 42 intersection * Seven flycatchers, including a Willow on Kunkel WMA (if my ears are tuned correctly) * Golden-crowned Kinglets still present on Blue Hill Trail, coniferous section * Only 11 warblers heard/seen, residents except for the Hooded and last Saturday's Cerulean along Blue Hill Trail * Nine sparrows, Lark seem to be everywhere in the refuge, Grasshopper very numerous * Dickcissel returned to Mille Lacs CR 12 this morning (two, sadly signaling the end of migration) * Best bird of week was Paul Johnson's White-faced Ibis on Saturday - have not seen or heard of further sightings. Personal misses in the state this migration season: Connecticut, Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers; Black Duck (for fourth year in row haven't seen in either home county); Golden Eagle; American Golden-Plover & Whimbrel; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher; Summer Tanager; Henslow's, LeConte's and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows; and the aforementioned Ibis - as well as some of the more rare & exotic. What did you miss this spring? Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties (feeling an Aitkin County trip coming on - LeConte's and Connecticut are going down!)
