Tom Nelson, Nathan and I traveled from Murphy-Hanrehan to Roseau on Thursday, August 30th - then backtracked to Agassiz the next morning due to Thursday's burn/refuge shutdown. We totaled 135 species, including:
* Long-tailed Jaeger (what a glorious bird) * 15 shorebird species, including five Hudsonian Godwits (Agassiz), ~100 Red-necked Phalaropes (various locations) & a Black-bellied Plover (Agassiz, missed the Red Knot seen later) * 26 BB Magpies in a flock at the LT Jaeger location * Only 12 warblers (harbinger of things to come) * Eight flycatcher species * Late Dickcissel at Albany Ponds. On Saturday we met up with the MOU Mille Lacs warbler trip participants at 7:30 AM. Weather was gorgeous, parking lot held a number of warblers - but then it grew quiet. Despite covering Kathio State Park, Hennepin and the Mille Lacs lakefront, we only totaled 13 warbler (64 total) species. Warblers included: * Tennessee * Nashville * Yellow (strange plumage, mix of adult & juvenile characteristics) * Chestnut-sided * Yellow-rumped (my first of fall) * Blackburnian * Black-and-white * American Redstart * Ovenbird * Mourning * Common Yellowthroat * Wilson's * Canada Many of these were either single individuals, or single person sightings. We did have a small shorebird flock along Mille Lacs Lake that took some extended viewing. One chunkier but relatively small shorebird is still unidentified despite prolonged viewing and photos (Sanderling, Red Knot and a more exotic species were all proposed). The field trip group was an excellent mix of personable veterans and newbies - would love to lead this group again! This morning (Tuesday) was rather slow on Blue Hill Trail, Sherburne NWR - three warblers (chip notes going overhead, however), flock of pelicans and a Barred Owl kept me conscious. Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties (hopefully over Saturday's ID-itis)
