Early yesterday afternoon, May 5, I saw both a Clark's Grebe and a Ross's Goose on Thielke Lake in Big Stone Co. Both were observed from Co Rd 62, which runs along the S side of the lake. The Clark's initially was by itself on the E half of the lake, but it eventually joined the main group of ~40 Western Grebes on the W side. The late- lingering Ross's Goose was an adult on the E half of the lake, closely associating with a pair of Canada Geese.
Then yesterday night, between 11:15 and 11:25 pm, at least 2 Yellow Rails were heard calling in the McGregor marsh in Aitkin Co. Both were on the E side of Hwy 65: one was quite close to the road near mile marker 116, which is 0.7 mi S of the Hwy 210 intersection; the other was quite far from the road and hard to hear, 0.8 mi S of 210. Other birds of note found yesterday were 13 late Cackling Geese on the Wheaton sewage ponds, a Western Kingbird along Traverse Co Rd 76 just E of Mud L, and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher along the Big Stone NWR's auto tour in Lac Qui Parle Co. Kim Eckert
