This morning Chad Gustafson and I checked out the condition of the shorebird area at the WMA one mile north of Hwy. 99 on the east side of Hwy. 111. The wet field from which I reported on Thursday is now mostly dry, and the number and variety of shorebirds there have significantly decreased. However, there is a second pond north of the first; to get there, continue walking on the dirt path as it curves northward around the first pond. There was a bigger variety and number at this pond, and there is considerably more water present which makes me think that this will be a good spot for at least a couple weeks.
At the shallow wetland on the east side of Hwy. 4 just north of the MN River in the western end of the county there was a decent variety of shorebirds present. Most interesting however was a juvenile Bonaparte's Gull sitting on the mudflats. There is a lot of water still present at this location, and thus I would expect this spot to be good for a while yet. Additionally, at the Sleepy Eye sewage ponds in Brown County we found much of the same shorebirds including 7 Red-necked Phalaropes. Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County bobthebirdman.blogspot.com
