Chad Gustafson and I birded a chunk of the Cobbs River WPA (just SE of Mankato, Blue Earth Co.) We had a few good finds, including two Ruddy Turnstones with a flock of 16 Black-bellied Plovers (total 19 plovers) at a tilled field near a farm pond. I certainly didn't expect to see them in an agricultural setting. Strange. Other birds included:
-11 shorebird species total--same site as the plovers and turnstones; 597 St., north of 145th St -8 Western Grebes--lake on the WPA; number increased from 3 earlier this week. -Franklin's Gull--same site as shorebirds Among normal expectants were 7 species of duck (6 being dabblers), Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolinks (few), Yellow-headed Blackbirds (numerous), and Soras (2). Chad saw a flock of 6 Cattle Egrets fly by yesterday when he visited the WPA. We did not relocate them today, but we did not get out to all areas of the WPA so it is possible they're still in the area. Good birding! Alyssa DeRubeis Golden Valley, Hennepin Co. ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
