Birded around Pope County the past week. Most birds were regular or common for this area. I wanted to explore some of the newer WPA areas and CRP land around in addition to the typical areas. A couple highlights:
There was a pair of Grasshopper sparrows in a WPA NW of Lowry (2 miles north of the Lutheran Church west of Lowry), likely a breeding pair. This WPA also had a number of Sedge Wrens and Clay-colored Sparrows. One area of particular interest to me was at 275th St and 240th Ave south of Glenwood, near Swift Falls. The road passes through a small wooded patch with mature Cottonwood trees, low shrubs, a wetland, and surrounded by private land, cultivated fields and pasture. Although the land is all private and posted "No Trespassing", it is easy to bird from the road. As an aside, this area is not far from where a Say's Phoebe was reported earlier this spring. In this short stretch I saw a Veery pair, Warbling Vireos, Alder Flycatchers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Sedge Wrens, a Swamp Sparrow, a Field Sparrow, a Song Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, a Gray Catbird, American Goldfinches, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Pheasants in addition to a bunch of regular birds. I thought I heard a Black-billed Cuckoo but it could have been wishful thinking. About a quarter mile east in another small wooded patch were Eastern Kingbirds, Least Flycatchers, American Redstarts, and Great-crested Flycatchers. Not far west of this location were Yellow-throated Vireos, Western Meadowlarks, and a Sora calling. Glacial Lakes State Park had all of the above and many Eastern Pewees, a Bobolink pair, a Brown Thrasher, Ovenbirds, Red-Eyed Vireos displaying, Eastern Bluebirds, and all resident sparrow species (many). We saw no Dickcissels but we did not bird very much of the "non-burned" areas so they may well be there. Lowry sewage ponds: One pair of Canvasbacks, 5 bachelor Redheads, one lonely Spotted Sandpiper - not much else. There was a pair of Red-necked Grebes in a pond between Glenwood and Starbuck. General observations: Sedge wrens seem to be doing well, they are singing from every patch of grass there is. Pheasant population is healthy, many adults and some young already. Sparrow species (Song, Swamp, Chipping, Clay-colored, Field) all over the place, Savannah and Vesper in the usual places. Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats are, well, common. In shorter supply (at least in the places I visited) were Bobolinks, Dickcissels, Western Meadowlarks. Sid Stivland Plymouth (and Pope County) ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
