I found one Snowy Egret and a Franklin's gull on the muddy island with the Pellicans and the Caspian terns, visible from the observation platform Sat pm Warren Woessner
________________________________ From: Minnesota Birds on behalf of Chad Heins Sent: Sat 7/25/2009 9:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [mou-net] Purgatory Creek directions Sorry for the delay but I was camping in Wisconsin this w Hey birders, Sorry for the delay but I was camping in Wisconsin this week. I was able to successfully find the two Snowy Egrets at Purgatory Creek wetlands on Tuesday around noon when my family passed through the Cities. I also immensely enjoyed the pelicans, cormorants, Ospreys, and other waders at that site. Thanks again to all who sent directions. It turns out I was not the only person starved for directions to this wonderful birding locale. I have had numerous requests for the directions that were given to me. I have pasted the version I used below. The birds were easily found the minute I pulled up behind the Lifetime Fitness and there was great viewing of all the other aforementioned birds. Thanks again Mike! Chad Heins Mankato, MN P.S. If you want a copy of all the different directions, just drop me an email and I can forward you a Word document with them. The second is on the east side of the wetlands. It is the back parking lot for lifetime fitness. To get here take 169 north to the Anderson lakes Parkway exit and go west (left). Follow Anderson lakes to Columbine Rd. (Columbine road is the first stoplight past Flying Cloud drive, ) Turn right on Columbine Rd and follow it until you get to where it takes a sharp right bend. The back parking lot for the fitness center is to the left just as the road bends right. The wetlands are on your left as you drive down the last part of columbine Rd. The trail around the wetlands borders this parking lot. You are parked just feet from viewing the wetlands from the trail there. When you leave this parking lot, a left turn will take you to Prairie center drive. The third place is where I park to access what everyone calls the "blind". This is on the west end of the wetlands. Here I park in the corner of a church parking lot. To get here, follow Anderson Lakes again, but this time turn right onto Flying cloud Drive. You will then turn left onto Prairie Center Drive. I think it is the second stoplight. Follow Prairie Center Drive to Technology Drive. Turn left on Technology drive. The main wetlands parking is the first(only) left after you turn onto technology drive. But as I said, I continue past this, past the shops on the right until you come to a church on the right. I park in the corner of the parking lot here and the trail around the wetlands is across Technology drive. To get to the "blind" follow the path between the wetlands and an office building until you start to get to a more residential area. There is a wood chip path leading off to the left that goes out to the blind. Although the wetlands are just across the street from the church lot, It is a pretty good distance to get to the blind from here, but is much shorter than from the main parking lot. There is a paved trail all the way around the wetlands if you are up for a bit of a walk. ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
