Hey birders,
Trent Robbins and I spent the morning in the field on Sunday and had some
pretty nice finds.
Shorebirds at Cobb River WPA are pretty decent with good habitat along 586th
Ave south of CR10. We had both yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Pectoral Sandpipers
at a pond right next to the road. The primary shorebird location is getting
weedy but there were some shorebirds there. This location is north of CR4 on
597th Lane east of CR16. The best shorebird location (where the shorebirds
actually are) appears to be a CRP plot at the corner of CR169 and CR168 east of
Cobb River WPA. There is a large mudflat visible to the north and west from
CR169 north of the intersection with CR168. This mudflat had close to 100
shorebirds yesterday but there is little access and the distance is more than a
scope can muster. We could only tell there were many peeps and yellowlegs
swirling around and then landing. The sod farms east of CR14 along CR21 had
many Killdeer (95) and Horned Larks, but no Buff-breasted or other sandpipers.
Other highlights from Blue Earth County:
Peregrine Falcon in Mankato
Eurasian Collared-Dove in Mapleton atop the church one block north of Hwy 30
along CR7.
Red-headed Woodpecker along CR165 south of the Maple River WMA southeast of
Good Thunder
Dickcissels still singing at Roberts WPA along CR18 west of Mapleton
Gray Partridge (2) along CR18 just east of Roberts WPA
A mixed-flock of swallows numbering over 300 birds (>95% Cliff/Bank)
Over 100 Great Egrets on Perch Lake and Cottonwood Lake east of Mapleton
Also to piggyback on Bob Dunlap's observations in Nicollet County: There was
an Eared Grebe at the Nicollet Sewage Ponds on Saturday afternoon along with
the Red-necked Phalaropes. And while the Nicollet WMA along CR111 is not so
great for shorebirds, another WMA north of Courtland along 531st Ave has good
mudflats. On Friday there were both yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Least Sandpipers
there as well as a cooperative Sora.
Happy birding!
Chad Heins
Mankato, MN
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