5/7/10 Noon Today, I studied and photographed a dark-mantled 3rd cycle and a 2nd year (1st winter-type) LBBG south of the cemetery at the west end of the lake. The birds were estimated (Google Earth ruler) at 600 m. It was raining the entire time and visibility was less than wonderful. Ring-billed Gulls, and Bonaparte's were available for direct comparison of size, shape and mantle shading. The two LBBGs stayed very close together and generally remained away from the other gulls. Leg color was almost impossible to discern with the naked eye, but some of the photos suggest pale yellow on the 3rd year and dull pink on the younger bird. I will post an RQD with details later.
Perhaps 150-200 (9 species) shorebirds scattered throughout the mudflats. Numerous American Pipits plus all 6 swallows (yup, Purple Martin too) in one resting flock on the mudflat. That's a first for me. I checked numerous small mudflat areas throughout the western portion of the county and found small numbers of shorebirds in almost all of the them, indicating birds are widely dispersed where ever floodings and mudflats occur. Jim Eagan, MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
