During Labor Day Weekend, the Minn Birding Weekends group covered
parts of Kittson, Roseau, Marshall, and NW Polk Co's and turned up a
composite total of 168 species. Among the highlights:
- Ross's Goose: 3 Sept at Greenbush sewage ponds, Roseau Co (3 adults).
- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 3 Sept in Warroad, Roseau Co; 1 juvenile
photographed (as posted by Jeanie Joppru, this bird had been seen
there the previous day and reported to her as a Black-crowned).
- 19 shorebird species: nothing unusual; only 2 locations found with
significant numbers (see below).
- Short-eared Owl: 5 Sept in SE Kittson Co (3); also 3 along Hwy 72 in
the general vicinity of Lake of the Woods - Beltrami Co line on Sept 2.
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 4 Sept at Lake Bronson State Park, Kittson Co
(same location as in May 2009).
- 19 warbler species: nothing unusual and no significant waves found.
- Le Conte's Sparrow: 4 Sept in SE Kittson Co (4).
- White-winged Crossbill: 3 Sept along Thompson Forest Rd, Roseau Co
(2 small flocks).
The best location we found for shorebirds was Webster Pool at Agassiz
NWR, Marshall Co (no one on the Refuge staff was apparently aware of
these mudflats, where ~300-400 shorebirds were present 6 Sept).
The other good mudflats were at the new water impoundment near the
Wetlands, Pines & Prairie Audubon Center, Polk Co; this large area
lies on both sides of the Marshall - Polk Co line, and the best access
we found was via 200th St: from the Audubon Center, go 1/2 mi west, 1
mi north, and 1/2 mi east.
Finally, there was a wood-pewee at the Audubon Center on 5 Sept with
an all-dark lower mandible and other features that suggested it might
have been a Western, but it was silent during the entire time and had
to be left as unidentified.
Kim R Eckert
[email protected]
MBWbirds.com
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