The* Townsend's Solitaires* have returned to the Sand Dunes State Forest near Orrock in Sherburne County. I don't know who first found them, but think they have been seen in this area since about 2004 - ten years! The folks at Sherburne NWR HQ have a map - if you stop in there. From Orrock, go south on Sherburne CR 5 about a mile, turn east on the campground road (look for a brown DNR sign), then go east a mile. Where the asphalt turns to gravel, there's a small parking area on the south side of the road. Follow the trail behind the yellow gate. They can often be seen right from the road as well - flying around in the open and perching in the top of the big deciduous tree that stands out there.
Saw my first *American Tree Sparrow flock* on the east side of Mille Lacs Lake last Friday, and this morning I have 3 birds visiting my feeders here in Benton County, east of St. Cloud. I had my first fall *Rough-legged Hawk* here in Benton County this morning, just north of the St. Cloud Airport. *Sandhill Crane* numbers are increasing around Sherburne NWR. Last week's count was 4700 birds, but with the corn harvest, numbers should continue to rise, and the birds will concentrate in fields closer to the refuge. There's great sunrise and sunset viewing from Sherburne CR 3 between the Refuge and Santiago, as well as from the refuge parking area on CR 70. There's a map on the Sherburne Refuge website, in the "Wildlife Viewing" section - here's the link: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Sherburne/visit/visitor_activities.html Betsy Beneke St. Cloud, Benton 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
