Hi All! I took a little birding trip today, and headed west to Grant County and the North Ottawa Impoundment, via Elbow Lake, Nashua, Tintah, Herman and back home through Alexandria.
*Wilkin County* On the way TO North Ottawa Impoundment, just at the west edge of Nashua, which is in Wilkin County, near the intersection of Hwys. 55 and 9, in a corn stubble field on the west edge of the sugar beet relay station, there was a huge mixed flock of tundra swans and white-fronted geese. See my ebird list for details. *Grant County* I spent approximately two hours at the North Ottawa Impoundment in Grant County, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. See my ebird list for details. It's "so" recent, it hasn't been approved/published yet, as I compose this email. Not a lot of activity so far; mallards were stealing the show. A few tundra swans, a few pintails, and a very few wood ducks and shovelers. Almost no divers yet, other than a couple of pairs of redheads and a single drake bufflehead. It's only going to get better! *Grant/Douglas County* Along the north side of Hwy. 27 at the Grant/Douglas County line there was a flock (300-400) of ring-billed gulls - half were in Douglas County, half were in Grant County. Not sure why the separation, other than a gravel road? Most seemed to be resting in a corn stubble field. Rigors of migration - you plop down where your energy runs out, and you see friends? *General Comments* All my photographic efforts at the impoundment were thwarted by some guy in a red Ford Explorer who was zooming around on all the dike roads at 40-50 mph, flushing all the birds. Aarrgghhh!!! I think he was an "employee" of someone - seemed to be stopping/checking stations with gauges, etc. He was nice, waved every time he went by me, although I'm not sure if it was an "apologetic" wave, or just being friendly. He may not have realized how disruptive his activities were. Or if he did, the waves were his way of saying, "Sorry - just doing my job - and I have to keep moving." Obviously, not a "federal" government employee...ha! Don't cha just LOVE spring? 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
