Paul Budde, Doug Kieser, Scott Meyer, Mark Ochs and I decided to try a Big Day in Red Lake County on Monday. Overnight rains delayed our start until 5:50, but likely contributed to a successful Big Day. We ended up the day with 142 species (previous record 102). Most notable were 22 species of shorebirds. These included an apparent county record Whimbrel found at two sites – 3 at the old quarry site in the southwest corner and 5 at the rice paddy ponds in the northeast corner of the county. We also saw American Avocets at two locations – 2 at the rice paddies and 10 at the Oklee WTP. In all, there were 16 species of shorebirds at the rice paddies including Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, Stilt Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers and White-rumped Sandpipers, as well as a late Tundra Swan and American Black Duck. At the Red Lake Falls WTP, 210 Wilson’s Phalaropes, 2 Red-necked Phararopes and 3 Willets were found. Other notable species included a Swainson’s Hawk, Gray Partridges and Upland Sandpipers in Lake Pleasant Twp and Sharp-tailed Grouse near the rice paddies. Passarines were hard to come by with only 12 species of warblers, the majority of those represented by only a single bird. And of course, as in any Big Day, there were some aggravating misses including Turkey Vulture, Sedge Wren, Greater Yellowlegs and Common Nighthawk. We finished the day at 10:40 PM with a Great Horned Owl and several displaying American Woodcock.
Howard Towle Golden Valley, 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
