There was a Minnesota Birding Weekend (MBW) from August 31 to September 3 in Mahnomen and western Polk Co's, plus a bit into Marshall Co. Although nothing particularly unusual was found among the 160 species we found, there were some interesting highlights:
- Red-necked, Eared, Western, and possibly Horned grebes at the Agassiz impoundment on the Marshall-Polk county line; Horned and Eared grebes also seen elsewhere. - Eur. Collared-Doves in Waubun (Mahnomen Co, where there are only a handful of county records); also seen in Fertile (Polk Co). - Total of 17 shorebird species: incl. Black-bellied Plover, 6 Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Agassiz impoundment), Short-billed Dowitcher, and both phalaropes. The best sites were the Crookston sewage ponds (entry with advance permission) and the Agassiz impoundment; the only shorebird place we found in Mahnomen Co. was the Mahnomen sewage ponds (entry with advance permission). - Possible juvenile N. Goshawk in flight over Polk CR 44. - Peregrine Falcon on 2 days at the Crookston sewage ponds. - Red-breasted Nuthatches at several locations in all 3 counties. - Several dozen Bobolinks (possibly 100 or more!) at the Parnell impoundment (Polk Co.); also present with them was a late Dickcissel (possibly 2). - Total of 20 warbler species, incl. Golden-wingeds, an early Orange-crowned, and several Bay-breasteds. Probably the best sites were Mahnomen municipal park on CR 10, along Pine Bend Rd. (NE Mahnomen Co.), the stands of trees at the Crookston sewage ponds, Red River Valley Natural History Area in Crookston, and Island Park in Warren (Marshall Co.). Of final note is that we found no magpies anywhere during this 4-day MBW. Kim Eckert, Duluth http://www.mbwbirds.com ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
