Nice report! On Wed, Apr 23, 2025, 4:24 PM Jason Frank <jmfran...@gmail.com> wrote:
> There's been a huge movement of shorebirds to Big Stone NWR in the past 24 > hours. > > From the viewing platform with the steel viewing scopes at the beginning of > the Auto Tour route all the way over to the West Pool, you will notice that > the cattails along the riverbank (looking south from the road) have been > burnt off, revealing excellent mudflats. There are so many species showing > up right now, it's almost easier to list what's NOT there! Upwards of 30 > Avocets were feeding just under the viewing platform today. A nice group of > White-faced Ibis were feeding just a little bit east of the platform this > morning. > > Between 10:00 and Noon I was able to ID the following species of note: > > American Avocet (largest group I've ever seen in MN) > White faced Ibis > Semipalmated Plover > Greater Yellowlegs > Lesser Yellowlegs > Willet (at least 4) > Long billed Dowitcher > Marbled Godwit > Hudsonian Godwit > Wilson's Phalarope > Least Sandpiper > Pectoral Sandpiper > Western Grebe > Pied Billed Grebe > Common Loon > > Lots of Gadwalls, Green-winged Teal, and Shovelers are there as well. > > The Egrets and Blue Herons just seemingly arrived in large numbers today, > and there were Tree, Barn, Cliff, and Northern Rough-winged Swallows > present. > > The Eagles on their nest along the Auto Tour exit route beside the river in > the woods is occupied and the parents are actively feeding the chick. That > stretch of the river is also a great place to see a family of beavers with > several kits, as well as a family of river otters, if you check in the > morning and evening. > > There's been a Say's Phoebe hanging out at the platform for the past 2 > days, and also by the first river bridge you cross on the Auto Tour. The > "Odessa Birds" that nested along CR 21 near Bituminous Paving have also > returned. > > Right now, I'd estimate over 1000 shorebirds poking around the river along > the Auto Tour. This is BY FAR the most productive stretch of mudflat > habitat in the Upper MN River Valley/Salt Lake region. I'd expect the > Refuge to be the highlight of the Salt Lake Birding Weekend in 2 weeks. > > It's looking like we could get substantial rain out here Monday. That could > result in an increase in shorebird habitat in fields and pastures, so the > birds might be spreading out more by the first weekend in May. I haven't > been to the Marsh Lake dam or the Emily Creek Drainage area on the west > side of Lac qui Parle Lake (west of Milan), but those sites will be well > worth checking for shorebirds. Same goes for the flats around the Watson > Dam/Lac qui Parle Mission area. > > Salt Lake itself has a nice little stretch of mudflat in the NW corner > which should especially be good for photographers, as it is only a few > yards from the road. > > Not much standing water in the fields right now, but that could change if > we get some rain later this week and next. Please be mindful of the fact > that farmers are planting right now, and they have the right of way on dirt > roads. > > For the past month, I've been seeing 2 very skittish Sharp-Tailed Grouse at > Salt Lake. They've been in the NW parking area of the WMA (where there > isn't a direct view of the water) and also on the western shore (actually > in the SD WPA land). I've seen them on weekends, late morning around 10 or > 11. There might be a small lek down there; it would be worth staking out > during earlier morning hours. > > > *Jason Frank* > > *Big Stone County Librarian* > > *Ortonville and Graceville, Minnesota* > > ---- > General information and guidelines for posting: > https://moumn.org/listservice.html > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
