[mou] Shorebird spots, Hennepin County
Bob Dunlap
rmdbird@mn.rr.com
Sun, 10 Aug 2003 13:46:19 -0500
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This early afternoon my dad and I went to look at a couple areas in SW =
Hennepin County that we thought might be attracting shorebirds right =
now. The first area was the wetlands behind the Flagship Corporate =
Center in Eden Prairie. Park at the south end of the lot and walk =
behind the building. This spot contained a good amount of mudflats, and =
still has lots of water, so it could be good for a few weeks yet. Today =
most of the shorebirds were too far away to identify, but there were =
some closer ones including:
-Lesser Yellowlegs
-Least Sandpiper
-Semipalmated Sandpiper
-Baird's Sandpiper
-Spotted Sandpiper
-Killdeer
The second area was the Minnesota River Valley south of Hwy. 212 in Eden =
Prairie. There is little access to this extensive area, but there is an =
overlook on the south side of the highway across from Flying Cloud =
Airport. From here we could see extensive mudflats and at least a few =
hundred shorebirds, but the only ones we could identify at that distance =
were Killdeer and Lesser Yellowlegs. There were hundreds of Great =
Egrets and Great Blue Herons surrounding the water, too. This spot =
would be an excellent shorebird spot if closer viewing areas could be =
found.
On the way back home just west of this spot, we observed an awesome =
spectacle--a Bald Eagle fighting with an Osprey. As these two birds =
battled in the air, a third bird flew up to join in. This third bird =
turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon. The Bald Eagle flew away when the =
Peregrine joined in, and the Osprey was left to battle the falcon. The =
Osprey soon flew away. The Peregrine was so much faster and agile than =
either the eagle or the Osprey, and it appeared that all three of these =
birds knew that.
Good birding!
-Bob Dunlap, Carver County
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This early afternoon my dad and I went =
to look at a=20
couple areas in SW Hennepin County that we thought might be =
attracting=20
shorebirds right now. The first area was the wetlands behind the =
Flagship=20
Corporate Center in Eden Prairie. Park at the south end of the lot =
and=20
walk behind the building. This spot contained a good amount of =
mudflats,=20
and still has lots of water, so it could be good for a few weeks =
yet. =20
Today most of the shorebirds were too far away to identify, but there =
were some=20
closer ones including:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Lesser Yellowlegs</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Least Sandpiper</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Semipalmated Sandpiper</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Baird's Sandpiper</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Spotted Sandpiper</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Killdeer</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The second area was the Minnesota River =
Valley=20
south of Hwy. 212 in Eden Prairie. There is little access to this=20
extensive area, but there is an overlook on the south side of the =
highway across=20
from Flying Cloud Airport. From here we could see extensive =
mudflats and=20
at least a few hundred shorebirds, but the only ones we could =
identify at=20
that distance were Killdeer and Lesser Yellowlegs. There were =
hundreds of=20
Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons surrounding the water, too. =
This spot=20
would be an excellent shorebird spot if closer viewing areas could =
be=20
found.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>On the way back home just west of this =
spot, we=20
observed an awesome spectacle--a Bald Eagle fighting with an =
Osprey. As=20
these two birds battled in the air, a third bird flew up to join =
in. This=20
third bird turned out to be a Peregrine Falcon. The Bald Eagle =
flew away=20
when the Peregrine joined in, and the Osprey was left to battle the=20
falcon. The Osprey soon flew away. The Peregrine was so much =
faster=20
and agile than either the eagle or the Osprey, and it appeared =
that all=20
three of these birds knew that.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good birding!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-Bob Dunlap, Carver County</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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