[mou] Mankato area

[Chad Heins]

Hey birders!

I had a chance to get out Friday morning (sorry about
the tardiness of this report) and again Monday morning
for a couple of hours.

Here are the highlights:

At least 500 pelicans have taken up residence at Swan
Lake in Nicollet County.  They might be doing a draw
down there, concentrating the fish and making the lake
a pelican magnet.  Also had great looks at Western,
Red-necked, and Eared Grebes at Swan Lake too.

A single Henslow's Sparrow was located singing in the
vicinity of Kasota Prairie (Le Sueur County).  The
bird was located approximately .25 miles east of the
corner Kasota plot on the south side of the road. 
There were also numerous Grasshopper Sparrows,
Easterna and Western Meadowlarks, and Bobolinks. (This
field has also been good for Upland Sandpiper this
year)

Seven-mile Creek County Park (Nicollet County--west
side of Hwy 169) is still very productive.  Friday I
had a tardy Tennessee Warbler as well as Cerulean,
Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, American
Redstart, gnatcatcher (on nest), Scarlet Tanager,
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (on nest), and Indigo Bunting. 
A short visit on Monday produced the same list only
substituting a Chestnut-sided Warbler for the
Tennessee.  This bird may be nesting here; the habitat
was appropriate.

Flycatchers must be late this year.  On Friday I had
two Olive-sided Flycatchers sitting on the telephone
wires along Judson Bottom Road.  Those were my first
for the year.  Willow Flycatcher has been noticeably
absent from their typical haunts.  Anyone else noticed
the same thing?

Happy birding!

Chad Heins 
Mankato, MN

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