[mou] Black-bellied Plovers, Dakota County

[Conny Brunell]

This morning Leslie Marcus and I went birding in Dakota Co.  We came across the most spectacular sight of 45 Black-bellied Plovers in Alternate Plumage on 200th St. (Dakota Co 66) just 0.5 mile west of the Jirik Sod Farms on Blaine Ave (Co 79).

There are flooded farm fields on the South side of the road loaded with shorebirds that are close enough to see well.  There were Rudy Turnstone's, Dowitchers, White-rumped Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Dunlins, Semi-palmated Sandpipers, and Least Sandpipers.  

There were hundreds of shorebirds moving from pool to pool with the highest numbers being the Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers.  The Black-bellied Plovers were all together on a back ridge and it was awesome to see the Rudy Turnstone's next to them. 

Conny Brunell
Richfield, Hennepin Cty
connyb@mycidco.com