[mou] Hooded Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, etc... Mankato

[Chad Heins]

Hey birders!

Our family has a tradition of Memorial BIG Days.  With
a son born on Thursday, this year's BIG day had to
start late at 4am and be cut short at noon on Monday.
(God bless Mother-in-Laws who make these things
possible!)

I ended up with 114 species for the day with
highlights listed below. Most of the warblers have
passed through (or evaded notice) and there were
surpisingly few shorebirds considering the number of
wet fields.

A male Hooded Warbler was heard and seen at Seven-Mile
Creek County Park in Nicollet County.  The bird was
singing along the right loop of trail 8 beyond the
first bridge.  This was one of the best looks at
Hooded Warbler I have ever had.

The male Kentucky Warbler is also back at Williams
Nature Park on Hwy 68 just east of Minneopa State
Park.  Take the left loop (Perry Wood trail).  The
bird has been singing from the middle of the loop,
close to the trail.

I also struck out at finding the Bell's Vireo at
Minneopa State Park.  I understand the bird has
returned again this year.  Check out the Wild Plum
thickets adjacent to the road at the prairie site.

Other highlights:

Black-billed Cuckoo (7-mile and Williams)
4 grebes
6 woodpeckers
4 herons
5 swallows
5 thrushes
8 flycatchers
8 blackbirds
9 sparrows
11 warblers (including Mourning at 7-mile)
4 vireos (including a pair of Blue-headeds at 7-mile)

Happy birding!

Chad Heins
Mankato, MN





	
		
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