[mou] IMBD/Otter Tail Co

[Dan & Sandy Thimgan]

International Migratory Bird Day
Otter Tail County, May 8, 2004

A very respectable 124 species were id'ed by our IMBD team (the team:  Eddy
and Judy Edwards, Jeff Schultz, Tom Egeberg, Dan & Sandy Thimgan) as we
birded across Otter Tail County on Saturday.  The food was great, too.

Primary birding spots were Black's Grove Park (on the eastern county line
near Wadena), Glendalough State Park (in the center of the county), and
Western Township (in the extreme southwest corner of the county), and all
spots in between.

Warblers were still somewhat scarce (9 species).  6 raptors. 12 species of
sparrows.  12 ducks/geese.  In Western Township, we saw 14 sandpiper species
(notably, 2 Hudsonian Godwits, 23 Marbled Godwits, 10 Dunlin, 1 Willet, and
12 Wilson's Phalaropes).

For birders interested in seeing Black-crowned Night-Heron, a tiny island in
tiny Grotto Lake in southeast residential Fergus Falls (not to be confused
with the Lake Alice rookery) has been colonized this year.  You can observe
the birds well even without binoculars.  We saw 20 packed into nesting
places in evergreen trees.  Turn into the small city park off of Pebble Lake
Road/Vernon Avenue next to the Salvation Army Bldg, across the street from
the Casey's and Burger King.

PS:  If you'd like a more complete list, let us know.

PPS:  Since our group pays a great deal of attention to the eating aspect of
birding, our food theme this year was: Any food that birds themselves would
eat (Best-in-Show this year: Toucan Fruit Boat).

PPPS:  Last year's food theme:  Dead Birds (example: deviled Eggs, smoked
Duck, Chicken enchiladas).

Bird on!
-- 
Dan & Sandy Thimgan
Battle Lake, MN
Otter Tail Co.