[mou] re: Brown Cty. Common Moorhens

[Schladweiler]

I don't usually check my e-mail in the middle of Sunday afternoon nor do I usually chase birds seen by others since I usually am a few minutes late from the last time it was seen.  However, when these birds were only about 4 miles away I figured I needed to take a break and go birding since I hadn't had much of that this spring.  After looking for about a half hour, I finally spotted one common moorhen that swam along the edge of the cattails for about 10 minutes.  

I do not mean to cast aspersions at Pete but his directions are somewhat in error.  That's okay since I have not yet become used to New Ulmites calling the NW part of town North, even though I have lived here 22 years.  

The pond Pete indicates is part of the Rosenau-Lambrecht Wildlife Management Area.  Where I saw a moorhen was on the NORTH side of Hwy 14 (right as you go from New Ulm to Sleepy Eye). The portion of the marsh on this side of the road is much smaller than that on the south side of the highway.  The marsh is located 3 miles WEST of the Essig/Sleepy Eye mileage sign and 1.5 miles EAST of Essig.  Both the mile marker and street signs are correct in Pete's message.  

Where I saw the bird in the marsh is directly north of a willow tree that is growing in the highway right of way on the south side of the highway.  

Good catch Pete.  Hard to spot that sort of secretive bird while cruising down the highway.

John Schladweiler
New Ulm, MN

  
>>>>This morning (5/30) while driving on US Hwy.14 from New Ulm to Sleepy Eye (to visit the sewage ponds), a flash of red on a coot-like bird in a rather small marsh-pond prompted me to slam on the brakes.  This seemingly inconsequential pond turned surprisingly productive as I was able to closely observe a pair of Common Moorhens swimming then foraging thru the marsh not more than 20 ft. from my car.  And while I was watching a Least Bittern flew across the pond into the cattails, and a Sora let loose with its whinny call.  This pond is on the south side of US Hwy. 14 (there is a good shoulder to park on), 3 miles east of the Essig / Sleepy Eye mileage sign as you leave New Ulm, or 1.5 miles west of Essig (between 195th and 200th Ave.and mile markers 96-97) on Hwy.14.
Pete Hoeger, Hutchinson
 

 
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