[mou] SW Minnesota today

[rdunlap@gac.edu]

   While everyone was birding along the North Shore today, a few of us (Jeff
Stephenson, John and Chris Hockema, Ben Fritchman, Carol Schumacher, Howard
Towle, and myself) went to pick up a few species in the southwest part of the
state.  Around noon we found a large flock of longspurs at the Nature
Conservancy's Red Rock Prairie in Cottonwood County.  This turned out to be a
mixed flock of around 200 birds, with about a 7 to 3 ratio of Lapland to
Smith's.  The flock was hanging around the very southeastern end of the
prairie, which appeared to be a plowed field with short grasses and low
vegetation.  This can be easily accessed by parking along CR 9 on the east side
of the prairie and then hopping a fence.
   After waiting quite a while for the Black-headed Gull to fly into MN at
Spirit Lake, Jackson County, around 3:50 this afternoon the bird finally
crossed the road and flew into Minnesota airspace.  And there was much
rejoicing.
   Also, we briefly saw three or four female/1st year Great-tailed Grackles
sitting on a fence post on the west side of Hwy. 86 just north of CR 4 in
Jackson County.

Good birding!
-Bob Dunlap, Nicolett County