[mou] Buff-breasted Sandpipers & Henslow's Sparrows

[Kim R Eckert]

A Minn Birding Weekends trip to Big Stone & Traverse Co's 30-31 July 
turned up 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers at one Traverse Co location and 
single Henslow's Sparrows in Traverse and Swift Co's.

The Buff-breasteds were at the Mud Lake location reported earlier this 
month: from the jct of MN Hwys 117 & 27, go 1/4 mi on 117, take the 
first right along the Mustinka R, and follow this road NE & N for about 
a mile to the flooded field adjacent to the shore of Mud L. One of the 
Buff-breasteds was here and the other two were just north of here: 
continue north on the road until it turns east, and look to the left 
towards the lake immediately after turning the corner.

Both Henslow's Sparrows were singing males. One was at The Nature 
Conservancy's Miller Prairie West in east-central Traverse Co: from the 
jct of MN Hwy 27 and Co Rd 15, go 2 mi S on 15, then 1 mi W and 0.4 mi 
S.

The other Henslow's was near Appleton along Swift Co Rd 51: from MN Hwy 
7 at the Big Stone-Swift county line, go 1 mi E on 7 to Co Rd 51, then 
2 mi S on 51 to the T, then 0.6 mi E, and listen along the south side 
of the road.

Also of note on this MBW were:

- a total of 17 shorebird species, most of these at the Mud Lake area 
above (incl 1 Baird's Sandpiper), plus 2 Red-necked Phalaropes with 
some Wilson's along Big Stone Co Rd 54 (from the town of Barry, go 2 mi 
S on Co Rd 7 and 1 mi E on 54);

- a Eur Collared-Dove in Appleton (along Hwy 59 & 7, 1-2 blocks S of 
the railroad tracks & grain elevator);

- 2-3 singing Willow Flycatchers on Big Stone Co Rd 34 just E of MN Hwy 
7 (this is between Ortonville and Big Stone State Park);

- several singing Le Conte's Sparrows at Miller Prairie West (2 of 
these at the Henslow's spot and 3 or 4 more along the N side of the 
tract);

- and several Dickcissels at various Traverse & Big Stone locations.

Kim Eckert