[mou] Southwest MN

[Dennis/Barbara Martin]

Some interesting observations from the past couple of days.

Pipestone County

Great-tailed Grackle-6/12, In marsh across lake from Split Rock Creek State
Park, this sighting needs confirmation as we only observed in flight from
the main park to the marsh but it is hard to miss on the ID when there are
plenty of Common Grackles and Crows flying in the same area.

LeConte's Sparrow-very unusual record of this species to be singing in
southwest Minnesota on June 12th, 50 yards east of the intersection of 70th
Ave and 231st Street, this is at the very south end of the Prairie Coteau
region that starts at Lake Benton and is just west of Highway 75, the area
is a wet grassland that is normally dry.

Yellow Medicine County

Blue Grosbeak-6/13, Upper Sioux Agency State Park, singing on the fence just
before you go down the hill to the Horse Camp, continues the record of last
year with records outside the normal range, last years locations in Brown
and Renville Counties have not produced any of this species for us this
year.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos were at Upper Sioux (6/13), and at Blue Mounds (3
together on 6/12) in Rock County.

Whip-poor-will-herd from the public access just east of County Rd 44 on
State Highway 67.

Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com