[mou] Ibis on Spring Lake again today

[Steve Weston]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <chetmeyers@visi.com>
To: <Jbaines317@aol.com>
Cc: <mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [mou] Ibis on Spring Lake again today


> chet meyers writes
>
> Can you tell us where Spring Lake is
> C. Meyers  Hennepin County
>
> Quoting "Jbaines317@aol.com" <Jbaines317@aol.com>:
>
>> The husband saw the Ibis again today. He has recanted the breeding 
>> plumage
>> Glossy after checking out a better bird book (Sibley). Either a Glossy or
>> White faced.
>>
>> Jen Vieth

Hi,
In response to my request for more information, Jen sent me some more 
directions.

First Sprint Lake Park is the lake that was formed when they dammed the 
river and installed locks just above Hastings to improve navigation to St. 
Paul.  Schaar's Bluff is actually the Schaar's Bluff unit of Dakota County's 
Spring Lake Park.  The other unit of the park is the youth camp and archery 
range.

Now Jen's response:
>He was out again today but didn't see it today. If you drive down the boat 
> >access road and look towards the middle of the lake, there is a large 
>island that >has a 'tapered' left side. He said he was around the back side 
>on the left of that >island the day he saw it multiple times. Sorry there 
>isn't a better description than >that.

>He did say that when he and his cousin saw it yesterday it was in that 
>complex >of islands near where you walk down along the archery range trail.
>Hope that helps.

Now some more directions:
>From Pine Bend (the Koch Refinery Hwy 52 & Hwy 55) head towards Hastings on 
Hwy55 and take the first left turn (Pine Bend Trail)  follow the road down 
past where it turns to gravel to the first intersection.  A left turn will 
put you at the youth camp/archery range unit of Spring Lake Park.  I don't 
know if the park will be open.  If it is, drive straight in to the parking 
lot for the archery range.  The trail she refers to heads east out of the 
parking lot and then turns north into the woods and west heading down to the 
water.  the trail, which is close to a mile long, is on the north slope, so 
it should be snow covered.

If you continue east on Pine Bend Trail, it will head back up the hill and 
rejoin Hwy 55.  If you continue east on Hwy 55 and turn LEFT (north) on CR 
42 (east), the first left will be a minimum maintainence road (Hillary Path) 
that leads down to boat landing.  While the road is on the north slope, I 
have always found it passable in the winter.  However, the island she 
mentions is across the lake and would best be seen with a scope from 
Schaar's Bluff, which is almost right above the landing.  To get to Schaar's 
Bluff, continue east on CR42 and take the next left which has good signs 
pointing the way.

Sorry for the lengthy directions.  Access to the river along this section is 
very limited.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net



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