[mou] Grouse-Lac Qui Parle Cty

[Dennis/Barbara Martin]

We spent the last three days birding in 13 western and southwestern
Minnesota counties.  Highlights are as follows.

Sharp-tailed Grouse-County Road 7, Lac Qui Parle County, southwest side of
Big Stone Refuge, 3:00 PM, 2/13/06, with a feeding flock of about 35
pheasants there were at least 2 Sharp-tailed Grouse and a few Prairie
Chickens.  The whole flock was flushed back into the refuge by traffic on
the road.  Didn't find the grouse in Yellow Medicine County but understand
that others have done so in the last couple of days.

Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs-were very common in large flocks south
and east of Yellow Medicine County, north of there we somehow found none.

Hawks-Red-tails were more common than usual in this part of the state in the
winter.  Found in most counties from Lincoln to Pope and Stevens.  Even
noted a pair working on a nest in Swift County.  Rough-legs were not as
common as past years.  Only one in the south was at the Red Rock Prairie in
Cottonwood County, while three were around Cty Rds 9 and 31 in eastern Swift
County.

Horned Larks-pairs and small groups were found nearly everywhere we looked,
Exceptional was a flock of 300 birds (all larks) in western Lincoln.

Northern Shrikes were less common than expected.  Only birds were in
Chippewa and Swift on large prairie areas.  Although moderate winds and
blowing snow on the first couple of days might have impacted this.

20,000 Canada Geese are overwintering at the outlet to Lac Qui Parle Lake.
No Cackling Geese were found in the flock.  Looking through the birds was
especially challenging because of the significant percentage of Lesser
subspecies of Canadas  and they are only slightly larger.  Interesting were
4 Wood Ducks (2 pair) below the dam at Granite Falls.

Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com