[mou] Shorebirds

[Randy Frederickson]

Although passerine migration did pick up last Saturday (in WC Minn) to push
it from dismal to poor, shorebird migration hit with a big bang on Friday
and has not let up yet.  Since Friday I have not had time to do much
traveling, even around the county, but have still seen 18 species of
shorebird, excluding snipe and woodcock.  Highlights include: Hudsonian
godwit, A. golden plover, many wilson's and a few red necked phalaropes,
LOTS of peeps and dunlin, stilt sandpiper, SB dowitcher, and both my
personal favorites- black bellied plover and ruddy turnstone.

The black bellied plovers have followed their usual m.o. They are on the
ground for maybe a few hours max. and then back in the air heading
northward.  I  have seen them 5 times (diff birds) in the past several days,
twice being on the ground for only about 30 minutes.

The person I was with for a while yesterday said, "It doesn't get much
better than this." Most of the birds listed above were all being seen at the
same time on the same small wetland, which is nothing special.  Ironically,
he had asked me when we arrived about ruddy turnstones.  I replied that I
have not seen any yet this year but expect them any time. About 10 minutes
later a flock of 14 landed in our laps.  I had meant "any time" to  mean in
the next couple of days, but what the heck...the next few minutes works just
fine by me.  

Enjoy what the winds bring your way.

Randy Frederickson
Willmar
Kandiyohi co.