[mou] Cattle Egret (140th Marsh - Dakota) and Dunlin (Bass Ponds - Hennepin)

[Derek Bakken]

Hello,

I got a chance to go out after work today with a co-volunteer at the 
Raptor Center and recheck a spot at Bass Ponds where I saw 7 species of 
shorebird Wednesday night.  Today I saw 8 species (Dunlin, Least 
Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Semi Plover, 
White-Rumped Sandpiper, and Spotted Sandpiper).  The great thing is 
that you can get within about 30 yards of the birds and get some great 
looks at them feeding.

To find the spot to view them, follow the interpretive trail and you 
will find a well worn foot path leading down towards Long Meadow Lake 
about halfway between markers number 6 and 7.  The path is only about 
30 yards long and you should be able to see the shallow water and mud 
(hopefully with birds in it) just in front of you.

After that we headed down to 140th street marsh

https://home.comcast.net/~derekbakken/birding/140th.jpg

No shorebirds and nothing of interest at first except two Great Egrets. 
  However, a few minutes later a much smaller white bird flew in and 
landed on a post in the water.  Checked it with the scope and it was an 
obvious Cattle Egret in breeding plumage.  It flew from the post and 
landed along the weeds just off 140th street.  I was able to get some 
good photos from the road.  The bird was still there when we left at 
7:00pm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dobak/153381926/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dobak/153381927/



Derek Bakken
St. Paul, MN