[mou] Snowy Egrets in Stearns County
Ronald Erpelding
rerpeldi@tds.net
Fri, 1 Sep 2006 20:44:51 -0500
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At 5:05 p.m. on Friday afternoon, September 1, 2006 I stopped along busy MN
Hwy 23 approximately 4 miles northeast of Paynesville, MN (where the hwy
curves sharply to the north) at the Waterfowl Production Area immediately
adjacent to the west side of the Highway. The water levels in the
impoundment areas are quite low and there was an abundance of shorebirds and
Egrets/Herons. The highlight of the stop was two Snowy Egrets among 20 plus
Great Egrets, a half a dozen Great Blue Herons and lots of waterfowl and
shorebirds.
When I observed the two Snowy Egrets they were less then 100 yards out from
the Hwy in the larger water area on the northwest side of the impoundment.
Since the water area stretches approximately a quarter mile to the west from
the hwy a spotting scope would be helpful especially to study the
shorebirds.
I also visited the Paynesville, MN Sewage Ponds. The ponds are located
about a mile or so northwest of Paynesville off of MN Hwy 23. From Hwy 23
take Co Rd 33 west (the road curves north along the sewage ponds. The first
water area you encounter is not a sewage pond but a storm water collection
area. That area as well as all the sewage ponds has birding potential but
the mudflat adjacent to Co Rd 33 in the northwest corner of the second
sewage pond contained a considerable number of shorebirds when I visited
around 6:00p.m. A good portion of the first and second sewage ponds can be
viewed from the elevated driveway area of the primary treatment facility
located on the opposite side of Co Rd 33.
Ron Erpelding
Willmar, MN
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>At 5:05 p.m. on Friday afternoon, September 1, 2006 I
stopped along busy MN Hwy 23 approximately 4 miles northeast of =
Paynesville, MN
(where the hwy curves sharply to the north) at the Waterfowl Production =
Area immediately
adjacent to the west side of the Highway. The water levels in the
impoundment areas are quite low and there was an abundance of shorebirds =
and Egrets/Herons.
The highlight of the stop was two <b><span =
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Snowy
Egrets </span></b>among 20 plus Great Egrets, a half a dozen Great Blue =
Herons
and lots of waterfowl and shorebirds. =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>When I observed the two Snowy Egrets they were less =
then 100
yards out from the Hwy in the larger water area on the northwest side of =
the impoundment.
Since the water area stretches approximately a quarter mile to the west =
from
the hwy a spotting scope would be helpful especially to study the =
shorebirds.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I also visited the <b><span =
style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Paynesville,
MN Sewage Ponds</span></b>. The ponds are located about a mile or =
so northwest
of Paynesville off of MN Hwy 23. From Hwy 23 take Co Rd 33 west =
(the road
curves north along the sewage ponds. The first water area you =
encounter is
not a sewage pond but a storm water collection area. That area as =
well as
all the sewage ponds has birding potential but the <u>mudflat adjacent =
to <st1:Street
w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Co Rd</st1:address></st1:Street> 33 =
in the</u>
<u>northwest corner of the second sewage pond</u> contained a =
considerable
number of shorebirds when I visited around 6:00p.m. A good portion =
of the
first and second sewage ponds can be viewed from the elevated driveway =
area of
the primary treatment facility located <u>on the opposite side of =
<st1:Street
w:st=3D"on"><st1:address w:st=3D"on">Co Rd</st1:address></st1:Street> =
33.<o:p></o:p></u></span></font></p>
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style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p><span =
style=3D'text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Ron Erpelding<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:City w:st=3D"on"><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Willmar</span></font></st1:C=
ity><font
size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>, <st1:State
w:st=3D"on">MN</st1:State></span></font></st1:place><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p=
>
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