[mou] Blue Earth County Shorebirds

[Chad Heins]

Hey birders,

Yesterday morning I had the chance to search Blue Earth County for good shorebird habitat.  There are three locations worth mentioning:

1)  Just north of Gilfillin Lake in the northwestern part of the county is a little slough. About 100 birds present: Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral, Solitary, Semipalmated, Least Sandpipers, and Killdeer

2) Sod farms east of Mapleton at the junction of CR 21 and CR 14.  About 200 Killdeer, 1 Least Sandpiper, and flocks of Horned Larks (Buff-breasted present last week).

3)  Cobb River Waterfowl Production Area north of Mapleton.  Take CR 10 east from Hwy 22 (in Beauford) for less than a mile.  Turn south on 586th Ave.  There's a pond near the road and one that was worth the walk.  About 100 shorebirds present: Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Solitary, Spotted, Pectoral, Least, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Killdeer.

I also had two Peregrine Falcon sightings yesterday as well.  One bird was hunting pigeons at a grain elevator south of Hwy 14 along 3rd Avenue in Mankato.  The other bird was being harassed by an American Kestrel near a farm along Hwy 14 east of Eagle Lake.

Happy birding!

Chad Heins
Mankato, MN


       
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