[mou] shorebirds Lake Byllesby

[Steve Weston]

Birded 140th St, 180th St. & Lake Byllesby in Dakota County this afternoon.

At Lake Byllesby I found four species of shorebirds on the mudflats 
including:
Killdeer
American Golden Plover (2)
Pectoral Sandpiper (2 or 3)
Semi-Palm Sandpiper (at least 5)

All of the puddle ducks that normally are found in this area were near the 
mudflats on the west end, but almost no diving ducks were visible, although 
several not seen on the lake were found on a small pond by Highway 56 next 
to the church.  In all 23 species of waterfowl were seen including:
Tundra Swan (2 in the lake, 18 flying)
Snow Goose (2 in lake, 500+ flying in two groups)
Ross's Goose
White-fronted Goose (6)
Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal (292)
Gadwall (400)
N. Shoveller (400)
also seen were
Double-crested Cormorant (about 30 flying)
Sand Hill Crane
American White Pelican

140th Street and 180th Street wetlands were in good shape, but relatively 
uninteresting.  Near 140th Street I found:
Fox Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird (a pair with Red-winged Blackbirds)
At 180th Street I had a pair of mating Kestrels.  Yesterday I had one or two 
Chorus Frogs singing, the first of the season.  Today many more had joined.

Today we awoke to the ice almost completely gone from our lake.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net