[mou] Salt Lake Weekend

[Bill Unzen]

At least 131 species tallied for Saturday.
Some highlights (and the few lowlights):

A lone White-faced Ibis was found in the flooded area at the north end of
the Mount Wickham area (2miles south then 2 miles east of Marietta), but was
gone later in the morning. This same area held good numbers of shorebirds
including 8 phalaropes, 28 golden-plovers and a Black-bellied Plover that
arrived later that day.

15 species of shorebird were found (same as last year).
American Avocet 3 miles north of Madison on Hwy75.
Willets in at least 4 locations.
Hudsonian Godwits about a mile east of Providence.
Marbled Godwits were widespread in the northern part of the county and
golden-plovers and phalaropes were seen in several locations.

A hybrid Cinnamon Teal was reported near alt Lake.
Ross's Goose at Salt Lake.
Cattle Egret at Marsh Lake with two other distant unidentified small white
egrets/herons.
Eurasian Collared Doves in Madison and Marietta.
Lark Sparrows along Louisburg Road.
Eastern Screech Owls in a woodlot 2 miles north of Nassau.

In the Plover Prairie area on Saturday morning:
3 singing Henslow's Sparrows (just arrived that night).
LeConte's Sparrows.
A Sharp-tailed Grouse on the lek with 10 Prairie Chickens.
This spring as many as three grouse have regularly been seen on the lek with
a max of only 10 chickens, while last year it was a max of 1 grouse and 19
chickens (not a good sign for the reintroduction project).
Grouse were also seen in Big Stone and Yellow Medicine counties.

Migrant passerines were especially scarce. Only two warbler species, a
single Eastern Bluebird, barely any Ruby-crowned Kinglets or brush sparrows
such as White-throated and Lincoln's.


Thursday in Big Stone County:
American Avocets 0.5 mile east of Barry (5 birds) and another pair 4 miles
west of Clinton.
Flock of 42 Smith's Longspurs 2 miles SW of Clinton.
Plus Pine Warbler at Bonanza Grove, and first Upland, White-rumped and Stilt
Sandpipers of season.

Sunday in Lac Qui Parle:
The Glossy and White faced Ibises SW of Madison.
Long-billed Dowitchers, Red-headed Woodpecker, Richardson's Merlin,
Peregrine Falcon, and Caspian Tern.

Roughly 155 species in the area Thursday thru Sunday.
It was amazing how this weekend mirrored last year's Salt Lake Festival in
both the number of species found and what species were present despite the
event being held one week later this year. The tally on Saturday was one off
last year, 15 species of shorebird, Henslow's Sparrows arrived on count day,
the rarest bird was on sunday (the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Glossy Ibis
respectively), plus White-faced Ibises, lone lingering Ross's Geese, and the
slow songbird migration in both years. Overall the indication is the
migration is approximatly 1 week behind last years pace, however hopefully
the migration wont stall out during the first week of May as it did last
year.


Bill J. Unzen
Lac Qui Parle County.
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