[mou] Metro area birding - 5/12/2007

[CRAIG MANDEL]

5/12/2007

Led a beginning bird watching class out at Carver Park on Saturday, followed 
by some stops in Hennepin & Dakota Counties.  I was also doing my Birdathon 
for the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter and ended the day with 118 
species for the day.  I'd like to thank everyone that gave me tips of where 
to search for birds yesterday and also those that donated to the Birdathon. 
Steve, if you'll send me your address.  I can send you a receipt and update 
on how we did.  Sorry for the late posting, just don't have the energy to 
run on my usual 4 hours of sleep.

Carver Park Reserve - 6:00 - 12:45 pm - There were lots of birds at Carver 
early in the day, but numbers dropped off some by noon.  But I was able to 
see or hear 85 species there, which was better than I had expected.

Eden Prairie - City Park by the fitness club on Prairie Center Drive - Good 
sized mud flats, but no shorebirds.  Just lots of Ring-billed Gulls and 
Caspian Terns.

Wood Lake Nature Center - Entrance at Oak Grove and Bryant Ave S. 
Black-throated Blue Warbler - singing just West of the entrance.

Diamond Lake - 2:30 - 3:15 pm - Tried without success for the Neotropic 
Cormorant

Old Cedar Avenue Bridge - Great looks at at least 4 Virginia Rails at the 
end of the board walk, just west of the parking lot.

Lake Byllesby - 6:00 - 7:00 pm - nice mist of shorebirds - with Short-billed 
Dowitchers and single Black-bellied Plover.  Also present was a single 
Bonaparte's Gull and Forster's and Caspian Terns.

Craig Mandel, Minnetonka, MN
EgretCMan at msn.com