[mou] Extended Labor Day Weekend, MOU Trip +

[Pastor Al Schirmacher]

Tom Nelson, Nathan and I traveled from Murphy-Hanrehan to Roseau on 
Thursday, August 30th - then backtracked to Agassiz the next morning due to 
Thursday's burn/refuge shutdown.  We totaled 135 species, including:

* Long-tailed Jaeger (what a glorious bird)

* 15 shorebird species, including five Hudsonian Godwits (Agassiz), ~100 
Red-necked Phalaropes (various locations) & a Black-bellied Plover (Agassiz, 
missed the Red Knot seen later)

* 26 BB Magpies in a flock at the LT Jaeger location

* Only 12 warblers (harbinger of things to come)

* Eight flycatcher species

* Late Dickcissel at Albany Ponds.

On Saturday we met up with the MOU Mille Lacs warbler trip participants at 
7:30 AM.  Weather was gorgeous, parking lot held a number of warblers - but 
then it grew quiet.  Despite covering Kathio State Park, Hennepin and the 
Mille Lacs lakefront, we only totaled 13 warbler (64 total) species. 
Warblers included:

* Tennessee
* Nashville
* Yellow (strange plumage, mix of adult & juvenile characteristics)
* Chestnut-sided
* Yellow-rumped (my first of fall)
* Blackburnian
* Black-and-white
* American Redstart
* Ovenbird
* Mourning
* Common Yellowthroat
* Wilson's
* Canada

Many of these were either single individuals, or single person sightings.

We did have a small shorebird flock along Mille Lacs Lake that took some 
extended viewing.  One chunkier but relatively small shorebird is still 
unidentified despite prolonged viewing and photos (Sanderling, Red Knot and 
a more exotic species were all proposed).

The field trip group was an excellent mix of personable veterans and 
newbies - would love to lead this group again!

This morning (Tuesday) was rather slow on Blue Hill Trail, Sherburne NWR - 
three warblers (chip notes going overhead, however), flock of pelicans and a 
Barred Owl kept me conscious.

Good birding to all!

Al Schirmacher
Princeton, MN
Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties
(hopefully over Saturday's ID-itis)