[mou] Bobolinks and more at Castle Danger settling ponds

[jtanamachi at comcast.net]

Saturday afternoon my husband Steve and I spotted a pair of Bobolinks while visiting the Castle Danger sewage ponds in Lake County. There were also a good variety of other birds, too many to list. Notable were 20 or so Eastern Kingbirds, one American Pipit (late for this?), one Wilson's Phalarope, 3 Least Sandpipers, and one Spotted Sandpiper as well as a nice mix of warblers and a few flycatchers.

The main attraction for the birds was a new hatch of mayflies. We spoke with a man who worked there who told us Peregrines also hunt those ponds. Although the ponds themselves are off limits, he said there is no problem with viewing them from the fenceline. On the way out, we spotted a crow sitting on a nest on the cell phone tower that shares the dumpsite.

To get to the ponds, turn inland from Highway 61onto Lake County 106 (the Rustic Inn corner.) Proceed about 6/10 miles until you get to Bunker Hill Road. Make a right and drive straight back as far as you can until you see a pair of closed gates with a "No Trespassing, Stabilization Ponds" sign. 

Jeanne Tanamachi
Lauderdale MN