[mou] Henslow's Sparrow & Bell's Vireo

[Kim R Eckert]

Yesterday, May 26, there were a Henslow's Sparrow at Great River  
Bluffs State Park in Winona Co and 2 Bell's Vireos at McCarthy Lake  
WMA in Wabasha Co.

The Henslow's was easily heard and seen along the state park entrance  
road, just W of the first parking area you come to next to the stand  
of pines. (As many birders are aware, this field has been an amazingly  
consistent site for this normally ephemeral species almost every year  
since at least the 1960s.)

The Bell's Vireos were seen and heard near the SW corner of the large  
wet thicket about 1/4 mi W of the gate and WMA sign on Wabasha Co Rd  
84. (This site has also been consistent for this highly local species  
for several years.)

Both these birds were found during this past weekend's Minn Birding  
Weekend trip, which covered Houston Co on May 24 & 25 and small parts  
of Winona and Wabasha counties on May 26. Some other birds of note were:

Least Bittern - heard-only at the wetlands just E of Mound Prairie,  
along Houston Co Rd 21

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 2 locations: along the road off Hwy 16, on the  
E side of Mound Prairie SNA, Houston Co; and at the Zumbro River  
bridge on Wabasha Co Rd 84

Black-billed Cuckoo - heard-only near the campground at Beaver Creek  
Valley State Park, Houston Co

Acadian Flycatcher - several along the main hiking trail at Beaver  
Creek Valley

Tufted Titmouse - 2 locations along Hillside Rd, Houston Co: ~2 mi S  
of Co Rd 3, and just W of Reno

Cerulean Warbler - heard-only along Hillside Rd just W of Reno

Prothonotary Warbler - several at 3 Houston Co locations: Millstone  
Landing along Hwy 26, ~ 1 mi E of La Crescent on Shore Acres Rd, and  
Sheperd's Marsh in La Crescent

Louisiana Waterthrush - 2 locations along the main hiking trail at  
Beaver Creek Valley (with the one by the bridge at the start of the  
trail easiest to see)

Dickcissel - along Wabasha Co Rd 84, just N of the McCarthy Lake WMA  
sign

In addition, several later-than-usual migrants were found: Olive-sided  
Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Swainson's Thrush,  
Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, N  
Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler, and Wilson's Warbler.

Kim Eckert