Black-necked Stilt in Marshall County
2010-05-23

'Casual' in Minnesota - Five or fewer records in Marshall County for the Spring season

Potential 16th state record of the Black-necked Stilt at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge, 23 May 2010. Discovered by Jeanie M. Joppru, Shelley A. Steva, and Peder H. Svingen at Dahl Pool during a shorebird survey at the refuge, this would also be a first record for the refuge and for Marshall County. Dahl Pool is normally not accessible to the public, though special permission may be granted by refuge personnel during business hours Monday through Friday. Thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain across the region the following day and the bird has not been refound since its initial discovery. This species has been expanding its range in recent years and will likely nest in Minnesota in the near future. Of related interest was a Black-necked Stilt photographed by Sandy Aubol at Kellys Slough NWR, Grand Forks County, North Dakota, 21 May 2010. That bird has not been refound since its initial discovery; the latter location is 108 km southwest of Dahl Pool. Kellys Slough has been designated a regional site within the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network; further information can be found at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=62583 Sandy's image from Kellys Slough can be viewed at http://www.ndbirdingsociety.com/photoGallery.php?galRarity=Y

Photo by Peder H. Svingen