-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*August 21, 1997
*MNST9708.21

-Birds mentioned

• American Golden-plover
• Snowy Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson's Phalarope
• Red-necked Phalarope
• California Gull
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Gray-cheeked Thrush
• Tennessee Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Bay-breasted Warbler
• Prothonotary Warbler
• Northern Waterthrush
• Mourning Warbler
• Wilson's Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Purple Finch

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: August 21, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday August 21st sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. As always, to skip this recording and leave a message you can press 5 on your touch tone phone.

Shorebirds are being found in increasing numbers across the state, and I have reports from the northwest and the southeast. Perhaps the most interesting shorebird was the SNOWY PLOVER discovered August 16 by Tony Hertzel at the somewhat unusual location of the Crookston sewage ponds in Polk County. Though the bird was not found the following morning it is possible that it is still in this area, which is about two miles west of the town of Crookston on county road 233. Other shorebirds seen here were SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, KILLDEER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE.

Mark Ochs reported on Sunday the 17th that he found more than a hundred PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at the sod farms which are just south of 280th street on state highway 3 in Dakota County. Also here were AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. He also reports that on 170th street south just east of Ewing Ave. -- also in Dakota County -- he found LEAST SANDPIPER, both YELLOWLEGS and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Ron Selbitschka reported four BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on August 16th along 200th Street South near Blaine Ave in Dakota County. This species has now been reported from this same location for the past three weeks. Shorebirds can also be seen at Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, but currently they are few and far between.

On August 16th, Drew Smith found what may have been a first summer CALIFORNIA GULL at the Pine Bend landfill in Dakota County, but I have no further details on this. This is along U.S. highway 61.

Several people are reporting RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, and it looks like it may be a good fall and winter for these birds at metro area feeders.

Warblers are also on the move, and I have several reports. Steve Carlson saw ten species on August 20th, all at Cedar Lake in Minneapolis, and these included BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. On the 21st he reported finding GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH and PURPLE FINCH. Jim Pomplin reported a MOURNING WARBLER and a PROTHONOTARY WARBLER at the Bass Ponds area of Bloomington on the 18th. Chet Meyers reported that on the 20th of August he found migrant NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, TENNESSEE WARBLER and CANADA WARBLER all at Roberts' Sanctuary in Minneapolis.

For information on joining our state wide bird organization write the MOU at 10 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, 55455. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday August 28th. If you have birds to report, please leave your name and phone number plus a brief but specific message which includes the name of the county where your sighting took place.

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