[Mnbird] Salt Lake Birding Festival

[Steve Weston]

I returned last night from a full weekend of birding in western Minnesota
with lots of great birds and wonderful companions watching them.  For those
who are not familiar with this festival it is one of the oldest in the
state and one with essentially no budget and few costs.  The local
community is welcoming and supportive as approximately 100 birders hit the
local roads.  Meals are supplied by the local service groups (Marietta VFW
and Madison Sons of Norway) at very reasonable prices (sloppy joe ($3.50),
all you can eat chicken dinner ($10.00)).

Highlights included Miller Lake in northern Yellow Medicine Co. with a
changing cast of Avocets, both Godwits, Dunlins, Phalaropes, Dowitchers,
thousands of Yellowlegs and Pectorals, an Upland Sandpiper found on Sunday,
and a rich assortment of waterfowl.  Of course, the schedule of birds did
not always mesh well with the observers, but everyone saw some of the
featured stars.  My favorite bird was discovered after the majority of
birders had left.  Our group was just about finished when Jim Ryan got to
try out a high end pair of binoculars.  He turned away from the lake and
focused on the cars and was surprised to find perched on a car, a Phoebe,
but not just an Eastern Phoebe, but a Say's Phoebe.  For the second year in
a row he was able to find one.  And, it allow most, if not all, to view its
salmon colored breast and belly.

We checked out a location in Lac qui Parle county where a group of birders
had found a large shorebird that they identified as Long-billed Curlew a
few days earlier. Many have visited the site, but the bird is either long
gone or not cooperating with the public.  But, we were serenaded by
winnowing Snipe that flew around us as we watched their singing flight.
Awesome, spellbinding... the kind of experience that I and others marked as
one of their most memorable birding experience.

Salt Lake was a little short on shorebirds, but waterfowl was abundant.
Both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans were conclusively ID'd, but probably not by
any of the same people.  At least 25 species of waterfowl were found
including a Ross's Goose and Dancing Western Grebes.  Sandhill Cranes were
heard there on Sunday and a several other locations.  On Friday someone had
a good look at a Glossy Ibis.

For me, the best bird there was several hundred yards from the lake.  We
were watching flocks of Cormorants flying past, when someone spotted a
Peregrine.  As we searched for the falcon, a crow began to harass something
in the bare dirt field by us and he kicked up an owl, which we probably
would have missed even though it had to be in plain sight.  Even though we
all saw it and it was quickly ID'd, it was amazing how hard it was to
describe.  It appeared to be larger than the crow, although it's color and
flight immediately generated an ID of Short-eared Owl.  Luckily there were
enough cameras clicking to support the ID and confirm its similar size to
the Crow.

Also, near the lake were a pair of Swainson's Hawks, a very cooperative
female light morph and a more wary dark morph, presumed a male.  There were
many other good finds, some lifers, and good company.

Steve Weston
On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2 at comcast.net
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