Sunday, July 20, 2014

Blue Goose ~ Day 49

July 19, 2014 ~ St. Cloud, MN to Baxter, MN

After working three hours, I headed east 20 miles to Sherburne NWR, one of the more popular MN refuges as it is large and fairly close to the Twin Cities. There is a Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive on which I dawdled a couple of hours, all the while being followed by a car with four birders moving at the same pace. Sherburne is in the transition zone between coniferous forests and prairie which is reflected on this refuge. A kiosk at the beginning of the route had current bird and blooming flower information (as of yesterday; often, the posted sightings are several weeks old). I saw Lark and Vesper Sparrows, a pair of Baltimore Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, several Bald Eagles, Trumpeter Swans, Wood Ducks, Black Terns, a Brown Thrasher, American Robins, Green Herons, Barn Swallows, a Pileated Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbirds and heard Common Yellowthroats and Marsh Wrens. The sky over the marshes was overcast but it was warm.

Before I drove, I had walked 2-1/2 miles on the Blue Hill Trail and nearly got driven insane by flying things. It was horrible! Since the wind was blowing and it wasn't sunny nor too warm, I thought I'd be fine, but I soon began using my hands as wipers moving back and forth in front of my face, always hitting away bugs.
Butterfly Weed on Blue Hill Trail in Sherburne NWR - MN

Saving graces were few mosquitoes and that my new walking shoes were comfortable. Also, I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt which was too warm but protected my head and neck. Needless to say, the birds I did see merited fewer than 10-second glimpses before the flies gathered on my outstretched hands and bare ankles. Part of the trail went past Buck Lake. Lakes up here, I am learning, are often watery places filled with reeds this time of year. On the auto route, the open water areas were called "pools" as in "Stickney Pool" or "Little Bluestem Pool."

I somehow lost my trail guide along the way but was 95% sure of the route and did find the trailhead without difficulty. Jeez louise.... I would not have done this had I known but didn't regret the much needed exercise, and I am not sure what an effective deterrent would have been. At least I wasn't bit or stung much. I sat in my car drinking water and eating an apple while the sweat dried.

But this is the North Woods in the summer, which is why all the refuge pamphlets hereabouts advise "insect repellant is advised" if visiting this time of year.

Sherburne is a wonderful place with obvious efforts made to attract you and me to visit and explore. It's our property after all.
Sherburne NWR - MN

So, the late afternoon question? Where to sleep?

How about Father Hennepin State Park on the huge Mille Lacs Lake? Unfortunately, it was full. The young guy in office told me it would have cost $27 to $30 if I had been able to stay since I would have had to buy a Minnesota State Forest Annual Pass.

I was hungry so stopped at Muggs in Wahkon, and had a $9 cheeseburger with fries, eating outside and reading Bird Sense which helped. I need to prepare better for inevitable hunger pangs. It's not rocket science that I'll get hungry.

The smallest NWR is Mille Lacs NWR and consists of two tiny islands in Mille Lacs, Hennepin, which is one-third of a football field in size and Spirit, one-quarter of a football field. These are rocky, gravelly islands, protected for nesting Common Terns, a threatened species in Minnesota. I drove into several fishing ramp areas and finally saw Spirit Island.
Mille Lacs NWR - MN (Spirit Island) 

Sleep?

First I pulled into the Mille Lacs Casino and drove around the parking lots for 10 minutes. OK, I could do this, but the longer I sat there with little sign of any humans, even though surrounded by hundreds of vehicles, including many trucks with fishing boats on trailers, the more I felt I didn't want to stay next to this huge casino where people were inside throwing away money in buildings where the sun doesn't shine. Of course I speculated on the emotions attendant to such activity. Like, who knows what craziness could occur for a big loser late at night. There were security vehicles and signs of "24-hour surveillance" but it was too quiet and cheerless. Does it say something when I compare a casino parking lot to a Walmart lot?

I ended up 20 miles west in Baxter, MN, again at an almost park-like Walmart with trees and landscaping, on the southern edge of the city. Well, not exactly park-like, but still pleasant enough.

I need to keep current with this. I spent too long this morning trying to remember where I was just three days ago...what city? what state?


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