Celebrating the longest daylight of the year, an evening bird walk was held at Allemansratt Park in Lindstrom on June 21.  The day saw a high of 90˚ and temperatures were in the upper 80’s at the time of the walk.  Still, three intrepid birders enjoyed exploring Anderson Peninsula and low humidity made for a surprisingly pleasant walk.  The highlight of the evening was certainly the opportunity to both see and hear a foraging Virginia Rail (see photo at right). These marsh birds are not much larger than a robin and their small size coupled with their preferred habitat in dense wetland vegetation means they are more often heard than seen.

A total of 25 species were observed: Mourning Dove, Virginia Rail, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Northern Flicker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Gray Catbird, American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, American Goldfinch, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warbler, and Northern Cardinal.