Thought I should pass this on to the list serv although I haven't seen a post about this spot.  Word has spread the last few days about a spot in Crow Wing County where Black-billed Magpies could be seen.  The area in question is on private land where a butcher has been dumping carcasses and offal.  A number of birders have visited the spot in the last few days. The word was that as long as you asked permission at the shop (or knocked on the door of his house), the owner was cool with birders going back into his field to look for the Magpies.  Everybody I talked to about the spot stressed that you had to go through his yard and then well out into the field behind his house, so ASK PERMISSION FIRST.
 
Ron Erpelding and I stopped by this afternoon and spoke with the landowner.  He was very polite to us but told us that he was no longer allowing any birders on his land.  Apparently, late yesterday afternoon someone drove back across his fields without asking.  He said he called both the County Sheriff and the game warden but whoever it was left before they arrived.  He was angry that someone thought they could just drive across his land without asking (Everyone I know who went there walked out).  He told us, "Sorry guys but that was it, from now on if anyone wants to look at birds here they have to do it from the highway".
 
Please folks, respect private property.  This made all of us look bad.
 
Joel Claus
Eden Prairie
 		 	   		  
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