On 6/1/2014 11:21 AM, Lee Schoenewe wrote:
Yesterday as the spring reporting period came to an end I spent the
morning finding a few reportable species. The shallow lake
restoration work at Dan Green Slough has transformed that habitat into
a mecca for Yellow-headed Blackbirds. At least two Least Bitterns
were vocalizing from the cattails at the south boat ramp. Great-tailed
Grackles were on territory in two locations and a White-faced Ibis got
up from the reeds, circled the marsh and dropped back in at a
different location. Black Terns were foraging comfortably in good
numbers.
At Lost Island Marsh and Mud Lake in Palo Alto county there were
fourteen species of waterfowl. A pair of Canvasbacks were acting like
dabbling ducks in the shallow water and other interesting hangers-on
included Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged
Teal and Ring-necked Duck. A female Hooded Merganser was shepherding
eleven downy young.
You don't think as much about flocking birds at this now nesting time of
year, but there were a couple of interesting ones at Algona this
morning. Two groups of Canada Goose totaling 80 were V-ing their way
north, non-breeders headed for Canada to lounge away their summer. In
Riverview Cemetery, a flock of 60ish Cedar Waxwings were foraging in the
"old growth" spruce, an occasional early June occurrence here.
Also, a couple of Alder Flycatchers offered each other "Free beer!".
Matthew Kenne
Algona, Iowa
mke...@netamumail.com
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