Not as exciting as the beautiful male bird at Wood Lake Nature Center, this morning at about 10:20, I found a female Western Tanager at Lake Byllesby. She was feeding in a Siberian Elm with a pair of Baltimore Orioles, just passed the spot where the dirt road that goes west from the cemetary hooks back over the hill. These trees are the ones closest to the road. After about 10 minutes, she flew back into the trees that border the lake. I'd check the grassy stretch between this road and the orange gates that are the entrance to the far west end of the lake. Pending acceptance, this represents a long overdue first county record.
Drew Smith Eagan, Dakota County
