This afternoon, Steve and Jo Blanich, Pam Perry, Don and Carol Crust and I watched a pair of LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES hunting from the telephone line north of Aitkin. The pair are along County Road 1, about 9 miles north of the Mississippi River bridge (this is right near where the Willow River crosses over C.R.1). We also saw a SHORT-EARED OWL in the same area. Also seen this weekend on the rice paddies along and just off of C.R. 1 were 2000 to 3000 TUNDRA SWANS (on Saturday, nearly 1000 in one paddy), hundreds of geese (both CANADA and CACKLING), hundreds of ducks (14 species), several SANDHILL CRANES, TURKEY VULTURES, EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, etc. Warren Nelson