Late last week I found Trumpeter Swans on a small pond in Grant twshp, Washington County on Jamaca Avenue about 88th St and in a wet spot in a farm field in Corcoran on Willow north of Highway 55. I missed a new yard bird, as another pair were on Quiggley Lake for a couple of days.
Lately I am seeing flocks of American Robins everywhere, usually they are foraging on the ground. I am also still finding flocks of Juncos and American Tree Sparrows. A couple of days ago I found my first Chipping Sparrow in Chanhassen, although I am pretty certain that I have been hearing some in my neighborhood for several days, but have lacked the time to search them out. Today I had my first sightings of Turkey Vultures, finding two or three along the Mississippi bluffs between Pine Bend and Hastings, and another in slumming in Edina along the Crosstown. I also checked out 140th and 180th Street marshes in Dakota County. both looked like attractive habitat, but were bird deficient. I did find a quiet Meadowlark just east of the pond at 140th. I also passed a Loggerhead Shrike by the irrigation rig on Emery between 160th and 170th. Pine Bend Landfill had thousands of gulls with a few hundred additional gulls at the wastewater ponds by Highway 52 across from the refinery. I did not have time to scan them for interesting birds. Interesting was the active spider I found in my garage this the frozen night I believe it was a female Hammock Spider. the spider was hanging by a thread by the door. It dropped t the floor when I approached. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net