Actually, good news in 4s and 5s: The Peregrine Falcon hanging out the past few days on a 13th -floor balcony in downtown St. Paul did NOT need rescuing; it flew away just fine last evening, at the prospect of being captured. The rehabilitated juvenile Peregrine from the High Bridge was returned there this morning and released without incident, with a little toss-up from a tall brick wall; it lofted easily and was met by one of its parents.
In trying to follow their reunion, I chanced to meet a woman who seemed to be doing a plant survey (turned out she was inspecting the retaining wall). I expressed delight with Xcel's nearby prairie plantings and discovered she works for Xcel and has connection to the landscapers in charge of the restoration. Furthermore, she works for the plant manager who got me onto the Xcel property last year, for the Bell's Vireo search. I had started the job of contacting him for this year's tour, but she was able to short-cut the process, and give me the tour today. While she was making arrangements, I checked on the Dickcissels by viewing them through the parking-lot fence of the new dog park. I was listening too, to the Spotted Sandpipers in the holding pond; a juvenile was seen at the road side further west last week. That's when I heard the distinctive call of the Bell's Vireos, in the row of small trees and shrubs at the back (north side) of the prairie, close to the fence. It sounded two more times, before I headed over to meet Sheryl at the main gate---and that's when there was more good news. In one of the small trees planted by the parking lot, there was a N. Mockingbird. The flashes of white on gray caught my eye as it flew to the power stanchion just on the west side of the main security gate, then down onto the concrete retaining wall below the stanchion, seeming very interested in the shrubs there. It perched awhile, inspecting, and flicking its tail. If it elects to stay, it should be audible and may be visible from the public road, though it didn't vocalize at the time. Sheryl then drove me on the road that skirts the prairie, and there were at least 6 to 8 Dickcissels singing on territory. We spotted the female of the pair that is closest to the entry of the dog-park parking lot. Good birding, and Happy Solstice---Linda Whyte Good birding and ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html