that is great news. Sorry I missed your release today. Halle On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 3:51 PM, linda whyte <bi...@moosewoods.us> wrote:
> 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 > -- Halle O'Falvey 416 Arbor Street St. Paul MN 55102 www.halleofalvey.com 651-206-5054 ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
