[mou-net] Short-eared Owl - Hennepin Co

[Howard Towle]

While walking this evening at Crow-Hassan Park in northwestern Hennepin Co, I 
observed a Short-eared Owl near dusk coursing over the fields southeast of 
Prairie Lake. I watched the bird for 3-4 mins as it slowly moved north towards 
the barn area at the north end of park. I'm not sure if it will stay around, 
but the habitat at Crow-Hassan is well-suited for finding this species during 
its migration.

Other birds seen or heard this evening: Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane, 
American Woodcock (display reliably at main parking area), Barred Owl, Eastern 
Meadowlark, Vesper Sparrow.

Howard Towle
Golden Valley, MN

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[mou-net] Duluth Broad-winged Hawks and today's raptor numbers!

[Erik Bruhnke]

Here is a link to today's raptor count atop Duluth. It was a gorgeous day,
many wonderful friends came to hang out and help count throughout the
afternoon hours, and diversity was spectacular! One of the biggest
highlights for me, from today, was seeing BROAD-WINGED HAWKS :) They are so
beautiful, and so petite & pointy-winged for a buteo. I love the
black-and-white barred tails on the adults. It's very humbling to think that
these beautiful birds overwinter in Chile, Argentina and Brazil for their
preferred habitat in the winter, then (in addition to making the trek down
there for the fall/winter), are just arriving back up here to breed!

https://www.hawkcount.org/day_summary.php?rsite=543&ryear=2011&rmonth=04&rday=12

I got some photos of a local adult Peregrine Falcon, Red-tailed Hawks, and
Broad-winged Hawks today, however those will come a little later...

Good birdwatching & happy hawkwatching,
Erik Bruhnke
Duluth, MN

-- 
*NATURALLY AVIAN*
www.pbase.com/birdfedr
www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com
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[mou-net] Carlos Avery

[Michelle Hed]

Greetings everyone, 

After being home with a sick child on this glorious day, I decided to brave the 
dirt road of Carlos Avery this evening in my Minivan. I made it. The trip was 
great and I got some great photographs! Here is a list of what I saw today. 

Canadian Geese - many 
Sandhill Cranes - several 
Coots - plentiful 
Ring-Necked Ducks - 6 
Mallards - several pairs 
American Tree Sparrow 
Song Sparrow 
Great Blue Heron - 1 
Imm. Bald Eagle - 1 
Last but not least...possible Cooper's Hawk - we startled each other but it was 
definitely a very small raptor, light gray in color. Unfortunately the only 
picture I got was a blurry back end as he was flying away. 

If it rains, I would not travel through Carlos Avery - the roads were very wet 
and muddy in some spots today. Also there is water right level with the road in 
some of the wooded spots. It was passable today with my front wheel drive but I 
wouldn't try it again, especially after a rainfall. 

Michelle 


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Re: [mou-net] Pig's Eye Lake, Ramsey County

[John Zakelj]

It looks like most of the pelicans that had stopped on Pig's Eye have 
moved on.  Only about 10 left today.

On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:09:40 -0500, John Zakelj 
 wrote:

>Two days ago, on April 9, about 20 white pelicans showed up on Pig’s 
>Eye Lake.  Yesterday, the number grew to about 30.   This morning, I 
>counted about 60.  Most of them are on the northwest corner of the 
>lake.  Along with the pelicans are large numbers of cormorants.  
>Scattered across the lake are hundreds of diving ducks, too far away 
to 
>identify, but I think they’re mostly scaup.  We are fortunate to live on 
>the bluff overlooking the north end of Pig’s Eye.  Although the lake is 
>over a quarter-mile away, we have a good view and can identify the 
>larger birds with a scope.   We have also been seeing increasing 
>numbers of great blue herons and great egrets flying to and from the 
>rookery.  I expect the night herons will be showing up soon.
>
>An e-mail from Kiki Sonnen prompted me to look over my Pig’s Eye 
>Coalition materials from the 1980s.  A lot of people worked very hard 
to 
>preserve and protect this valuable natural area from further 
>development.  It’s so wonderful to see that work paying off now.
>
>The best public view of Pig’s Eye Lake is from a half-mile section of 
>Point Douglas Road which runs alongside Hwy 61, just south of Lower 
>Afton Rd.To get there, take Hwy 61 south from I-94, or north from I-
>494, turn at Lower Afton, then right on Point Douglas.  
>
>
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[mou-net] Smith's Longspur in St. Peter, Nicollet County

[Bob Dunlap]

This afternoon I went to walk through Gustavus Adolphus College's  
Coneflower Prairie, a 70-acre grassland making up the western side of  
the college's Linnaeus Arboretum. Around 2:45 I flushed a bird at very  
close range from the southern side of the hill in the center of the  
prairie. The bird was clearly an adult male Smith's Longspur, with  
vibrant yellow underparts, darker upperparts and wings with bright  
white median coverts, a bold black-and-white facial pattern, and  
obvious white outer rectrices. The bird called in flight as well; a  
rattle somewhat slower and perhaps sweeter than that of Lapland  
Longspurs, without any "dew" calls given (such calls are  
characteristic of Laplands). The bird flew one tight circle around the  
prairie hill and then opted to fly west a few hundred yards, seemingly  
landing in the farm field across the gravel road to the west of the  
prairie.


This is the second year in a row that I have found Smith's Longspur in  
Nicollet County, and nearly on the same date (last year's four birds  
at the Nicollet WMA were found on April 9 but remained until April  
11). The location/habitat of today's bird is strikingly similar to  
that of last year's birds: very short-length prairie grass (about  
ankle high right now) and near/at the base of the highest point in the  
immediate area. Other birds sharing the Coneflower Prairie this  
afternoon included several Vesper Sparrows, a pair of Horned Larks,  
and a silent meadowlark.


Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County


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[mou-net] Fridley's Mississippi Regional Riverfront Park

[Peter J. Makousky]

Did a walk through Fridley's Mississippi Regional Riverfront Park and saw
many interesting species:

Brown Creeper

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (showing off its red cap)

Eastern Bluebird

Tree Swallow

Northern Flicker

Wood Duck

Yellow-rumped Warbler (both kinds)

Eastern Phoebe

American Robin

Dark-eyed Junco

Chipping Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

Mallard

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

 

Does anyone know of any active Sharp-shinned Hawk nests?

I would like to get this bird this year.

All the sharpie look-alikes seem to be Coopers or Merlins.

 

Pete - aka - Sky the BirdMan

 

 



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[mou-net] MVNWR - Rapid's Lake Unit - April 12, 1011

[CRAIG MANDEL]

April 12, 2011

While leading a walk at the Rapid's Lake unit of the Minnesota Valley National 
Wildlife Refuge this morning.  We encountered a nice mix of migrant song birds 
along the loop trail to the South of the Visitor Center.  Here are a few of the 
species we heard or saw.

Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Horned Lark - observed along the entrance road to the Visitor Center.
Tree Swallow
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Eastern Meadowlark

Craig Mandel
Hennepin County
egretc...@msn.com


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[mou-net] Carver County

[John Cyrus]

Select count this morning at Carver Park

Brown Creeper 3
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 26
Hermit Thrush 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler 8

The only new bird for the spring this morning were a couple of Vesper Sparrow 
along 150th St.There were still some Rusty Blackbird near Assumption Lake, 
and there were 5 Red-breasted Mergansers on Assumption Lake.  3 male were 
repeatedly displaying and competing for 2 female.
  

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Re: [mou-net] Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

[Thomas P. Malone]

In my 30 minute visit there this morning before work the big news was a
FOY MOSQUITO.  Oh no, Lord help us if they are this early.

Some yr warblers, a few yb sapsuckers and the "usual suspects".  No
kinglets or phoebes or sparrows noted.

 

-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Steve
Weston
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 2:18 AM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [mou-net] Birding about the Metro

Saturday:  After a short vacation in Arizona, I returned to hear a
Phoebe and Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the yard.

Sunday:  Checked out some flooded areas near Red-wing and Lake Bylessby.
Most notably FOY: TICK!  But, only one.  I found fourteen species of
waterfowl.  The diving ducks at Lake Bylessby were probably out in the
middle of the lake.  The most notable find: four Snow Geese and a
White-fronted Goose.  I saw a flock of about 150 cormorants flying over.
And, there were probably more than two hundred Pelicans.  Other birds:
Swamp Sparrow, lots of Song Sparrows, Bluebirds, Tree Swallows.

Some Song Sparrows have the most intense response to pishing of any
species.  I had one fly straight at my face when I pished, swerving off
at about three feet away.  One bird on Sunday, ran around me with its
wings held up trembling.  From what I have seen, this was a definite
invitation to mate.  I get no reaction to my pishing from my wife. 

The ice went out Quigley.  

Monday: There were lots of bugs to clean off the windshield.  I found a
small green mayfly type insect.  Also I saw a slow flying long winged
bug that reminded me of (but was not) a damselfly.

Steve Weston on Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net



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[mou-net] nesting bluebirds

[john c. nelson]

Our Eastern Bluebird showed signs of nesting April 8. We installed our  
nest cam and  this morning she is putting the finishing touches on her  
nest.
This is the earliest we have them nest here, last year it was on or  
around April 28. We had our first Tree Swallows yesterday and hope  
they pick out a house (or TWO).


John Nelson
Good Thunder MN


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[mou-net] Birding about the Metro

[Steve Weston]

Saturday:  After a short vacation in Arizona, I returned to hear a Phoebe and 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet in the yard.

Sunday:  Checked out some flooded areas near Red-wing and Lake Bylessby.  Most 
notably FOY: TICK!  But, only one.  I found fourteen species of waterfowl.  The 
diving ducks at Lake Bylessby were probably out in the middle of the lake.  The 
most notable find: four Snow Geese and a White-fronted Goose.  I saw a flock of 
about 150 cormorants flying over.  And, there were probably more than two 
hundred Pelicans.  Other birds:  Swamp Sparrow, lots of Song Sparrows, 
Bluebirds, Tree Swallows.

Some Song Sparrows have the most intense response to pishing of any species.  I 
had one fly straight at my face when I pished, swerving off at about three feet 
away.  One bird on Sunday, ran around me with its wings held up trembling.  
From what I have seen, this was a definite invitation to mate.  I get no 
reaction to my pishing from my wife. 

The ice went out Quigley.  

Monday: There were lots of bugs to clean off the windshield.  I found a small 
green mayfly type insect.  Also I saw a slow flying long winged bug that 
reminded me of (but was not) a damselfly.

Steve Weston on Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN
swest...@comcast.net



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