[mou-net] Dakota County
I decided it was time to find the Common Gallinule (aka Moorhen) at 180th Street Marsh. Got down there about 3:30 and was at first unsuccessful in finding the Gallinule. I found at least three broods of Pied-billed Grebes with at least 14 babies. And, two broods of American Coot with at least 10 babies. One last look before I left, and I found a Gallinule. -- Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Close Encounters of the Barred Owls Kind (plus a bonus Red-Shouldered Hawk) - Fort Myers, FL - w/ Photos
Hello - Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a massive interest in raptors. And, lately I've had my fair share of raptor viewing, mostly ospreys. But, I've been on quite a long owl drought (a drowlt?). Well, that drought abruptly ended today. I was on a late morning walk in Fort Myers, FL before heading to the airport to come back home to Minneapolis. I was following calls of a red-shouldered hawk in the woods. And, as I was walking the path, a Barred Owl called out loudly from very close by. Next thing I knew, the owl flew across the path directly in front of me and landed in a tree just a few yards from the trail. I had my camera with and started clicking away. Then, I heard a second owl call from directly behind me. The first owl, turned in my direction, dove out of the tree and glided directly at me and over my head. If I wasn't so busy ducking, I could have literally reached up and touched it. For the next 30 minutes, the owls called back and forth, and took turns flying back and forth across the path near me. And, if that wasn't enough, the aforementioned red-shouldered hawk I was originally tracking landed in a tree near the path. It called loudly for a couple minutes before one of the owls briefly tangled with it, and drove the hawk away. It was an amazing encounter that I will not forget. Here are some of the photos I captured. I included a couple where I was jumping out of the way as the owls went cruising over my head. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rburmaster/ Besides the owls and hawk, I spotted quite a few other raptors on my trip. Many, many ospreys. Countless turkey vultures. A few bald eagles. And, another highlight, a swallow-tailed kite (though too far off to get a photo - next time!). Good birding, Bob Burmaster Minneapolis Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Mute Swan
I went to McLeod County with Milt Blomberg to find the Swan. Nothing on the pond that even resembled a Swan. A few ducks, shorebirds, and a lone Great Egret. No Swans. Went to the farm owners place that owned the pond and found two ECD's. After we left, because the farmer was not home, we found another Collared Dove just into Wright County off from Hwy 5. We decided to go to Cocato to look for more species. Serendipity paid off. We were going back to the intersection of Common Street and Peyton Avenue where we took some back roads. I looked out my window and saw a bird with an red-orange beak on a pond. I knew it as a Common Moorhen. Good bird to find. We went back to the farm to look for the Swan and met the owner. I think Milt and I created a new birder after we filled his mind with Gallinule's, Collared Doves and Mute Swans. He took us to his Fathers, who is at least 85, and we found a Collard Dove at his house. I hour later we left after we gave the two guys a whole lot more info about Mute Swans, Collard Doves and Common Gallinule. The moral is if we would have found the Swans when we first got there all the other events wouldn't have transpired. I usually get down trodden when things don't work out. Today I was glad we didn't find the Swan or I may not have found two new friends and a Gallinule. Frank Gosiak Little Falls, Mn P.S. Milt left the info for locating the Gallinule and the Collared Doves are at the location where the Swans use to reside. Look on the lines near all three neighboring farms. They all had Doves. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Sax-Zim Bog Black-backed Woodpecker & other recent sightings
Yesterday and today I led birding trips to Sax-Zim Bog as well as Park Point. Both days had great weather for being out birding in the woods and along the lake. Saturday's trip was led to help support the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog non profit organization. We had a great time, and it was a very fun event to be able to support the non-profit organization. I had my first House Wren sighting within Sax-Zim yesterday! Throughout many visits, the wren species tend to consist of Winter, Marsh and Sedge, but from personal experience - never a House Wren. My eBird list is below. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S6362 Today I showed four birdwatchers around (two were birders from California and two came from Georgia). It was lots of fun to hear about what birds were common back home for them, and what birds were lifers for them while birding in the bog. We had stunning looks at two Black-backed Woodpeckers today, in addition to a Magnolia Warbler! We ended today at Park Point, where we observed American Redstarts, Black-capped Chickadees, American Goldfinch, House Wren and many Ring-billed Gulls. The juvenile Ring-billed Gulls are stunning this time of year! eBird list from this morning's Sax-Zim Bog trip is below. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S11124600 I have photos from the past few days, that are not on my website yet... getting a little sleepy as I'm writing this, and tomorrow is another day of showing birders around. Will keep you posted on the upcoming sightings. Photos to come soon too... Good birding, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN -- *NATURALLY AVIAN* - Birding Tours and Bird photography birdf...@gmail.com www.pbase.com/birdfedr www.facebook.com/NaturallyAvian www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Common Gallinule (SW Wright County)
Frank Gosiak spotted a Common Gallinule as we re-turned to a spot birded earlier, beautifully plumaged, 6pm. It was swimming out in the open for some time until a juvenile Ruddy Duck popped up from beneath it. The Gallinule flew up with a fright and into the thick sedge of the pond structure. Find it along Peyton Ave SW (between CR1 and CR3, just north of Common St NW --a county line road with McLeod). The "north" pond had Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Ruddy Ducks, the slough pond along the road in the middle had an Alder Flycatcher and the Gallinule, the "south" pond had many Great Egrets. Other birds of note: Eurasian Collared Doves amid the farmsteads of the CR31--CR5 of McLeod and Wright, a Stilt Sandpiper and a few others in nearby Meeker County. mjb Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Carolina Wren in Two Harbors, Lake County
I found a singing juvenile Carolina Wren today at the Two Harbors cemetery next to the AmericInn at the west end of town. At noon the bird was on the south side of the stormwater retention pond on the southwestern side of the cemetery. It was heard again at 3:15 by Peder Svingen, and Denny and Barb Martin found it at dusk at the southeastern corner of the cemetery. The only other record I know of for Lake County was ten years ago on August 19, 2002 at Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors. I got a few mediocre photos and I'll post one on Recently Seen page soon. Jim Lind Two Harbors Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Sandhill Cranes with young/Rice County
Hi All-- Erika discovered a family unit of four Sandhill Cranes (two adults and two recent fledglings) deep within a soybean field in Rice County (Bagley Ave and 120th Street West--this is just north of the new traffic circle on County Road One (just west of I-35)). A photo is on my blog: http://dantallmansbirdblog.blogspot.com dan -- Dan or Erika Tallman Northfield, Minnesota http://sites.google.com/site/tallmanorum http://dantallmansbirdblog.blogspot.com http://picasaweb.google.com/danerika daner...@gmail.com " the best shod travel with wet feet" "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes "--Thoreau Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] McLeod Cty: Red-necked Grebe
Hello Birders, About 4pm I discovered a lone Red-necked Grebe in an old quarry type pond in Eastern McLeod County. I was right at corner of Zero Ave. and 175th St. just South and East of Lester Prairie. This pond is North and East of the corner and on private property. A scope is needed to get a good look if it's still there. Quite an unexpected find. -- Sincerely, Jim Ryan Saint Paul's Westside One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between Man and Nature shall not be broken. -* Leo Tolstoy* A well governed appetite is the greater part of liberty. - *Lucius Annaeus Seneca* Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
