Re: [mou-net] Osprey at the intersection of HWY 212 and 169
We live on Glen Lake (just northwest of the intersection of Hwy 62 and 494). We see osprey over the lake off and on during most breeding seasons, and I have often wondered if they are the ones from that nest. This year, I marked my calendar when I saw a pair riding thermals over this neighborhood and calling on the 10th. One was here again on Tuesday, apparently fishing on the lake. Christine Sent from my iPod On Apr 14, 2011, at 9:17 AM, Terence Brashear wrote: > On my drive home last night, Wednesday, April 13, 2011, I saw a lone Osprey > circling the area where the light pole with the nest used to be. I drive > this route everyday and this is the first time I have seen an Osprey this > year in that area. > > Terry Brashear > > Hennepin County, MN > > http://www.naturepixels.com > > birdnird AT yahoo.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 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] Hermit thrush, Hennepin Co.
I got an unexpected addition to my FeederWatch count this afternoon--a hermit thrush in the birdbath. Christine western Minnetonka Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Common Loon in Hennepin County
We have a pair every summer on our little lake in Minnetonka, and I think there is sometimes a population on Lake Minnetonka. As for flyovers, I have heard and seen loons overhead on summer mornings. I don't know if they are our residents or others. I imagine that loons on small lakes like ours take advantage of several sites to feed, especially when they don't have to care for chicks. Christine On Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 8:33 PM, MN Birder wrote: > This morning at about 7:15 AM we heard Common Loon's flying over our house > in Bloomington. > > We thought it seemed very unusual to hear Loons flying overhead in the Twin > Cities this late in the Spring. > > Is this an unusual sighting? Has anybody else heard or seen Common Loon's > in the southern part of Minnesota recently? > > Ben > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Sandhill Cranes, Ramsey, Anoka County
On Sunday at about 1:00pm we saw a flock of 20 just north of the intersection of 494 and Highway 62 in Minnetonka. They were flying pretty much due south. I was surprised, too. Christine On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 12:18 PM, Erika Sitz wrote: > My husband called about a half hour ago to report that he saw two flocks of > Sandhill Cranes, 20 and then 30 to 40, flying north to south over the house > (central Ramsey). He was down the road a quarter mile or so on his walk, > so > unfortunately I had no time to run upstairs and look. He said they were > flying high, calling, and showed no signs that they were going to come down > anywhere nearby. This seems late. > > > > Erika Sitz > > Ramsey, north Anoka County > > > > > > Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > 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] First Bluebirds
There was just a male bluebird here in Minnetonka, as well. -Original Message- >From: john nelson >Sent: Apr 10, 2008 10:12 AM >To: mou-net at moumn.org >Subject: [mou] First Bluebirds > >A pair of Bluebirds were checking out a house this morning >John Nelson >Near Beauford
[mou] Re: [mnbird] 6 Caspian Terns at Lake Como St. Paul
>six Caspian terns were actively fishing in Lake Como. We had at least two over Glen Lake in Minnetonka; I watched them feeding all afternoon yesterday. Christine, on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] Need help with woodpecker question
Could someone help me resolve a question? I have searched the Web and simply cannot get a clear answer. Why is the population of red-headed woodpeckers declining while red-bellied woodpeckers are faring well? I know red-headed woodpeckers have suffered from loss of nesting habitat due to removal of snags and competition from starlings, but red-bellies use snags too. Can anyone give me some details? Thanks! Christine "Our correspondences have wings -- paper birds that fly from my house to yours -- flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country. Once opened, a connection is made. We are not alone in the world." Terry Tempest Williams, from Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
[mou] Re: [mnbird] Redpolls in Richfield
We had at least three common redpolls hanging out on our thistle feeder and sheltering in the arbor vitae on Sunday. First time I've seen them on our property. Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co. "Our correspondences have wings -- paper birds that fly from my house to yours -- flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country. Once opened, a connection is made. We are not alone in the world." Terry Tempest Williams, from Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
[mou] CBC's
>With all the CBC's this weekend, I haven't seen any reports. Did anyone see any good birds? We got 18 species, all "the usual suspects," but also saw "our" Carolina wren several times that day. Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co. "Our correspondences have wings -- paper birds that fly from my house to yours -- flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country. Once opened, a connection is made. We are not alone in the world." Terry Tempest Williams, from Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
[mou] Carolina wren
I'm pleased to report the arrival, for the second consecutive winter, of a Carolina wren on our property. (S)he appeared on one of our feeders this morning. Good news! Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co. "Our correspondences have wings -- paper birds that fly from my house to yours -- flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country. Once opened, a connection is made. We are not alone in the world." Terry Tempest Williams, from Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
[mou] Feathers
on 7/23/03 6:47 PM, Sharon Stiteler at sharo...@mn.rr.com wrote: > Whenever I'm out with kids and feathers are spotted I always use it to > reinforce the phrase, "Take only pictures, leave only foot prints." Some > animal is going to get way more use out of that feather than most people > will by having it collect dust on a shelf. Very true. The way I approach it is to stop and get the kids to imagine or investigate the "story" behind the feather -- what bird is it from, how did it get there, what might happen to it next if left in place? They might not get to take the feather with them, but they will always have that story to think back on. It works! Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] Carolina wrens
I reported a Carolina wren in my yard a few weeks back, and I've continued to see this bird every few days since then. This morning I had a pleasant surprise: there was a pair on one of my feeders. They stayed close together as they moved around the yard for about 10 minutes, then disappeared into the lilacs. Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] Unusual nuthatch behavior
Has anyone ever heard of nuthatches eating meat, or taking insects from carcasses? This evening I noticed a white-breasted nuthatch on the ground at the base of our big boxelder tree, pecking vigorously at something. At first I assumed he was working on a fallen piece of bark, but he was so enthusiastic about it that I picked up the binoculars to get a better look. It turned out that the "bark" had a tail... it was a dead deer mouse. Now, I can't be sure the bird was eating meat from the carcass, but when I went outside to look, there were no obvious invertebrates on the body -- though even if there were, that's not the variety of invertebrates I'd think of nuthatches as eating. So, is this a nuthatch feeding behavior I just haven't heard of before, or is it as unusual as it seemed?... Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] is it a robin??
Hi Cindy - Sure sounds like a case of partial albinism to me! We had a partially albinistic house sparrow that frequented our yard a few years ago in San Francisco, and I did some reading on the condition; from what I read, it seems that this condition is more common in some species than in others, and tends to be geographically localized (maybe due to inbreeding). Here's an article about partial albinism from the folks over at Journey North: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring2001/species/robin/Update032001.html This piece from Audubon mentions that there are 304 North American bird species noted to exhibit albinism, and that it's most common among robins and house sparrows: http://www.audubon.org/chapter/in/sassafras/leaflet798/nature.html Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co. "Our correspondences have wings -- paper birds that fly from my house to yours -- flocks of ideas crisscrossing the country. Once opened, a connection is made. We are not alone in the world." Terry Tempest Williams, from Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
[mou] Common loons
The days after the ice melts are always a thrill for us on the shores of Glen Lake. Usually the melt heralds the arrival of a number of waterfowls species: regular visitors include coots, Canada geese, and mallards, as well as all three mergansers, canvasbacks, ruddies, ring-necked ducks, redheads, scaups, blue-winged teals, and American widgeons. Numbers of individuals often reach several hundred. For a small lake (about 180 acres), I think it's a pretty respectable showing. This year the ice went out on April 1, but we're still rather species-light--the only migratory species so far (aside from the coot) is the ring-necked duck. As the bad weather clears to the south, I'm hoping that more will begin to trickle in in the days to come. We also have a single pair of loons nesting on the lake every year. They have yet to produce chicks in the 5 years I've been watching; though they go through all the predictable motions and seem to be sitting a nest, at some point (usually in early to mid-May) there is a night when we hear alarm calls, and thereafter the pair is always out on the lake together--never any sign of chicks, though they remain through the summer. But, we continue to have hope--and we are glad for their continued preference of our wee lake over other possible nesting sites. Last year, two loons arrived together on April 12 (the day the ice went out). This year, the male arrived alone on April 1 (again, the day the ice went out). We've been eagerly watching for the female, and I was lucky enough to witness her arrival at about 6:30 this morning. Our house is poised atop a hill, with a wide swath of meadow flowing down the hill to a cattail marsh and lake. Bands of deciduous trees line the shore on either side, but this gap provides us with a good view of the center of the lake--fortunately where all the "action" took place this morning. The female skidded to a sloppy landing near the eastern shore of the lake and spent a few minutes quietly on the water, appearing to rest. The male had already been out in the middle of the lake for a while, and did not immediately appear to respond to her arrival. After about 10 minutes, however, they swam toward each other, met, and began their "circle dance." First they would sink low in the water, swimming past each other in opposite directions while dipping their heads up and down. Then they would gently dive and, from the way the water swirled above them, I'd guess they were swimming circles around each other underwater. They repeated this about half a dozen times, then came up and swam alongside each other, craning their necks out and holding their beaks high. After about half an hour they swam off toward the north end of the lake, and I lost sight of them behind the trees. When I took my son to his babysitter's house (she lives on the north end of the lake, about 1/4 mile from me), she mentioned that she had been hearing them call just moments before. What I'd have given for a chance to be tucked among the cattails today, watching them swim around and inspect nest sites. Bird on, everyone! Christine on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin County
[mou] Osprey
An osprey flew over Glen Lake this evening about 6:00pm, just in time for the reddish evening light to reflect pink against its white crown, throat, and belly. This is only the second time I've seen an osprey here. Christine Petersen on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] Carolina wren sighting and song sparrow question, Hennepin County
Had a lovely little Carolina wren in the front yard this morning. This was the first time I've seen this species on our property, though I understand that there have been some other metro sightings recently. I watched him for about half an hour as he flitted between the two groups o= f red cedars flanking our front deck and walkway, into a small hollow at the base of a large box elder tree in the middle of the yard, and to the feeder by our front door. I'm assuming he took seeds, as he was on the feeder for about 45 seconds -- but I can't be sure since he perched on the far side. A= t one point he took up a perch on a small branch of the box elder and belted out a song, though I couldn't hear the details of it through the double-paned storm windows. It was impressive to watch=8Bhe put his whole bod= y into it: tail tucked down, head thrown back, feathers on his crown rising up, chest swelling. (I say "he" though I know this could be a sexist assumption when it comes to this species -- I think I read that the females sometimes sing, too?) Here's a question for those of you who know your sparrows well: I was rathe= r confounded by a song sparrow that showed up in the yard the other day. It was turned slightly to the side so my perspective might have been skewed, but it looked as though the breast spot was on the right side rather than i= n the center. Does anyone have information about the position of the spot being variable? Christine Petersen on the shores of Glen Lake, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co.
[mou] Tundra Swans Hennepin Co
> This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. --MS_Mac_OE_3130694947_88486_MIME_Part Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit on 3/16/03 10:25 AM, George B Skinner at george.skin...@gte.net wrote: >Anne and I saw 25 or so Tundra Swans fly over our neighborhood in Minnetonka just west of >Hopkins this morning at 9 am. They were headed west northwest. I'm right near you, George (we're on Glen Lake, near the intersection of 494 and Excelsior), and am darned sorry to have missed that sight! Glen Lake played host to a wonderful variety of other birds today, though. 16 Canada geese were on the lake first thing this morning, standing resolutely on the ice or slipping and sliding their way along. Later in the day two male red-winged blackbirds showed up in the cattail marsh and began dueling calls. Interestingly enough, 2002's first red-winged blackbirds also showed up on March 16. Midafternoon the geese headed off and were soon replaced by about three dozen mallards and one pair of northern pintails. This was the first time (in the three years I've lived here) that I've seen pintails on the lake, so I was happy to add them to my Glen Lake checklist as the 112th bird species. Also had the year's first robin and two mourning doves in the yard throughout the day. Ah, it feels like spring! Christine Petersen --MS_Mac_OE_3130694947_88486_MIME_Part Content-type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Re: [mou] Tundra Swans Hennepin Co on 3/16/03 10:25 AM, George B Skinner at george.skin...@gte.net wrote: >Anne and I saw 25 or so Tundra Swans fly ove= r our neighborhood in Minnetonka just west of >Hopkins this morning at 9 = am. They were headed west northwest. I'm right near you, George (we're on Glen Lake, near the intersection of 49= 4 and Excelsior), and am darned sorry to have missed that sight! Glen Lake played host to a wonderful variety of other birds today, though. = 16 Canada geese were on the lake first thing this morning, standing resolute= ly on the ice or slipping and sliding their way along. Later in the day two = male red-winged blackbirds showed up in the cattail marsh and began dueling = calls. Interestingly enough, 2002's first red-winged blackbirds also showed = up on March 16. Midafternoon the geese headed off and were soon replaced by about three doz= en mallards and one pair of northern pintails. This was the first time (in t= he three years I've lived here) that I've seen pintails on the lake, so I wa= s happy to add them to my Glen Lake checklist as the 112th bird species. Als= o had the year's first robin and two mourning doves in the yard throughout t= he day. Ah, it feels like spring! Christine Petersen --MS_Mac_OE_3130694947_88486_MIME_Part--
