Despite fickle weather, birding Carlos Avery was rewarding enough today, with repeat sightings of many species and several First-of-Year. Most of the waterfowl had already been viewed at Lake Byllesby in prior weeks, but closer, better looks are always welcome. The two Common Loons were FOY, and very cooperative. The Great Blue Heron, Broad-winged Hawk and two Northern Harriers were also FOY, and a Red-shouldered Hawk kept us watching some lengthy passes overhead.
Smaller birds were more scarce to find, with most no doubt lying low, out of the wind. A lone Swamp Sparrow was spotted in the road; surprisingly, no Song Sparrows were even heard. In a wooded area there were at least two Eastern Bluebirds and a single Yellow-rumped Warbler. But the real "troupers" were the Tree Swallows at water's edge, working hard to forage down low, among the cattails. There are plenty of tree cavities for shelter, but insect food is far more challenging to find right now. Linda Whyte ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
