An extended hike at River Bend provided good birding with the requisite exercise. Along with some of the usual year-round and winter residents, a Fox Sparrow was foraging under the center's feeders. We hope it had departed before a later visit by the female Cooper's Hawk, who came and perched close by, giving us unparalleled looks. I certainly did hear Fox Sparrow song a short distance away on the trail. Along the river's edge, were Belted Kingfishers, Wood Ducks, Sapsuckers, Red-tailed Hawks, Eastern Bluebirds, Turkey Vultures and an Eastern Phoebe, among others. But perhaps the best finds there, were the singing Rusty Blackbirds, and singing Winter Wren. The wren perched low on a fallen log within a few yards of us, and belted out almost his full song, though only once. The Rusties, while less melodic, provided a lot of background aural ambiance. Away from the river, we found a small group of Cedar Waxwings in an area frequented by numerous Robins and Tree Sparrows. With more species arriving every day, this promises to be worth more visits. On the way home to St. Paul, there were Tundra Swans in several of the wet fields off of Northfield Boulevard. Hopeully they will soon have some Greater-White Fronted or Ross' Geese for company! Linda Whyte
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