Jesse Ellis and I just wrapped up a long day of birding in southern Washington County for the Hastings Area Earth Day Birding Festival. Our biggest highlight was actually at my place in Cottage Grove early this morning, where we found a beautiful male PINE WARBLER.
Along with L <https://www.facebook.com/linda.radimecky>inda Radimecky, we led two field trips at Afton State Park, where we found two new arrivals: EASTERN TOWHEE and BROWN THRASHER. Other highlights there included PEREGRINE FALCON, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, HERMIT THRUSH, a few COOPER'S HAWKS, a few EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, many FIELD SPARROWS, and one flyover PURPLE FINCH. Jesse also had a small flock of flyover PINE SISKINS that I missed when we were at opposite ends of the group. At Carpenter Nature Center in between field trips, several of us birders saw a high-flying RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, as well as a couple of large flocks of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS. At both Carpenter and Afton, there were large numbers of Turkey Vultures soaring all day. The pond at the CNC entrance had pairs of HOODED MERGANSER and BUFFLEHEAD. On the way back to my place, Jesse and I picked up a few HORNED LARKS along Neal Ave. The event was a blast, and the youth birding competition was especially inspiring! Big thanks to Kevin Smith and Jen Vieth for all of their hard work in putting the event together! Peter Nichols Cottage Grove Washington 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
