[mou] Bagley Farm Report-long

[Larson Kelly]

It's been a glorious week down on the farm in up-north Minnesota.  
Snow is making a hasty retreat and has been replaced by flooded  
ditches, muddy roads and newly opened creeks and rivers. Yesterday we  
collected about 90 gallons of sap from the 81 maple trees we helped  
some friends tap. It's looking like a great run. While out in the  
Sugar Bush we were serenaded by the drumming of Ruffed Grouse

Sunday (4/30) at 8 AM, the first A. Robin appeared. It flew to the  
top of a birch sapling stuck in the brush pile near the feeders and  
surveyed the yard for all of 40 seconds. It was not impressed and  
left. Happily, others finally arrived today and have found the  
sloppy, muddy mess that is our yard much to their liking. Last Sunday  
also brought the first returning Purple Finch of the season (2 dozen)  
and a single Junco. As of today Juncos have increased to about 4  
dozen, P. Finch numbers are holding steady and the feeders continue  
to satisfy ravenous hordes of A. Goldfinch and C. Redpoll. A single  
Fox Sparrow foraged under the Lilac most of the morning.

Owls!- Northern Saw Whet, Great Horned and Barred have all been  
calling here this week. The Saw Whet starts in at 8 PM and seems to  
be calling continuously, at least until 1 AM. Last night he moved  
from the wetland depression/balsam area on the neighbors property to  
somewhere near the site where I have offered a nest-box. Keeping my  
fingers crossed that he likes it and finds a mate who approves.

Today there were many FYO birds found in Clearwater county.
In Bagley, on the Clearwater River:
Hooded Merganser-2
Common Goldeneye-3
Pied-billed Grebe-1
Great Blue Heron-1
Belted Kingfisher-1
In the Mosquito Creek WMA, south of Bagley, along Stockyard Road:
Sandhill Crane-4
Kildeer-2

Raptors for today:
Northern Harrier-9
Rough-legged-6
Red-tailed-3
Bald Eagle-3
Sharp-shinned-1
A. Kestrel-6

Kelly Larson
Bagley/Bemidji Minnesota


Eschew Obfuscation!
The middle of Nowhere is Somewhere!