[mou] Eagle Lake, Maple Grove

[Thomas Maiello]

Ice out since the night before last and the lake came alive.  Rafts of  
some 1,500 coots, 15-25 loons with scatterings of some 15 more,  
"packs" of 4 to 12 mergansers (red-breasted and common), scatterings  
and packs of horned grebes, Common Terns, scaups, rafts of Ruddy  
Ducks, a single pair of Hooded Mergansers, a few Blue-winged Teals,  
plus surrounding woods with Yellow-rumped Warblers, wrens, Hermit  
Thrushes, Cooper's Hawks, Red-Shouldered Hawks, busying pairs of  
woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Red-bellied, but no confirmation  
on a Red-Headed reported by a resident on the lake), kinglets,  
cowbirds, Redwinged Blackbirds, Pheasants, varieties of sparrows, and  
the occasional Barred and Great Horned Owls plus the regulars.

All this can be seen for now along a dirt road stretch of Zachary Lane  
on the west side of the Eagle Lake just SE of the intersection of  
Hemlock and I94/694.  Find it on Mapquest.  The lane dead ends at a  
dock and boat launch where you can see the lake without having to  
access private property.  If you time it right with your spotting  
scope (recommended) you might be able to see what the DNR is  
collecting in their traps during their first fish survey in 5 years.   
They were out around 11:00 this morning checking their 3-4 traps (the  
ones I can see).

I LOVE SPRING MIGRATION!

Thomas Maiello
Angel Environmental Management, Inc.
Maple Grove, MN