[mou] Birding About

[Steve Weston]

5/21 (Wednesday) Maple Grove (85th & Revere Lane)  checked out the 
grasslands adjacent to the sand pit:  Bank Swallows & Brewers Blackbirds

5/24 (Friday)  Goodhue County:  Ran down with Kevin Smith to the Frontenac 
area for my frog & toad survey.  Under brillant skies the rapidly falling 
temperatues probably quieted the frogs somewhat.  Toads were singing 
everywhere.  We had five species of frogs and toads.  Most notable were that 
the Gray Treefrogs were singing and Copes Gray Treefrogs in the same area 
were silent.  Back at Quiggley Lake in Eagan the next night, the Copes and 
Toads were deafing under a warmer sky.  In the marshes near Frontenac we had 
Marsh Wrens and Virginia Rails calling.  I could not call out a 
Whip-poor-will in the valley where I usually find them. I will try again 
next month.  We stopped at Miesville Ravine on the way home and were able to 
call out a Whip-poor-will.

5/25 (Saturday)  with Jim Ryan birded Scott Co., Nicollet County (Seven Mile 
Creek) and LeSuer County.  Almost no migrating warblers were seen. I did 
find a skulking Mourning Warbler in the pines at the Wilkie Unit in 
Shakopee.  Seven Mile Creek was wonderful especially for the thrushes.  The 
seven species included singing Veeries and Wood Thrushes, plus (silent) 
Grey-cheeked and Swainsons.  Besides our close encounter with a Veery, we 
had a Scarlet Tanager land about ten feet from us.  Stopped at a couple of 
sites in LeSuer County.  We had an incredible look at a Sedge Wren and had 
both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks singing.  During a dispute between 
Eastern Kingbirds, one flashed his red crown.  We also found two small 
flights of migrating Nighthawks, one of which treated us to a boom.  The 
small numbers of Nighthawks, I hope were off-peak migration, and not the 
last view of a crashing population.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2 at comcast.net