[mou] Great-tailed Grackle in Brown County
Brian Smith
brsmith@sleepyeyetel.net
Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:06:56 -0500
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Hello:
While birding at the Sleepy Eye sewage lagoons late this morning I found =
one male Great-tailed Grackle. When I pulled up at the entrance it was =
directly in front of me(about 150 feet away) feeding on the grass and =
gravel road that divides the north and south lagoons. My first =
impression was that it was a crow but when I looked at it with my =
binoculars I saw the huge tail, slender body and long, thin bill. There =
were some Killdeer standing near it and it appeared to be twice the size =
of them. Despite the wind, I could clearly hear the whistles and clacks =
it gave when it called out. I watched it for about five minutes before =
it flew off to the north. As I left the lagoons to go home a short time =
later, I rediscovered the Great-tailed Grackle feeding in the water =
filled ditch along Hwy. 4 and only a few feet from the entrance road to =
the lagoons . I was able to study it really up close this time from a =
distance of probably twenty feet and again could more clearly see how =
large this bird is. Also evident from this distance was the yellow eyes =
and iridescent black and purple on its body. After a minute or so it =
flew out of the ditch and landed in the cattails a short distance away. =
As I pulled out on the highway to leave I noticed that it flew back to =
the entrance road of the lagoons and was feeding on some spilled grain =
that someone had dumped there. =20
I saw no shorebirds at the lagoons today with the exception of some =
Killdeer. On the east lagoon there were large numbers of waterfowl, =
most of which were Canvasbacks. There was one American White Pelican as =
well. Please be aware that if you visit the lagoons and walk out on the =
road that divides the north and south lagoons there is a Canada Goose =
nest located about half way down the road with six or seven eggs in it. =
As you would imagine, the parent birds didn't appreciate my presence and =
I tried to walk past the nest as quickly as I could. To get to the =
sewage lagoons, take Hwy. 4 south out of Sleepy Eye for about one and a =
half miles. About a mile south of town you'll pass an auto salvage yard =
on your right. The entrance road to the lagoons is about a half mile =
south of this and will be on your left. The entrance isn't marked. =20
Brian Smith
Sleepy Eye =20
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>While birding at the Sleepy Eye sewage =
lagoons late=20
this morning I found one male <STRONG>Great-tailed =
Grackle</STRONG>. When=20
I pulled up at the entrance it was directly in front of =
me(about 150 feet=20
away) feeding on the grass and gravel road that divides the north =
and=20
south lagoons. My first impression was that it was a =
crow but=20
when I looked at it with my binoculars I saw the huge tail, slender=20
body and long, thin bill. There were some =
Killdeer standing near=20
it and it appeared to be twice the size of them. Despite the wind, =
I could=20
clearly hear the whistles and clacks it gave when it called=20
out. I watched it for about five minutes before it flew off =
to the=20
north. As I left the lagoons to go home a short time later, I =
rediscovered=20
the Great-tailed Grackle feeding in the water filled ditch along =
Hwy. 4 and=20
only a few feet from the entrance road to the lagoons . I was =
able to=20
study it really up close this time from a distance of probably twenty =
feet and=20
again could more clearly see how large this bird is. Also evident =
from=20
this distance was the yellow eyes and iridescent black and purple on its =
body. After a minute or so it flew out of the ditch and landed in =
the=20
cattails a short distance away. As I pulled out on the =
highway to=20
leave I noticed that it flew back to the entrance road of the=20
lagoons and was feeding on some spilled grain that someone had =
dumped=20
there. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I saw no shorebirds at the lagoons =
today with the=20
exception of some Killdeer. On the east lagoon there were large =
numbers of=20
waterfowl, most of which were Canvasbacks. There was one =
American White Pelican as well. Please be aware that if you =
visit the=20
lagoons and walk out on the road that divides the north and south =
lagoons there=20
is a Canada Goose nest located about half way down the road with six or =
seven=20
eggs in it. As you would imagine, the parent birds =
didn't=20
appreciate my presence and I tried to walk past the nest as quickly as I =
could. To get to the sewage lagoons, take Hwy. 4 south out of =
Sleepy Eye=20
for about one and a half miles. About a mile south of=20
town you'll pass an auto salvage yard on your right. The =
entrance=20
road to the lagoons is about a half mile south of this and will be on =
your=20
left. The entrance isn't marked. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Brian Smith</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sleepy=20
Eye </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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