[mou] Little Blue Heron-Douglas Cnty/ Common Moorhen-Hamden Slough

[JELLISBIRD@aol.com]

This afternoon about 4:30 I found a small white heron with blue/grey mottling 
in a wetland in NW Douglas County. The legs were greenish grey. The bill was 
light grey with a darker grey (almost black) tip. The eye pupil was black and 
the iris was light grey or whitish. There was blue/grey mottling on the top of 
the head, the cheeks, pronounced on the upper back and the trailing edge of 
the wing which appeared almost black in some views. It was about 50-60% of the 
size of a Great Egret which was there for comparison. The location is as 
follows: go south on Douglas County 19 from Douglas County 82 (Just East of Pelican 
Lake). This is the west edge of Douglas County. At a four way intersection 
(with a large sign announcing Bah Lakes WPA in the SW quadrant) take a left on 
Whisper Lane, a dead end going east. Go .4 mile to the wetland on the north 
with lots of dead trees. The bird was along the north shore of this wetland. I 
watched it for over an hour and it showed no signs of leaving.
    Common Moorhen-As of 8:30 or so on Friday evening July 18, at least one 
of the Common Moorhens at the previously announced location in Hamden Slough 
NWR was still there. After waiting over an hour, I noticed the bird preening in 
the edge of the cattails on the E edge of the pond. After 15 minutes it flew 
out a short way, then foraged out of sight to the north end of the pond.

John Ellis- St. Paul