[mou] Black Dog Road Spring Fling, Dakota Co.

[connyb]

This morning Leslie Marcus and I headed down to Black Dog Road to get a Spring fix, and we were not disappointed.  We saw and heard Killdeer in several locations, and the Male Red-winged Blackbirds were perched on tree tops singing and flashing their red coverts at each other.  A few Ring-billed Gulls were crossing over the lake, and Pied-billed Grebes were in two locations.

We hit the mother-load in the Duck dept with 16 species present on Black Dog Lake.  So many firsts for the year, Wooduck, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Rudy, Gadwall, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Ring-necked, and Mallards. 

The Mute Swan was out there floating around with all the ducks, and  there was a Song Sparrow singing from the brush.  Spring did not hit Black Dog Road like a lamb, but came in with the roar of the lion, and it was very exciting to be out there in the middle of it.

Conny Brunell
Richfield, Hennepin Cty
connyb@mycidco.com