[mou] Mute Swan, Short-eared Owls and others, Olmsted County
Chris Benson
Chris Benson" <chrisb@fullcircleimage.com
Mon, 17 Mar 2003 13:28:47 -0600
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Looks like spring might really be here. Over the weekend I had a chance =
to bird just a little bit when I wasn't busy with our baby bird. It =
isn't easy pushing a stroller and trying to use binoculars but a guy =
does what he can.
Birds I hadn't seen in 2003 that were seen over the weekend included:
Sandhill Crane (4) - 3/15 - Olmsted CR 5 south of Byron
Great Blue Heron (3) - 3/16 - Olmsted CR 6 by Ironwood Springs Ranch
Mute Swan - 3/16 & 3/17 - Olmsted CR 25 (Salem Rd) west of CR 22 in a =
flooded field west of the Historical Society.
Also in the same area as the Mute Swan this morning were 5 weird looking =
domestic geese, three white and two brown. Makes finding the Snows and =
White-fronteds even more fun! =20
On Friday and Saturday evenings I observed two Short-eared Owls near the =
intersection of 70th Av SW and 20th St SW in "rural" Salem Corners.
I just can't stand the heavy traffic in that town.
Check the plowed fields as well as the grass fields. The owls are using =
both. =20
They seem to like sitting on the ground in the plowed fields doing their =
best imitation of, uh, dung birds.=20
Friday there may have been more than two owls, they were busy and =
seemingly everywhere.
And a bunch (or flocks) of other fun species, including lots of Grackles =
to give the overwintering guy behind my office companionship. Now that =
he's not the only one he has finally earned his name and become a Common =
Grackle. (Well, they aren't common in January...it's all relative. And =
what's in a name?) =20
There's still a Northern Shrike hanging out at Kelly's Orchards as of =
this morning, how much longer I can't tell.
Time for me to go back to work.
Chris Benson
Rochester, MN
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Looks like spring might really be =
here. =20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Over the weekend I had a chance to =
bird just a=20
little bit when I wasn't busy with our baby bird. It isn't easy =
pushing a=20
stroller and trying to use binoculars but a guy does what he =
can.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Birds I hadn't seen in 2003 that were =
seen over the=20
weekend included:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Sandhill Crane (4) - 3/15 - Olmsted CR =
5 south of=20
Byron</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Great Blue Heron (3) - 3/16 =
- Olmsted CR 6 by=20
Ironwood Springs Ranch</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mute Swan - 3/16 & 3/17 - Olmsted =
CR 25 (Salem=20
Rd) west of CR 22 in a flooded field west of the Historical=20
Society.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Also in the same area as the Mute Swan =
this morning=20
were 5 weird looking domestic geese, three white and two brown. =
Makes=20
finding the Snows and White-fronteds even more =
fun! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>On Friday and Saturday evenings I =
observed two=20
Short-eared Owls near the intersection of 70th Av SW and 20th St SW in =
"rural"=20
Salem Corners.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I just can't stand the heavy traffic in =
that=20
town.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Check the plowed fields as well as the =
grass=20
fields. The owls are using both. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>They seem to like sitting on the ground =
in the=20
plowed fields doing their best imitation of, uh, dung=20
birds. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Friday there may have been more than =
two owls, they=20
were busy and seemingly everywhere.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>And a bunch (or flocks) of =
other fun=20
species, including lots of Grackles to give the overwintering guy =
behind my=20
office companionship. Now that he's not the only one he =
has finally=20
earned his name and become a Common Grackle. (Well, they =
aren't=20
common in January...it's all relative. And what's in a =
name?) =20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There's still a Northern Shrike hanging =
out at=20
Kelly's Orchards as of this morning, how much longer I can't =
tell.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Time for me to go back to =
work.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Chris Benson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Rochester,=20
MN</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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