FW: [mou] Urban Minneapolis birding this week

[Jonathan Ferguson]

Hello Bob!

I was looking into your book (and others) last night as I was reading up on
and comparing nighthawks, woodcocks, kestrels and peregrine falcons.  I know
now when nighthawks come back to the 'hood: May, not March.  I will never,
ever forget!  ;) You can read my description below, but it's inconclusive,
especially given the early date.  Where's that video camera when you need
one?!

J.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Ferguson 
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 2:06 PM
To: 'Mark.Ochs@mortgage.wellsFargo.COM'
Subject: RE: [mou] Urban Minneapolis birding this week


My "guestimate" of the nighthawk was based on wing shape and wing movements,
as well as size, shape, and song.  I say it flying at dusk.  I didn't
observe the notched tail or the white wing bands.

It could have been a kestrel or a peregrine falcon, since it had slender
wings and a slender body, but the wing movements were more fluttery that I
would have expected from these two.  If I remember right, a nighthawk's wing
has a sort-of notch at the backend where it meets the body, and this is what
(I thought) I observed [I'm thinking of the dihedral shaper here].  It
didn't seem to be as stout and long-nosed as a woodcock, but it was a
low-light situation.  It's song was more of a high "meep" -- almost like a
higher, louder murmur of a nuthatch -- than the more raspy "zeep" that you
hear from nighthawks overhead in the summer; but the call/song was a very
similar length and duration.  It flew to and perched very briefly on top of
the Scottish Rite temple near Hennepin and Franklin, and then flew off
toward Lake of the Isles.

Having said all of this, and as you can tell from the tentativeness of my
remarks, I am by no means qualified to ID birds except without all of the
most obvious elements intact.  If nighthawks don't come through until May,
then I'm probably off, and it probably was something else.  I'm so used to
seeing nighthawks in my neighborhood (in the summer, or course) that it was
a bit easy to jump to this conclusion, given the interpretability of other
clues.  I'll start looking in to woodcocks.  If I start getting some
inquiries, I'll pass along this e-mail.

Thanks for the note, Mark!

Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark.Ochs@mortgage.wellsFargo.COM
[mailto:Mark.Ochs@mortgage.wellsFargo.COM] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 1:38 PM
To: jferguson@portfolioip.com
Subject: RE: [mou] Urban Minneapolis birding this week


Jonathan - Nighthawks typically show up in the Twin Cities in May.  You
might receive a number of curiosity questions from people regarding it.  Was
this a heard only bird?  If so, they sound very similar to woodcocks, which
are migrating through at this time.  

Thanks.
Mark

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jonathan Ferguson [SMTP:jferguson@portfolioip.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, March 26, 2003 12:50 PM
> To:	mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
> Cc:	John D. Gustav-Wrathall
> Subject:	[mou] Urban Minneapolis birding this week
> 
> On Monday, I had a fine walk home on a warm, spring evening, from downtown
> Minneapolis, through Loring Park, to Uptown.
> 
> Birds encountered:
> * Red Wing Blackbirds --  Heard a few, saw one (always a wonderful sound
> (especially downtown) no matter how ubiquitous it is in the summer).
> * Grackles (first of the year for me)
> * Robin
> * Crows
> * Mallards
> * Canada Geese
> * Nighthawk (first of the year for me)
> * Great Blue Heron: flew close overhead, silent and spectral, probably on
> its way to Lake of the Isles.
> * Cardinals: heard, didn't see.
> * Probably some house sparrows, starlings, and "rock doves", too.
> 
> All of these become very common, but Spring sure makes me twitterpated for
> their return!  It's also nice to be enjoying birds and not freezing my
> long
> johns off!
> 
> Also this week, Warren Woessner pointed out a peregrine falcon, perched on
> a
> building, plucking and eviscerating another bird.  Nothing like birding
> from
> your office!
> 
> Jonathan Ferguson
> Minneapolis
> 
> 
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