[mou] Snow Plover & Chat

[Steve Weston]

Snow Plover was there at about 6pm, although all the birds flew as I was leaving & I don't know if it settled back in.  Also
at the sewerage lagoon was a Canvasback and numerous Black Terns.

I arrived at Blue Hill trail at Sherburne just before a downpour and had to return to my truck for better rain gear.  The
rain stopped and the birds came out singing.  I thought I heard the Chat calling a couple of times.  The first bird was
singing in a quality of whistle that sounded like a northern Oriole, but I couldn't find the souce.  The second bird had the
song notes, slightly more nasal in quality, but interspersed with a call note.  the pattern was just what I had heard on the
tape.  And, it was just like what the Catbird that was singing it, must have heard also.  I then heard the oriole-like notes
and traced it down to bird singing on an exposed dead branch only about 100 yards from the fork in the trail (stay left).
Once I found the Chat, I was treated to a long concert with the bird sitting out in easy view.  Interestingly, the
interspersed calls were much softer that I expected from listening to tapes and did not carry well.  When I tired from the
concert and stepped out from behind the bush that was screening me, the Chat left and headed into the brush.  I did not hear
singing as I left the area a little after 8pm.

Steve Weston on Quigley Lake in Eagan
sweston2@comcast.net