[mou] Townsend's Solitaire, Sherburne County

[tpulles]

After church this morning my family and I went to Sherburne
NWR with hopes of pine siskins.  The refuge drive was closed
because of hunting, so we drove along some other nearby
promising-looking roads instead.  As we pulled into the Lake
Ann Campground road, I noticed a bird sitting on a wire.  At
first, I assumed it was a female house finch, but something
wasn't quite right about it.  Then I saw the white eye ring
and my heart rate starting increasing.  I got my scope on
it, and sure enough, it was a Townsend's solitaire (other
good field marks included the intricate wing pattern, white
outer tail feathers, and longer tail length - I got a photo
of it.)  It flew around in the same general vicinity before
flying a little ways off the road into the pine forests. 
The time was about 12:00 noon.

DIRECTIONS-
>From Big Lake, go north on Sherburne County Rd 5.  Follow
this until you reach 253rd Avenue, also known as Lake Ann
Campground Road (I believe there is a sign for this).  Turn
right on this road.  The bird was about a block or so in
sitting on the telephone wire on the north side of the road.
 I last saw it fly off further in that same direction.

Other good birds included red-breasted nuthatch and
Bonaparte's gull

Keith Pulles, Wright County