[mou] SAY'S PHOEBE'S, Felton Prairie, Clay County

[Conny Brunell]

Today was a wonderful whirlwind day of birding in Felton Prairie, Clay County with Leslie Marcus and Susan Schumacher.  We went into Felton Prairie on the southern end from Clay CR 26, and enjoyed the Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Marbled Godwits, Upland Sandpipers, and a great variety of singing sparrows.  When we reached the north end gate Clay CR 108 we turned right, and wound around the road to the gravel mining pits where the Rock Wren was found both last year, and again this year near rock pile #6002.

We were walking around listening for the Rock Wren when we noticed movement from behind the rock pile along the dirt ridge at 12:15.  We got our binoculars on the bird while it was perched and to our surprise and amazement was a Say's Phoebe!  We watched this bird flycatch, and work its way around to the east around the ridge toward the heavy equipment.  That black bobbing tail, and apricot belly and undertail coverts were easily seen.  We had it in our scopes, and it worked its way back to continue diving to the ground, and behind the ridge into the grass.  When much to our surprise it was joined by a second one, and they both flew out together up and over our heads to the east ridge area.   At this point a loud lime green dirt bike entered the pits in that area to go riding and we lost sight of the bird at 12:45.

We were elated, and could hardly believe our good fortune to be in the right spot at the right time!  Then who appears but the Rock Wren singing up a storm from atop a large gravel pile over in the area the motorbike was just in.  It sang and sang and flew clockwise stopping in 3 different spots always out in the open up high, and circled us ending up on rock pile # 6002.  We had our scopes on the energetic songster, and we were a captive audience until it flew off to the east again.

We stopped at Barnesville Sewage Ponds, and there was a nice variety of shorebirds with 260 Wilson's Phalaropes, and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes.  

Conny Brunell
Richfield, Hennepin Cty
connyb@mycidco.com