[mou] Says Phoebe

[Dennis/Barbara Martin]

Refound the Says Phoebe ar 3:30 PM today.  Not that this was easy in the
very high winds.  The Detroit Lakes Birding Festival field trip did not find
the bird this AM so we did not go with much hope after our field trip to
Tamarac NWR.

>From 2:00 till 3:15 we walked around the whole sand pit after not finding
the bird in the area of the Rock Wren.  We concentrated in the area to the
south and west as they were less windy.  The winds according to the weather
service were in the 40 MPH plus catagory.  We then left the pit to check the
nearby wooded wet area hoping it might be there.  After no success we
returned to the Rock Wren area and it was on the wall face right behind the
normal Rock Wren rock piles piles.  This was out in the heavy winds that
probably had reduced to maybe 20-30 MPH.  After a little while, while we
were getting the camera out ot the back seat, the bird disappeared, probably
going over the wall to the east and toward the other now dormant sand pit.

Obviously the bird does not spend its entire time in the pit.  During the
work week this pit could be very active as it is an active mining operation.
When we were there on Thursday AM there was a lot of noise and we suspect
earlier in the day a lot of truck traffic.  Birders must stay out of the way
of any mining operations if we are going to continue to be allowed in this
area.

All the time we were there the Rock Wren continued to sing from various
perchs on the rock piles, although not always visible.

Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com