[mou] N.Mockingbird-Osakis, Smith's Longspurs,SEOwls-Rothsay,Cattle Egret-Albany, Others

[JELLISBIRD@aol.com]

(Long Report-includes others)
    (NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD) Got both hips redone this summer, and can't walk 
far, but I can drive my own car again. Got an early start on Friday. I was 
driving from MN 27 south towards the Osakis sewage ponds when I saw a new pond 
near a new housing development on the edge of town. I was starting to watch 
shorebirds when I saw motion over near a ball park behind the school, next to a 
corn field on the edge of town which turned out to be a Northern Mockingbird when 
I went closer. While I was studying the bird the school groundskeeper went by 
me mowing and worked outside the ballpark fence that the Mockingbird was 
perched on while he got insects in the grass. The bird made it back after the 
first pass but when the mower returned it went into a shrubby thicket and I never 
saw it again. I checked the area again today but had no luck. On the way to 
the cabin I also saw an early Rough-Legged Hawk.
    On Saturday I was at Rothsay near the main  lek at sunrise looking for 
longspurs. In the late morning I found some landing in a disked grassy field but 
they were too far out to ID and field work was going on nearby. This was S. 
of the MIN MAINT road about midway between Wilkin 26 and Wilkin 176 about a 
mile W. of the T. There were flocks of 297 and 62 Sandhills in this area and E of 
the T of 200th St (the MIN MAINT) with 300th Ave. From there I ended up at 
the dead end road wich comes South off of 15 into the middle of the Wildlife 
area. It was about 1 PM.
    (LONGSPURS) On the E. side of this road there is a large hayfield which 
has had a lek of fairly good size that has been evidently re-seeded to grass 
this year, but also had a nurse crop of oats or rye interseeded to shade weeds. 
As an agricultural practice this grain crop should be clipped before it heads 
out to seed. The farmer evidently tried to do this but the field was too wet 
and even the huge balloon tires left furrows. Thus the field has green grass 
understory with ripe small grain in it. Along the N edge there was standing and 
trickling water. Longspurs were landing in various places in this field, but 
especially along this N. edge. I spent the next 3 1/2 hours or so studying 
flying, landing and a few standing and hopping longspurs from the top of a pile of 
boulders 150-200 yds. out in the field.     
    From the beginning I thought I could distinguish Smith's but it took a 
while to get a confident ID. In flight (circling around to land and going up and 
down to new spots) The Smiths had a creamier/buffier tone and Laplands had an 
obviously whiter belly which made the back seem darker in flight by contrast. 
The Smiths tails has more white on the outer edges but this was not always 
apparent. The Smiths were more likely to flash white on the upper sides (lesser 
coverts) of the wings when banking...this was much more true when the (late 
October) sun was out. The golden tone/buffy color of the Smith's was much less 
apparent when the sun was obscured. When the sun was obscured the Laplands 
contrast between the belly and the seemingly darker (than Smiths) back was a 
better guide. All of this felt very tentative until a Smiths actually landed close 
enough and in the open long enough to get a good ID. The Smiths had no rufous 
on the wings. The bill was more slender (pointed) than the Laplands. There was 
fine streaking on the breast and overall a darker tone on the breast than on 
the buff belly. There was no breastband. The longspur auriculars were clear 
and there was a faint eyering. I did not note streaking on the flank. Counting 
the birds my Britanny flushed out of the field before she came back to me and I 
got her under control, I probably encountered between 1000 and 2000 
Longspurs. I tended to pick out a few birds in incoming flocks to study and then 
watched as many as I could as they landed. They disappeared as they landed with rare 
exception. I believe there was one flock of 50-60 Smiths, at least 3 flocks 
of 25-30 and more groups of 10 to 20. There may have been many more as many 
flocks landed too far out to ID or note. It was really quite exciting. The birds 
on the ground would call to others approaching and sometimes go part way up to 
meet them and then they would all land again. A few times birds would alight 
to only drink and would then leave ar go to another part of the field to feed 
(I assume.)  
    (SHORT-EARED OWLS) It had been windy (S winds, 10-18) on Friday, all 
Friday night and all day Saturday. About 3:30 the wind died entirely) About 4:45 
(Daylight) the Short-Eared Owls came out. I had seen Harriers all day (20-25 
sightings), only 2 Redtails, two Merlins and NO Roughshouldereds. I was still at 
the field access watching Longspurs when I noticed the Owls. Four of them 
were harrassing a Harrier, without much success but the Harrier did move on. 
These were East of the South terminus of the road. I scanned and there were four 
others on the west side of the road. Two of them hunted closer and were 
actually 50 yds or so away, one of them coming dead on for awhile. Their wing profile 
is amazingly thin. I saw another further North in another location for a 
total of 9. Additionally through the day I saw 65 Greater Prairie Chickens, 2 
Meadowlarks (1Ad., 1 Juv.), a flock of 16 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Am Pipits, 1 
snipe, 2 snow buntings, 3 sizes of Canadas and many waterfowl flying over and 
around.
    Today I had not been going to return to Rothsay but I did and it was as 
dissappointing as yesterday was exciting. The fog started N of Fergus and 
visibility at Rothsay was 50 yds or so which is worse when you look through 
binoculars and magnify the fog. I started at the Longspur spot and could hear them 
until the 100s of Blackbirds nearby started in. I watched 4 Am. Pipits feeding 
in the shallow water until a Sharp-Shin sailed over. I first saw them flatten 
in the mud until they could see the SS and then they lit out for the cattails 
nearby. I left Rothsay by 9 AM as the fog showed no promise of lifting.
    On the way back I stopped at Lake Christina. Christina was treated with 
Rotenone a couple of years ago (third time in 40 or so years) so it is supposed 
to be making a comeback for ducks. There were a few there, but more 
impressively the entire lake was peppered with Am Coot. I don't know how you can 
estimate realistically but I took a half hour and GUESSED about 100-125,000 Coot 
(Conservative). It was truly impressive. Also 2 Western Grebes, 1GBHeron, 1 Great 
Egret and a Juv. Bald Eagle.
I picked up my Douglas County Lincon's Sparrow and at Osakis failed to find 
the NMockingbird. The pond that originally caught my attention now had 37 
Wilson's Snipe and 6 Greater Yellowlegs (vs. 15 and 1 on Friday).
    (CATTLE EGRET) On my traditional stop at the Albany Sewage Ponds I 
spotted a Cattle Egret in the lower (triangular) pond. On my first scan I was 
looking at gulls and missed him feeding by the grassy edge at the far side on the 
pond. It seemed kind of late for a CEgret, but there is on on the North Shore 
also, so who knows? Sorry for the length. It was a lot of fun, very rewarding, 
and its been too many months.