[mou] Great-tailed Grackle - Wright County

Dennis/Barbara Martin dbmartin@skypoint.com
Sun, 16 Apr 2006 16:37:36 -0500


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Refound the Great-tailed Grackle found by Keith Pulles yesterday in =
Wright County.  Along with being in the marsh on a dead bush the bird =
was seen and photographed on the mowed grass area on the north side of =
the marsh. =20

Really an amazing record.  It is a first Wright County record.  We =
believe that it is the second metro area record and it is one of the =
earlier dates that the species has been found in the spring.  We looked =
all over the lake for additional birds so this may very well be a single =
lost overshoot. But  there is a huge amount of the correct habitate for =
this species on this lake and 95% of it cannot be seen without a boat.  =
So possibly there is a small colony on this lake, like Swan Lake in =
Nicollet County.  Two springs ago we counted a dozen birds on Swan Lake =
at one time and on later trips were unable to see a one.

Congratulations to Keith for recognizing a very unusual bird way out of =
the area to expect them.  I guess we all need to look for them in about =
every cattail marsh in the southern two thirds of the state.

Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com

  Today I searched around Pelican Lake in Wright County with my family.  =
At 4:30 PM I discovered an adult male GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE sitting atop =
a dead snag in a marsh  The long tail was distinctive, and the =
vocalizations eliminated the possibility of boat-tailed grackle.

  DIRECTIONS - on County Road 35, approximately 2-4 miles west of St. =
Michael, turn north on Hamline Ave. (a dirt road).  Go north Hamline =
Ave. 1.5 miles.  There is a marsh on the west side of the road here, and =
this is where I saw the grackle.  He was displaying atop a dead snag =
before he flew onto the mowed grass just north of the marsh, but still =
on the west side of the road.  This is where he was when we left.

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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Refound the Great-tailed Grackle found by Keith =
Pulles=20
yesterday in Wright County.&nbsp; Along with being in the marsh on a =
dead bush=20
the bird was seen and photographed on the mowed grass area on the north =
side of=20
the marsh.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Really an amazing record.&nbsp; It is a first =
Wright=20
County record.&nbsp; We believe that it is the second metro area record =
and it=20
is one of the earlier dates that the species has been found in the =
spring.&nbsp;=20
We looked all over the lake for additional birds so this may very well =
be a=20
single lost overshoot.&nbsp;But &nbsp;there is a huge amount of the =
correct=20
habitate for this species on this lake and 95% of it cannot be seen =
without a=20
boat.&nbsp; So possibly there is a small colony on this lake, like Swan =
Lake in=20
Nicollet County.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two springs ago&nbsp;we counted a dozen =
birds on=20
Swan Lake at one time and on later trips were unable to see a =
one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Congratulations to Keith for recognizing a very =
unusual=20
bird way out of the area to expect them.&nbsp; I guess we all need to =
look for=20
them in about every cattail marsh in the southern two thirds of the=20
state.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Dennis and Barbara Martin<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:dbmartin@skypoint.com">dbmartin@skypoint.com</A><BR></DIV>=

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  <DIV>Today I searched around Pelican Lake in Wright County&nbsp;with =
my=20
  family.&nbsp; At 4:30 PM&nbsp;I discovered an adult =
male&nbsp;GREAT-TAILED=20
  GRACKLE&nbsp;sitting atop a dead snag in a marsh&nbsp; The long tail =
was=20
  distinctive, and the vocalizations eliminated the possibility of =
boat-tailed=20
  grackle.</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>DIRECTIONS - on County Road 35, approximately&nbsp;2-4 miles west =
of St.=20
  Michael,&nbsp;turn north on Hamline Ave. (a dirt road).&nbsp; Go north =
Hamline=20
  Ave.&nbsp;1.5 miles.&nbsp; There is a marsh on the west side of the =
road here,=20
  and this is where I saw the grackle.&nbsp; He was displaying atop a =
dead snag=20
  before he flew onto the mowed grass just north of the marsh, but still =
on the=20
  west side of the road.&nbsp; This is where he was when we=20
left.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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