[mou] Moorhens, Waseca County
Julian Sellers
JulianSellers@msn.com
Mon, 14 Aug 2006 21:57:57 -0500
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>From 6:30 to 7:15 this evening, I observed one or two adult and seven =
juvenile Common Moorhens at Moonan Marsh in Waseca County. The location =
is on County Road 4 NE of Waseca, where the road curves around the NW =
part of Moonan Marsh WMA. There is a space for one car to pull off the =
road to the right (if you're heading away from Waseca), and park facing =
east into a wetland. In front of you is a small white sign crediting =
Ducks Unlimited and the DNR. The moorhens were along the edge of the =
cattails on the far side of the open water, SE of the parking spot, at a =
distance of about 300 yards (scope required). Best viewing is with the =
late afternoon sun at your back.
I first noticed the juvies, and while I was trying to figure out what =
they were, an adult moorhen came out of the cattails. Three of the =
juvies then hung out with this adult, while the other four remained =
perhaps 50 feet to the left, appearing to hang out with American Coots, =
which made me wonder if some were moorhens and some were coots. But all =
seven looked alike, and they fit the descriptions of juvie moorhens in =
the field guides--white throats, rather thin bills that were mostly =
dark, but with some light-colored parts, a poorly defined white line =
along the wing edge, and the mark that first caught my attention, and =
which Sibley calls out: "white undertail coverts with dark center =
stripe." This last is distinctive at a great distance as the birds swim =
away from you.
I watched one adult for a long time, until it retreated into the =
cattails. Some minutes later, I saw an adult preening in the edge of =
the cattails closer to where the four juvies hung out with the coots. I =
don't know if it was the same bird.
Julian
St. Paul
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<DIV>From 6:30 to 7:15 this evening, I observed one or two adult and =
seven=20
juvenile Common Moorhens at Moonan Marsh in Waseca County. The =
location is=20
on County Road 4 NE of Waseca, where the road curves around the NW part =
of=20
Moonan Marsh WMA. There is a space for one car to pull off the =
road to the=20
right (if you're heading away from Waseca), and park facing east into a=20
wetland. In front of you is a small white sign crediting Ducks =
Unlimited=20
and the DNR. The moorhens were along the edge of the cattails on =
the far=20
side of the open water, SE of the parking spot, at a distance of about =
300 yards=20
(scope required). Best viewing is with the late afternoon =
sun at your=20
back.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I first noticed the juvies, and while I was trying to figure out =
what they=20
were, an adult moorhen came out of the cattails. Three of the =
juvies then=20
hung out with this adult, while the other four remained perhaps 50 feet =
to the=20
left, appearing to hang out with American Coots, which made me wonder if =
some=20
were moorhens and some were coots. But all seven looked alike, and =
they=20
fit the descriptions of juvie moorhens in the field guides--white =
throats,=20
rather thin bills that were mostly dark, but with some light-colored =
parts, a=20
poorly defined white line along the wing edge, and the mark that first =
caught my=20
attention, and which Sibley calls out: "white undertail coverts =
with dark=20
center stripe." This last is distinctive at a great distance as =
the birds=20
swim away from you.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I watched one adult for a long time, until it retreated into the=20
cattails. Some minutes later, I saw an adult preening in the edge =
of the=20
cattails closer to where the four juvies hung out with the=20
coots. I don't know if it was the same bird.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Julian</DIV>
<DIV>St. Paul</DIV></BODY></HTML>
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