[mou] Black Dog Gulls, etc. & Probable Barrows Goldeneye

[JELLISBIRD@aol.com]

    Went with Lars Benson to Black Dog. Saw three second-year Thayer's Gulls 
on the River just at the river curve by the NSP power plant itself. Also saw 
two Chipping sparrows near a flock of Tree Sparrows. Also present was A N. 
Shrike and a Rough Legged Hawk. Went to the park on US Hgh 10 just this side of 
Prescott and saw a Female Goldeneye that had a yellowish bill, a blocky (not 
peaked) head, and the head coloring was consistently dark reddish brown. It 
looked quite different than the other Goldeneye Female in its company which had a 
clearly two-toned bill and less consistent coloring on the head and browner 
color. Went by Spring Lake at sundown and there were 1 to 1.5 thousand gulls 
circling out over the water but too far out to identify from the public access 
down the hill from Dakota 42. From the timing I'm guessing that these were 
different gulls than the ones Jim reported at Black Dog.

    John Ellis- St. Paul