[mou] Bohemian Waxwings in Brainerd (Crow Wing County)

[Pam Perry]

Yesterday (Sunday) I again observed a large (200+) flock of Bohemian =
Waxwings in south Brainerd.  This flock has been observed by a number of =
people at various locations in south Brainerd for the past couple weeks.  =
The current flock is larger than the last time that I saw it (about 2 =
weeks ago) when it numbered about 100 birds or so. =20

The flock was nervous and would start to alight in a tree and then take =
off again, splitting and reforming.  I watched from a parking lot between =
the high school and the south campus.  The flock would try to land in some =
crab apple trees and then spook, at times heading north and then circling =
to the south, and then coming back to the trees by the south campus =
building.  Finally the flock went west, over the trees and headed towards =
the Mississippi River. =20

I'm not sure why the flock was so skittish because there was no obvious =
disturbance and little to no human activity around.  However, there have =
been reports of a hawk at the south campus courtyard and another taking =
pigeons by the Mississippi River Bridge by people who couldn't identify =
the hawks.  I'll need to do some looking in those areas....
--Pam Perry, Brainerd