[mou] Updates from Rochester--late report

[John Hockema]

2/12/06--Sunday birding in Olmsted and Fillmore Counties

Greetings:

My brother, Chris, and I spent time birding together on Sunday trying to 
relocate some of the species that have been around since January.  Here are 
the results from our trip:

Rochester area birds:

@Snow Goose (blue phase)--Silver Lake.  This bird has been around since Jan. 
1st.  It was seen by two groups of birders on Jan. 1st Big Days and was 
still present on Sunday.

@Gray Catbird--Oakwood Cemetery.  Originally found on Jan. 23rd this was 
seen by two separate observers last week, then again Sunday.  Chris was able 
to photograph the bird for documentation.

@American Coot--Silver Lake, below the dam, in the channel behind Western 
Digital.  The female wood duck which was present on Jan. 23rd could not be 
found.

@White-crowned Sparrow(adult)--Found by Chris.  From US 52: exit onto 2nd ST 
SW.  Go west 2 or 3 blocks.  Take right (north) on 19th Ave. SW.  Drive to 
Shorewood Senior Campus (5 blocks).  Get out and walk northwest.  There is a 
lot of ground to cover, but the area has been good for sparrows for several 
winters.

@Song Sparrow--same area.

Beaver Creek WMA, Fillmore County:

Chris and I later drove down to look for the short-eared owls south of 
Ostrander.  We bumped into our best birding buddy, Dedrick Benz, and around 
5:54 p.m., Dedrick spotted one of the owls perched on a post in the parking 
area next to the two rows of spruce.  During our visit, we saw 5 short-eared 
owls in the area.  The owls (up to 6) have been regularly seen by many 
observers since their original discovery on Sunday, January 15th.

New Business:  Today, 2/14/06, Chris Benson e-mailed to pass along that the 
Northern Pintail, which has been present since late January, was seen again 
this morning at Silver Lake around 11 a.m.

Happy Valentine's Day, and good birding...

John Hockema
Rochester, MN