[mou] Dakota Co. birds

[Steve Weston]

Yesterday (Sunday) I participated in the Hastings CBC.  It was a fine day 
and the birds were most cooperative.  We found a few birds of note:

Gyrfalcon was almost the first bird of our count.  we found it sitting at 
the peak of the silo at the entrance to Schaar's Bluff.  About an hour later 
it came cruising by us as we scoped the river from the bluff.

Iceland Gull was seen from the bluff on a piece of ice.  this was a 
spectacular bird - completely snow white with a black bill.

Red-shouldered hawk (imm) was found sitting on the wire at the intersection 
of highway 55 and CR42.  From the back this hawk looks just like a Red-tail. 
Another birder found it again today perhaps at the same location.

Today I found about 200 Snow Buntings on 190th Street just west of 
Vermillion.  The road was busy and the birds were skittish, so I was unable 
to get close enough to see if there were any Longspurs mixed in.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net