[mou] Birding Dakota Co.

[Steve Weston]

Saturday morning I was scheduled to lead a trip at Shaar's Bluff for Dakota 
County Parks.  They decided to cancel the trip, but I went anyway and 
despite the rain, I was joined by two other hardy birders.   Birding was 
slow and the weather wasn't the best, but the company was good, and between 
birds we found lots of flowers, including Nodding Trillium.  Found about six 
species of warblers, including Wilsons, Golden-winged, Tennessee, and 
Blackpoll.  Other birds of note included a Blue-headed Vireo..

I then headed down to the Youth Camp part of Spring Lake Park, where I led a 
larger goup of Boy Scouts on a nature walk.    Just as I pulled up a small 
bird flew by the boys and crashed into the window.  I went over and picked 
up a warm, dead Ovenbird with a broken neck.  Bummer!

The nature walk went well.  The most impressive bird to many was the Brown 
Trasher, to others it was the Eastern Bluebird.  For me, the most exciting 
bird was the Wood Thrush that was heard singing.  Other birds of note at the 
youth camp included Eastern Towhee (heard),  Least Flycatcher, and Magnolia 
Warbler.

Along the way we found morels and after the walk, I went out and collected a 
small handful.  The most interesting thing I found was some Lobster 
Mushrooms.   this is a mushroom held in high regard, that is actually a 
mushroom that is infected with  fungus or mold that turns the mushroom into 
a striking bright red.   Sometimes, while the host mushroom is not edible, 
the infected mushroom is.  Because, this was not not a normal host, I do not 
intend to eat it.

Today (Sunday) I spent the day working around the house.  I did check the 
wood duck houses and found a wood duck hen on a nest with eighteen eggs. 
She was easily flushed and as a result I will limit my time in the backyard. 
another box had eight eggs.  I suspect that these are Hooded Merganser eggs. 
We had a Wood Duck perched on top of the box with three Hooded Mergansers 
looking as if they wanted to enter the box.  We have been seeing the Hoodies 
regularly entering that box.

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