[mou] Surprising sights

[Thomas Maiello]

I was somewhat surprised yesterday when a Swainson's Thrush hopped  
about beneath my arbor bird feeder with the myriad of Juncos, WT  
Sparrows, Blue Jays, M Doves, WB Nuthatches, D and H Woodpeckers and  
RB Woodpekers, etc.  But my brother had me beat by a mile.  He is a  
newbie birder and called me about what the GC Kinglets were in his  
yard and asked if it was time to take the hummingbird feeders down.   
He lives in in the corner of Apple Valley that is immediately north  
of Lakeville and just east of Burnsville.  I thought with the cold  
weather approaching that it would be a good idea or he could suffer  
the consequences of expanding freezing liquid in a glass container.   
He called back breathless a bit later to report that as he took it  
down a RT Hummingbird came by to check for a quick meal!  I thought  
those little guys had enough sense to move on by now.  Even my  
friends older parents headed for their Arizona housing already!  The  
feeder is still up and we will see if late migrating hummers or MN  
weather is the indicator of when to take down a hummer feeder.

Thomas Maiello
Spring Lake Park