[mou] Around the metro

[Steve Weston]

Possible Golden Eagle at Black Dog:   My son called me last night at 5pm 
that he had just found a large dark eagle on a power pole along Black Dog 
road.  He concluded that it was a Golden Eagle.  I explained that most of 
the all dark eagles found here are usually immature Bald Eagles.  I asked 
him if the bird had any white.  He said, "No."  When I was done with my 
lecture, he said, "You would think that after all of these years of being 
around you, that I would have picked up something."   I haven't had a chance 
to sneak away from work and check the eagles hanging around the river there. 
While he is not been infected with the bird-watcher infection, he has been a 
reliable observer in the past.

Today I saw a flock of about 50 to 100 finches flying by the pines along 
Pilot Knob by Acacia Cemetery.  I did not have time to stop and listen to 
their flight calls.  I have observed a large flock of House Finches down by 
Cedar Bridge a week or two ago.  I wouldn't have reported these finches, 
except for the observation of Red Crossbills reported by Bruce Baer recently 
in Richfield.

I have been watching a small flock of Wigeons on Quiggley Lake for the last 
few days.  At least a couple of the local Wood Ducks have been landing on my 
feeder and feasting on  sunflower seeds.

The most interesting wildlife observation of the last couple of weeks, was 
the discovery of at least four squashed Opossums found on Highway 5 between 
Eden Prairie and Waconia.

The last passerine migrants I have stumbled upon were about ten days ago in 
Patrick Egan Park in Eagan, where I found Fox Sparrows, White-throated 
Sparrows, a Palm Warbler, and a Yellow-rumpped Warbler.  Short stops around 
town in between work have yielded quiet with only the expected non-migratory 
regulars.

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