[mou] Lousiana Waterthrush-Minneopa(aka Birding Basics 102)

[JELLISBIRD at aol.com]

    Its always humbling to confidently mis-identify a kind of hard bird that 
you are pretty sure you've got nailed (THIS year.) This morning, after seeing 
the Western Tanager in Freeborn County, I went by Minneopa State Park after 
last week having posted a Northern Waterthrush from below the falls. Two other 
birders questioned my post on the basis of this having been the location of a 
pair of Lousiana Waterthrush last year. I confidently assured each of them (on 
the basis of a yellow wash on the belly of the bird, a supercilium that seemed 
weak behind the eye, very strong streaking on the breast and song that seemed 
consistently three-part and repetitive) that I was SURE it was a Northern. 
Then several posts referred to a Lousiana (seen well by THREE birders) and then 
TWO Lousianas. DOUBT entered my awareness and stuck there like glue (and other 
things.) Today there were at Minneopa at least THREE apparent Louisiana 
Waterthrushes (two in view and another singing) witnessed by myself and two other 
experienced birders. I am not TOTALLY certain that the first bird I saw was not 
a Northern but I'm pretty DARN certain that it wasn't. I'm now re-studying my 
advanced birding book for migration, terns, phalaropes, waterthrushes, etc. 
I'm sure glad I LIKE to bird.

    John Ellis-St. Paul<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> 
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