[mou] A cold Saturday afternoon at Black Dog lake

[Rob Daves]

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Thanks to Craig Mandel of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter for leading the field trip to Black Dog lake Saturday afternoon in the cold wind.  We started at the Black Dog Park parking lot and went to the causeway, viewed geese and ducks (and the resident hairy woodpecker), then went partway down the marsh trail hoping to catch a glimpse of an overwintering snipe (nope) and the Slaty-back  gull out on the west end of the lake (again nope). But we did see the Peregrine  on the corner of the gray metal building, and some reported a flock of robins,

On the south side of the lake for me:
Bald eagles (2 juvies)
Canada geese
Mallards
Mergansers
Herring Gulls
1 Ring-bill gull
Hairy woodpecker
Peregrine falcon
Chickadees
6 Trumpeter swans

After the group broke up, I went to the other side of the lake, and on the way saw 29 wild turkeys as I descended into the river valley from Silver Bell Road.  They're always fun to spot.  Then:

3 hooded mergansers at the east outlet on the river
a flock of tree sparrows on the river side of the road just west of the power plant
2 glaucous gulls wheeling over the river just west of the power plant

There were a few common mergansers and one glaucous gull flying around the overlook deck west of the powerplant, but no Slaty-back, much to the disappointment of the handful of birders patrolling the area.

There is some grain spilled along the RR tracks, so future visitors might keep their eyes out for pheasants; yesterday there were too many dog walkers out for easy pheasant sightings along the tracks.

Rob Daves
Minneapolis



 
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Thanks to Craig Mandel of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter for leading the field trip to Black Dog lake Saturday afternoon in the cold wind.&nbsp; We started at the Black Dog Park parking lot and went to the causeway, viewed geese and ducks (and the resident hairy woodpecker), then went partway down the marsh trail hoping to catch a glimpse of an overwintering snipe (nope) and the Slaty-back&nbsp; gull out on the west end of the lake (again nope). But we did see the Peregrine&nbsp; on the corner of the gray metal building, and some reported a flock of robins,<br><br>On the south side of the lake for me:<br>Bald eagles (2 juvies)<br>Canada geese<br>Mallards<br>Mergansers<br>Herring Gulls<br>1 Ring-bill gull<br>Hairy woodpecker<br>Peregrine falcon<br>Chickadees<br>6 Trumpeter swans<br><br>After the group broke up, I went to the other side of the lake, and on the way saw 29 wild turkeys as I descended into the river valley from Silver Bell Road.&nbsp; They're always
 fun to spot.&nbsp; Then:<br><br>3 hooded mergansers at the east outlet on the river<br>a flock of tree sparrows on the river side of the road just west of the power plant<br>2 glaucous gulls wheeling over the river just west of the power plant<br><br>There were a few common mergansers and one glaucous gull flying around the overlook deck west of the powerplant, but no Slaty-back, much to the disappointment of the handful of birders patrolling the area.<br><br>There is some grain spilled along the RR tracks, so future visitors might keep their eyes out for pheasants; yesterday there were too many dog walkers out for easy pheasant sightings along the tracks.<br><br>Rob Daves<br>Minneapolis<br><br><br><p>&#32;

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