[mou] Dakota Co.

[Steve Weston]

This morning we had at least a half dozen Hooded Mergansers on Quiggley 
Lake.  Hopefully they will nest again in our wood duck houses.  I completed 
rehabbing one of the wood duck house and got it hung.  The squirrels are 
high maintenance tenants.

About 3pm I hit the road and headed out touring 140th St. and 180th St 
marshes as well as Lake Byllesby.  Found 19 species of waterfowl including 
Ruddy Ducks and lots of Green-winged Teal at Lake Byllesby,  One surprise 
was the many ducks on a new small drainage pond behind a church on Hwy 56 
just north of Lake Byllesby.  Lake Byllesby was enjoyable, although many of 
the ducks were too far off beyond the point.  Standing by the lake I had a 
constant stream of flocks flying by.  We had a group of ten Sandhill Cranes 
fly overhead, possibly landing across the lake.

Other new birds included a couple of Tree Swallows and four Cormorants at 
Lake Byllesby.  I also had two Eastern Meadowlarks.  One was heard on Fisher 
Road, southwest of 180th St.  The other was heard and then seen one field 
south of Hwy 50 between Hwy 52 and Hwy 56.  Tree Swallows were common, 
Juncos were singing, and Song Sparrows were everywhere.  I also found the 
Graylag (assumed domestic) Goose at 140thSt.  I had at least 50 species for 
the day,

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