[mou] cinnamon teal, tricolor heron observations

[Kiehne Graphics]

--Male Cinnamon Teal, 5/13/07
Polk County, near Pembina SNA; 2.2 miles W of MN 32 on north side of Polk
County 45, north edge of marsh (narrower east end of marsh). approx 5:00pm,
sunny with some clouds, temp approx 85 deg, south wind 15-20mph.

Duck was resting on shore, bill tucked into back; motionless, distance of
perhaps 100 yards. Used Leica scope, zoomed to 40x. What we saw was entirely
cinnamon colored; perhaps some darker spotting on chest. Didn't realize how
unusual until consulting Eckert book. If actually chest-spotting, might
indicate a Blue-Winged/Cinnamon hybrid as mentioned in Sibley, but unable to
see any other field marks to determine this.

Hen teal (don't know whether Blue Winged or Cinnamon) next to it. Other
waterfowl nearby: Blue Winged Teal, Mallards, Shovelers, Pintails, Gadwalls. 3
members of party have seen Cinnamon Teal in California; two have birded for
30+ years; one member has intensive 40+ years as a duck hunter, has never seen
Cinnamon Teal in MN before. 


--Tricolor Heron, 5/14/07
Warroad MN, north edge of channel to Lake of the Woods, near intersection of
Lake St NE and Riverdale Drive NE. Approx. 9:30am, overcast, approx 60 deg,
sheltered from wind off lake.

Bird flew in (being harrassed by Herring Gull); light chest and belly
contrasting with dark uppers and neck obvious in flight and in water. Dark
gray legs; dark purplish gray neck and head (did not observe lighter throat
that Sibley shows) with tawny rear back (not sure what feathers these are in
herons). White streak rear of eye, down neck. Med. bluish gray bill, black at
tip. Foraged near cattails; seemed to be not as active as birds we've seen in
Texas and Florida, but certainly more active than Great Blue. It seemed to be
intimidated by Canada Goose staring it down, as it stayed back in the cattails
out of our sight part of the time. Seen for aggregate of maybe 10 minutes;
then it wandered around corner onto private property. First impulse was
Tricolor, but didn't match anything in National Geographic seemingly; but
Sibley illustration was dead-on except for not being able to see any white on
throat.

Jim Kiehne and Linda Fritschel
612-377-8037; kiehngraph at sihope.com
Bill Cedarleaf (the duck hunter) and Linda Rolontz
612-827-3054; bcedarleaf at archinsurance.com

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