[mou] BTBW at Wood Lake(Richfield, Hennepin Co.)

[linda]

Many thanks to those who posted about the black-throated blue warbler at 
Wood Lake. It's been a personal "grail bird" for some time. Upon 
entering Wood Lake at the Oak Grove Blvd./S. Bryant intersection this 
afternoon (3:00), I heard him calling. He continued to vocalize at 
regular intervals, and may even have a companion. I listened and 
searched for an hour, hearing him on either side of the path that runs 
east-west along the fenceline. He was usually high in the canopy, but in 
response to my feeble attempts to imitate him, he did perch within about 
15 feet of me. He gave both front and rear views, and broke into song 
where I could watch him. His throat was like black velvet, and his 
uppers were a deep indigo--very lovely. After supper, my other half came 
to see him, and we lucked out eventually with a good look at about eye 
height. We could see the white wing-spot clearly, as we watched him sing.

Incredibly, the ceruleans have been a bit cooperative, too, this past 
week. One afternoon at Bass Ponds, by the stream, I saw an almost 
unearthly flash of spruce blue-green disappear into a large cottonwood 
tree. Airplane noise drowned out what I fancied was a cerulean sound, 
and I eventually dismissed it as overeager imagination. Then I went home 
and read the posts about ceruleans there, and realized I might have seen 
a female. The next morning I returned and was greeted with song from 
multiple ceruleans. I even saw one singing---from below. Unfortunately, 
I never saw an upper view.

At Murphy-Hanrehan on Saturday, our group was treated to a cerulean 
serenade. Some folks even got to see flashes of blue, which was all I 
saw of them there last year. My next quest is to get a really good look.

Linda Whyte