[mou] Smith's Longspur at Rothsay

[JELLISBIRD at aol.com]

    (Tried to post this earlier but it is not on-will try again)

Yesterday, 11-10-07, I saw a Smith's Longspur in the company of two other 
probable Smith's Longspurs on 200th Street between 280th Ave and 300th Ave at a 
few minutes after 2:00 PM. There is a sign near a fencerow on the south side of 
200th Street that says "Prairie Chicken Blind." On either side of the 
fencerow, about 25 yards from the road is a small pond/mud-hole. The one on the east 
is surrounded by a mud flat and the one on the west was surrounded by short, 
dried grass. I noticed Longspurs coming into the ponds (especially the Western 
one) about One and had been sitting and watching the ponds trying to find a 
Smith's. The three Smith's came together a little after Two. I stayed and began 
tallying birds at that point. No more Smith's came that I could ID (some water 
was in the 4-6" grass and I could not see all the birds.) The birds came in 
singles, twos, threes, fives, eights and more. Some larger (20-30) flocks swung 
over but did not light. The birds would stay to drink for 10-15 seconds for 
up to a couple of minutes and then be on their way.
`   There were also Snow Buntings, a few H. Larks and three Rough Legged 
Hawks. 

        John Ellis-St. Paul 

<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See what's new at 
http://www.aol.com</HTML>