[mou] Weekend birds in the Metro

[Jim Ryan]

 Hi Birders,
I bopped around to a few places this weekend to catch what I could.

Saturday morning I checked out Dakota County.  the best findings were:

(Probable) *Northern Shrike* - Emery Ave. just N of 170th.  This bird had a
longer, noticably hooked beak, but I never got a good, close look at it.

 *Northern Harrier* - same location, working over a bean field.

Bad news is with all the rain we have had 140th street marsh looks
horrible.   Tall weeds (all dead) still cover it completely and no sign of
water was noticable.  With all the sewer work they did there this spring and
summer, I'm afraid it is no more...Time will tell.

Worse news, the open shrubby fields to the east of the marsh on Landfill
property have been completed denuded down to the dirt.  It was shocking and
very sad to see.  I saw a lot of good birds in there over the years. No
more.

Saturday evening I went to Cedar Av. Bridge to walk the bluff trail.  Not
too birdy.  I did have a close encounter with a beaver - less than 20 feet
away, which was cool.

*Am. Widgeon* pair in the pond by the road.

Best birds I saw from the trail (I didn't go out on the boardwalk as I was
really looking for  a Hermit Thrush) were

*Green-wing teal* -  Quite a few mingling with the Mallards, Wood ducks and
Canada Geese.

*Gadwall *- a pair.

Sunday morning I went to Black Dog road:  Birds of note,

*Northern Shrike* - on wire on the way out to the observation platform.  I
got to look at it through my scope and the longish hooked bill, faint
barring and narrow eyeband were clear

*Am. Widgeon* - lots
*Canvasback* - 1 out on the lake with
*Lesser Scaup *- 2 females, 1 male
*Redhead* - not positive as the light wasn't great and the birds were about
200yds or better out there.  It was not a scaup and not another canvas
back.  I just could just barely make out the red head.
*Gadwall* - pair

Cruised over to Pt. Douglas and found

*Bald Eagle* - 1st year
*Gulls,* which I did not try to speciate. (sorry I'm not that good at them
yet and didn't want to work it yesterday) Nothing caught my eye so I am
assuming they were all ring-billed.

-- 
Sincerely,

Jim Ryan on St. Paul's Westside
651-308-0234 business cell

"A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of
life." - Charles Darwin


-- 
Sincerely,

Jim Ryan on St. Paul's Westside
651-308-0234 business cell

"A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of
life." - Charles Darwin
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