[mou] Wood Lake Nature Center Great Horned Owl, urban Sapsuckers

[molly at nutting.us]

We went for a little hike around Wood Lake Nature Center yesterday
afternoon, around 2:45. Approximately 1 minute after I moaned to my
companions, "Man, wouldn't it be awesome to see an owl?" I looked up
and spotted one! I'm pretty sure I'm magic.

This Great Horned Owl
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnutting/2416533546/) was perched pretty
high up in a tree on the west side of the lake, about half way between
the visitor center and the bridge that crosses the marsh. The tree was
between the path and the lake.

Other than this owl, the Ring-billed Gulls were plentiful, along with
mallards and Canada Geese. We saw a lone Wood Duck, many Red-winged
Blackbirds, and an unidentified, yet non-House, sparrow hopping around
beneath one of the feeders at the visitor center. A pair of large
hawks flew over at one point, briefly scattering the gulls.

Earlier yesterday morning, while trying to get a photo of some kind of
Thrush that has been hanging around the yard, I heard a loud racket
coming from a pine tree in the yard next door -- a loud and frantic
mewing of some sort. I couldn't tell if it was mammal or bird or what.
Soon enough, a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers flew out and landed
on a neighboring tree
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnutting/2416548636/)! So that was
another wonderful surprise! It's amazing what we're able to see right
here in the middle of the city.

Molly Nutting
Uptown, Minneapolis