[mou] around Dakota County

[linda whyte]

We stopped at the 180th St. marsh. At the top of the hill was a pair of E.
bluebirds. There were kildeer in evidence, both on the wing and in the
shallows. Among the waterfowl were a bufflehead, a hooded merganser, a
blue-winged teal, gadwall, several green-winged teal, coots, and many N.
shovelers. The only raptor seen was a red-tail. Heard only, were a sandhill
crane or two; the sounds were brief but unmistakable, though we couldn't
determine if they were fly-overs we had missed, or they were grazers hidden
behind a rise in the fields to our south.

Lake Byllesby was fiercely windy. There were many mallards, Canada geese,
and both mergansers, along with mallards, coots, gulls, kildeer, woodies,
grackles, red-wing blackbirds, eagles and red-tails. There was plenty of
open water and mudflats, so patience might have yielded more, if comfort
hadn't won out.

Driving on Fisher Ave. we had good, long looks at a kestrel that had been
buffeted by the winds and stopped to perch on a cable, up against a
telelphone pole. Along the same road were several very cooperative horned
larks.

We then checked the two ponds north of St. Mark's Lutheran Church on
Randolph Boulevard. These gave us close, excellent views of many species,
notably, red-head ducks,and a single specimen of what may be an intermediate
color phase of a snow goose. If anyone else has seen this goose and has a
different ID, please let me know.

On the way home, we spotted a few turkey vultures soaring over the Pine Bend
SNA on highway 52. Now it really feels as though spring migration is in
force.
Linda Whyte
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