[mou] Hok-si-lah

[Steve Weston]

Today (Saturday) I led MRVAC's 42nd annual Hok-si-lah Warbler Field Trip.  The forcast of near winter hell, or at least lousy weather, reduced participants to ten.  The morning was cold and windy and all of us wore gloves.  Warm clothes kept out the cold and the cold kept the birds mostly at eye level.  While the number of species were below average, most birds allowed a close and intimate examination.

We had 65 species at Hok-si-lah.  The more persistant of the group added another 15 elsewhere in Goodhue County and I added another two in transit in Dakota County.   The more interesting birds were all seen at Hok-si-lah.   We had 12 species of warblers, including: Palm (2nd most), Northern Waterthrush (3rd most and perhaps more than I have ever seen), Nashville (4th), Orange-crowned (5th), Black & White, Yellow, Pine (2 or 3), C. Yellowthroat, Tennesse (one only), Prothonatory, and Black-throated Green (one of the few seen at the tree top).   We had three (all well viewed) vireos: Blue-headed, Yellow-throated, and Philadelphia.  We did not see any Red-eyed or Warbling.  Other birds of interest at Hok-si-lah included: Canvassback (female), Least Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Wren, Tufted Titmouse (pair), Red-breasted Nuthatch, Orchard and Baltimore Oriole.  Several humminbirds were observed feeding on the Dutchman's Britches.  The Orioles were observed next to each other in the same tree, a perching arrangement that seemed to disturb the decorum of the more classy Baltimore.  In addition to those FOY birds marked above in Bold type, we also found elsewhere in the county, FOY Cliff Swallow.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2 at comcast.net
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