While hiking today with my "special lady friend" at Myre-Big Isle State Park in rural Albert Lea, I was more than happy to discover a LECONTE'S SPARROW.
The bird was first flushed from a prairie area along the Esker Trail, NW of the campground. After the typical short escape flight, it crash landed in the grass. I followed in quick pursuit, and I was able to get good looks at the bird on the ground before I flushed it again. This is the earliest I have seen a LeConte's Sparrow in spring migration in Minnesota. Also of note was a very cooperative RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, which was also found along the Esker Trail, this time just NE of the campground. Colin Gjervold Eagan __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum.yahoo.com
