On Sunday, Carol Schumacher and I repeated last weekend's hawk watch effort on a Mississippi River bluff top near Minneiska, MN. NW winds slowed flight seen last week and diversity was reduced. We counted from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Bald eagle, 53 Red-tailed hawk, 23 Turkey vulture, 4 (there were more in the area but many, characteristically, flew in strange directions for northward migration). Sharp-shinned hawk, 2 Rough-legged hawk, 1 Tundra swan, 5,550, between 11:35 and 11:50 a.m. Am. white pelican, 5 at noon. A field sparrow was singing. Fifteen wild turkeys crossed the road. A northern flicker called loudly. A northern harrier passed low, hunting. At Latsch State Park, a ruffed grouse was drumming. At Weaver Dunes/Bottoms near Kellogg, we heard sandhill cranes, saw one fox sparrow, saw one eastern phoebe. At Rileys Lake near the Winona airport, an osprey caught a fish and 10 tree swallows flew by. Just east of there, an adult great horned owl was competing with its two head-bobbing young for space in an osprey nest on a power line pole. Peace, Jeff Dankert 908 Parks Ave Apt 158 Winona MN 55987-5330 (507) 454-0033 [email protected]
