Finally got out in infernal-combustion style to do a little birding this weekend. A couple nice birds in Dakota Co Sept 1:
14+ Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Jirik Sod Farm (southwest side of intersection of Blaine Av aka Dakota CR 79 and 200th St E aka 66), 8:00-10:30 AM, despite the presence of RC aircraft operators also on the fields. 8 birds were visible to the naked eye in the short grass about 30 feet south of the big green building and tractors etc; the other 6 birds were south of here and very far west in the patch of short grass west of the two wooden gate poles. Bring a scope and scan for 'em. Horned Larks, Vesper and Grasshopper and Savannah sparrows, both meadowlarks, and hundreds of swallows making their presence known in the area also. Juv. light-morph Swainson's Hawk 12:00 noon over Hwy. 52 and 42/145th St. Probably a different individual than that seen by Steve Weston on Aug 17, as this bird had the most unmarked body underside of any juv Swainson's I've seen. Take all the underbody spots off the light juv bird on p. 67 of the first ed. of Clark and Wheeler's photo guide and you get the idea. It was not "bibbed"; it had only an "unbuttoned vest" of heavy side-of-neck/uppermost breast markings, and the rest of the underbody was completely pale tawny-whitish. The underwing flight feathers were unusually pale too, in my limited experience. Altogether the dark was more an "outline" on the wingtip and trailing edge, as the basal portions (1/3 to 1/2 exposed length) of the flight feathers were nearly as pale as the tawny-white wing linings. Anyway, very fun to watch this lanky hawk circle over, call, and then fold into a fierce closed-wing glide and just eat up the distance. Carver Co Aug 30: New Germany Crane Creek mudflats (Yancy/Yale) drying up, fewer birds than last weekend, but still hundreds of shorebirds, with at least one juv/winter Red-necked Phalarope. Other shorebird species as previously reported, though I didn't see any Wilson's Phalarope, dowitchers, or Baird's sandpipers this time. And only a couple of Gr. Yellowlegs, but hundreds of Lesser. Hundreds of Great Egret, as well, which were spectacularly flushed up by a Bald Eagle intent on Mallard for lunch. Nice to see a couple Caspian Terns too, and adult and immature Red-headed Woodpeckers perching on the telephone poles. Chris, glad to be out again ===== Chris Mansfield Richfield, Hennepin Co. MN [email protected] __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com
