This morning (May 1) between 7:45 and 8:30 AM I observed a Northern Mockingbird at the Bass Ponds in Bloomington. The bird was at the second pond east of Hwy. 77. There is an observation deck at this pond, and the bird was in the small willow shrubs near the deck along the gravel path. The mocker was very skittish--I had to wait for 20 minutes after I first flushed it before it emerged again, and it spooked at the slightest motion.
I did not see the bird again when I returned at 10:00 AM. There was also a Sandhill Crane calling overhead at 9:00 AM; this is the second time I've seen this species in the valley this spring. Northern Mockingbird is not listed on my MN Valley NWR checklist; can someone tell me if this is a first record for the refuge? Chris Mansfield Richfield, Hennepin Co. (612) 243-1742 [email protected] __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com
