Lake Hiawatha is no birders' Mecca; however there is brush, tall trees, grass, sandy beaches, marshy areas, and a Minnehaha Creek delta with sandbars -- nice habitat for the inner city. Last evening's visitors included 5 black-crowned night herons in one tree(!!) where the creek passes under 28th Ave south. This morning's visitors include 3 great white egrets, 2 great blue herons, a group of courting blue-wing teals accompanied by a coot, several pied-billed grebes, two greater yellowlegs, cormorant, wood ducks, and a rear-end bobbing sandpiper (I don't know this group of birds and I do not own a spotting scope.)
Earlier spring migrants included ruddy ducks, buffleheads, mergansers (common, red-breasted, hooded), loons, ring-necked ducks, northern shovelers, red-necked grebe, lesser scaups, and more. A walk around the lake takes one through Hiawatha Golf Course where golfers leave numerous unretrieved hard round eggs along the water's edge. City living is really great! Bob Bergad
