Sunday Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Grackles have all arrived in numbers. In the afternoon I birded Black Dog Lake, 180th Street marsh, and Lake Bylessby, where I found 22 species of waterfowl, all but two were at Black Dog Lake. Canvassbacks were numerous at Black Dog, but I also found one swimming by itself in the small pond just west of the beach at Lake Bylessby. I found a flock of almost 60 noisy Tundra Swans at 180th Street. Most ducks were in fairly good numbers, except Wigeons, and Red-breasted Mergansers (1 only at Black Dog).
At Lake Bylessby I thought I heard a Chipping Sparrow singing, but it turned out to be Juncos. I had a great view of a Sharp-shinned racing along on Pilot Knob at just under the speed limit (45mph). The most interesting find was the beaver lodge and damaged trees I observed in a draining pond along Hwy 5, just east of Prairie Center Drive in Eden Prairie. I do not see how they can thrive here as there are few trees accessable to them. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2 at comcast.net
