Ice out since the night before last and the lake came alive. Rafts of some 1,500 coots, 15-25 loons with scatterings of some 15 more, "packs" of 4 to 12 mergansers (red-breasted and common), scatterings and packs of horned grebes, Common Terns, scaups, rafts of Ruddy Ducks, a single pair of Hooded Mergansers, a few Blue-winged Teals, plus surrounding woods with Yellow-rumped Warblers, wrens, Hermit Thrushes, Cooper's Hawks, Red-Shouldered Hawks, busying pairs of woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Red-bellied, but no confirmation on a Red-Headed reported by a resident on the lake), kinglets, cowbirds, Redwinged Blackbirds, Pheasants, varieties of sparrows, and the occasional Barred and Great Horned Owls plus the regulars.
All this can be seen for now along a dirt road stretch of Zachary Lane on the west side of the Eagle Lake just SE of the intersection of Hemlock and I94/694. Find it on Mapquest. The lane dead ends at a dock and boat launch where you can see the lake without having to access private property. If you time it right with your spotting scope (recommended) you might be able to see what the DNR is collecting in their traps during their first fish survey in 5 years. They were out around 11:00 this morning checking their 3-4 traps (the ones I can see). I LOVE SPRING MIGRATION! Thomas Maiello Angel Environmental Management, Inc. Maple Grove, MN
