After finding out how little I know about Minnesota raptors, I am a
bit hesitant but anxious to report what I just observed.
Swans (sp?)
In the southern part of Dayton, Hennepin Co, in a wetland pond to the
east of the intersection of 129th Ave N and Brockton Lane N (HW 113)
just east of the Cabellas in Rogers, I saw several huge white swans
flying off in the field from the highway. There was little access and
no shoulder to speak of but I shouldered my car and walked to where I
could get a view in full risk of life and limb. It looked like either
5-7 huge Tundra Swans or something else (dare I say Trumpeters?)
standing on the ice of the pond and some in open water. Several would
take off and fly around and they were noticeably huge with very long
necks and all pretty much the same size. Canadian geese flying
parallel to them had necks that appeared significantly shorter in
proportion to their body size. My car binoculars are not the best so
I could not make out details about their bills from the distance (they
appeared solid black) and the constant wind speeding trucks. I would
recommend someone else check it out for confirmation of anything I
could come up with. It was a giggly rush to watch them.
Great Blue Herons
The other sighting was a heronry of Great Blue Herons one mile east of
HW 169 on Northeast River Road on the north side of the road
immediately along the Mississippi River. The heronry can be seen from
the road and has perhaps 3 dozen nests. There were at least a dozen
GBHs present and interacting.
I saw several raptors but will have to do a good summer of ID practice
to offer any renditions of what they were. Let's just say the were
"pretty birds".
Did notice a number of crows mating alongside the road (is there not a
crow motel somewhere nearby?), many Hooded Mergansers in several farm
and wetland ponds, and way too many grackles. All of the ponds were
partially ice covered but each pond I viewed held birds.
Thomas Maiello
Angel Environmental Management, Inc.
Maple Grove, MN
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