Not much of a birder, but took a couple of hours outside this
afternoon with my field glasses to visit the Roberts Bird Sanctuary
near Lake Harriet. It was a little windy, but nice.
One of the two ponds was clear and the larger was half clear of ice.
Many Common Grackles (24) in trees around the ponds who attracted an
American Crow and a Sharp-shinned Hawk who in turn quieted things down
for a bit. Four Dark-eyed Juncos in the brush between ponds along with
a Blue Jay. Just one Mallard visable in the clear water, but two more
flew into the area; saw a female in the gully by the cemetery compost
pile, later on. Couple of Canada Geese flew by. Towards the Harriet
entrance on the fence of an enclosure on a hill, saw three Mourning
Doves. Heard a White-breasted Nuthatch, but never saw it. Ditto Downy
Woodpeckers, but did see one of these. Many Black-capped Chickadees.
Heard American Robins and Northern Cardinals, saw only the latter, a
female. That's it. Probably many more species came after I left.
Ponds should be clear of ice soon and I expect to see Wood Ducks and
Red-winged Blackbirds there soon.
Bill Kahn
Minneapolis
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