I birded Dakota County with Kevin Smith Sunday. we found about 29 species. A hike through Vermillion Highlands (Dakota Co. newest park in the U-More area in Empire Twshp) was not very birdy although we found at least one Great Horned Owl (with the help of the crows) and at least three Red-breasted Nuthatches. We found over 50 Trumpters Swans flying about the fields along 190th Street just west of Hy 316 and an Eurasian Collared Dove just east of Vermillion. I thought given the numbers that they would be Tundras, but we ID'd a couple of Trumpeters and they are on the St. Croix in large numbers. After a brief wait of about a half hour, we were treated to an appearance of the beautiful Varried Thrush at Richard's Blackbird Trail house. We also had Cedar Waxwings and heard that White-winged Crossbills have been frequenting the area's spruces. Our last stop at dusk was an unsuccessful look for the Snowy Owl that has been showing up around Hwy 42 and Idell in Nininger Twshp.
On Saturday we had a Red-shouldered Hawk stop by our house in Eagan. Steve Weston [email protected] ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
