A flock of a few dozen or more Rusty Black birds was frequenting the banks of the Cannon River in the West Wilderness late this afternoon. They were foraging and bathing at water's edge, with periodic song-fests in the trees over the river, just around the bend downstream from the big footbridge. Because they were on the near side of the river, they gave excellent looks at their plumage, some of them showing distinct traces of rufous edging on tertials and a rusty cast on nape and mantle.
The river path was awash in clouds of flying insects and large numbers of gorging Yellow-rumps, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Eagles and pairs of Belted Kingfishers and E. Phoebe hunted on the river as well. The bluff trail, too, had many Kinglets and Yellow-rumps, but also several Hermit Thrushes feeding on sumac berries. Somewhere near the large footbridge, there were at least two Barred Owls doing a call and response, but the singing was too brief to allow tracing. Linda Whyte ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
