There were 3 Trumpeter Swans on the big lake at Crosby around noon today; I don't recall ever seeing Trumpeters there before. A short distance away, about 6 Golden-eye were taking off, another species I've never seen there; I'm guessing theirs was a brief, investigative diversion from the river.
Yesterday's large flock of Fox Sparrows was still foraging in the springs along the lake's bluff-side trail, but today they were joined by a (shivering) Hermit Thrush. He moved to the hillside to scratch among the leaf litter. Three more of his kind were seen later, feeding at the river's edge near the west end. They were following, or so it seemed, a couple of E. Phoebe hunting there, before they diverted into the woods. In the same area, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets were searching diligently for food, in the weedy growth on the edge of the paved trail. I'd be happier about the good views they gave, if I didn't know how difficult their task will be for awhile. There was no sign of the Winter Wren that was singing in the east backwaters yesterday. Perhaps birds expend little energy on song-practice in times of sparse resource, but it was nice to hear it at the time. For now, there's some comfort in having seen blades of green grass and leaves of Marsh Marigold pushing through the snow here and there. 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
