I observed 5 rough-legged hawks this morning. Two birds were between the Territory Golf Club and the north end of the St. Cloud airport right on the Benton/Sherburne County Line, a third at the intersection of Sherburne CRs 3 and 6, a fourth on the south end of Sherburne NWR along CR 4, and the 5th just west of the town of Zimmerman, near the intersection of CR 4 and CR 1.
Three Townsend's Solitaires were in the traditional Ann Lake area, SE of Orrock, in Sherburne County this morning. A single mute swan was on Orrock Lake, along CR 5 just north of the community of Orrock at 10:30 a.m. It was very close to the road. I didn't get my camera aimed before a pair of trumpeters chased it, and it flew - circling around the lake and settling out in the middle again. Out of camera range, but identifiable with binoculars. There were flocks of eastern bluebirds, blue jays, crows, and mixed flocks of juncos and sparrows all along the county roads between home and work. Sherburne CR 62, 6, 3 and 4. We've also been seeing quite a few bald eagles along the St. Francis River near refuge headquarters. Sandhill crane flocks are thinning, but hundreds of birds can still be seen during the day along CR 11 north of Santiago, 5th St, and Hwy. 95. These areas are shown on my crane viewing map that can be found on the refuge website at: www.fws.gov/refuge/sherburne/ Betsy Beneke Visitor Services Manager Sherburne, Crane Meadows, & Rice Lake NWRs ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
