We live just south of Carlos Avery WMA in Columbus, near Forest Lake in SE Anoka Co.
For the past 10 or so years, we have enjoyed the explosion of cranes nesting at Carlos and feeding all over this area. THIS year, we may be hosting a pair in one of our marshes... maybe. They have been here 24-hrs a day for over 2 weeks - been back for at least 3 weeks. They call frequently, even at 2-3-4:00 a.m. (this is NOT a complaint!) answering others in farther-away marshes with the same number of calls each time. So neat to hear them 'talking' amongst themselves...! But over the last few days as it has been warmer (was - now cool and snow/sleet today), our increased outdoor activity may have chased them out to a more remote location. We'll have to see... Also this week we have noted the arrivals of phoebes, both kinglets, tree swallows, fox and swamp sparrows to go with the song already here, more migrant juncos, and there is a 'tenement' birch nesting happening, with downy woodpeckers near the top and red-bellied down below! And the silly robins are trying for the 3rd year to 'hide' the nest in a very small fir... We'll have to restrict our activity on that side of the house again. The last 2 years the nest was predated by a jay. ah, spring, how puddle-wonderful! Holly Peirson SE Anoka Co. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
