The Baltimore Orioles showed up in town in Ortonville this afternoon. Hummingbirds have been around since last Friday. Also had my first-of-the-year Upland Sandpiper at Plover Prairie this afternoon; it crossed the road in front of me and I watched it bob up and down through the ditch before it jumped up and landed in some heavier cover (we had some of that capital-W WIND today). Lots of Yellow Warblers also showed up in the Central Park Ravine, mid-town Ortonville, and Yellow-Rumps are plentiful. Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes present as well. Still no goslings or ducklings. Chipping Sparrows are singing loudly; the Juncos have finally left (not that I'm complaining).
Most Tundra-bound shorebirds are absent from the area and seem to have just blown right on through 2 weeks ago... there are still some random flooded fields where a few Leasts, Spotteds, and Yellowlegs are present. A breeding pair of both Cooper's and Sharp-Shinned Hawks are flying all over Ortonville town-proper right now; both species have been present every summer since I moved here in 2018. Last Wednesday I was in Northeast Minneapolis and the Herons and Egrets at the Marshall Terrace Rookery were regurgitating into their nests. There are excellent photo-ops there from the rivertop platforms; catkins were dropping at the time, so they should be obscured soon. Get em while you can get em. While driving east to the Cities last week, I was *heartily astounded* by the number of Trumpeter Swan pairs I briefly glimpsed nesting/incubating on random roadside ponds (usually on top of a beaver/muskrat lodge) along HWY 12 between Litchfield and Delano. Thanks again, Mr. Henderson! Not seeing any evidence whatsoever of bird flu mortality among songbirds or raptors in this corner of the state; I'll be sure to report if I do. -- Jason M. Frank Founder & Vice President Luddite Ornithologists League (LOL) Big Stone County, Minnesota ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
