On such a warm, sunny, yet breezy day in this most snow-less February in my memory, we had to get out to see a few birds somewhere.
Along the Minnesota River we went; Black Dog Road & Nicols Rd. contained nary a bird on the East side. Not even any *eagles* to see there today. As always, plenty of* Mallards* & *Canada Geese* were present in the man-made ponds East of the plant. Our next stop was Veterans Park in Shakopee, which provided one *Dark-eyed junco* all alone, seven *Trumpeter Swans*, dozens and dozens of *Canada Geese* and hundreds and hundreds of *Mallards*. Three *domestic geese* of some sort completed the scene, with their atonal shrieks. Amongst these abundant winter residents was one male *Common Goldeneye* and two *Gadwall* males, a highlight. Continuing our circuit, we headed to Carver Rapids MVNWR, where a flock of about a dozen *Wild Turkeys* was on the edge of the cornfield outside the park and only lots of *chickadees*, a few *White-breasted Nuthatches *and *Downy Woodpeckers* and one *Red-bellied Woodpecker* were to be found inside. On the way back we saw a* Red-tailed Hawk* on the ground two feet from the roadway (212 exit to 494W). As we passed, it had it's head turned 'round facing behind it, as if it had made a failed attempt at lunch. Our last stop was the Bass Ponds, which was largely unremarkable, save plenty of dog-walkers and one pair of* Lesser Scaup* amongst the previously mentioned species. -- Sincerely, Jim Ryan Saint Paul's Westside ---- One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between Man and Nature shall not be broken. -* Leo Tolstoy* A well governed appetite is the greater part of liberty. - *Lucius Annaeus Seneca* ---- ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
