[mou] Birding Dakota Co

[Steve Weston]

Sunday

Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Grackles have all arrived in numbers.  In 
the afternoon I birded Black Dog Lake, 180th Street marsh, and Lake 
Bylessby, where I found 22 species of waterfowl, all but two were at Black 
Dog Lake.   Canvassbacks were numerous at Black Dog, but I also found one 
swimming by itself in the small pond just west of the beach at Lake 
Bylessby.  I found a flock of almost 60 noisy Tundra Swans at 180th Street. 
Most ducks were in fairly good numbers, except Wigeons, and Red-breasted 
Mergansers (1 only at Black Dog).

At Lake Bylessby I thought I heard a Chipping Sparrow singing, but it turned 
out to be Juncos.  I had a great view of a Sharp-shinned racing along on 
Pilot Knob at just under the speed limit (45mph).

The most interesting find was the beaver lodge and damaged trees I observed 
in a draining pond along Hwy 5, just east of Prairie Center Drive in Eden 
Prairie.  I do not see how they can thrive here as there are few trees 
accessable to them.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2 at comcast.net