[Mnbird] About the Metro

[Steve Weston]

On Sunday a few of us went out to the Canon River bottoms and hiked the
state trail off of Collishan Road.  We had six to eight or more Cerulean
Warblers singing, but saw only a few.  We also had a Blue-winged Warbler,
Wood Thrushes, and three calling Yellow-billed Cuckoos, one of which we got
great looks of.  We did not find any Acadian Flycatchers, which we have had
reliably in the past.  The most common bird of the day was the American
Redstart.

Later that afternoon I canoed around Quigley Lake observing the duckling
groups.  I found four groups with Hooded Merganser chicks, two of which
were led by Wood Duck hens.  I found no Mallards, pure Wood Duck broods, or
Canada Geese families, although there is plenty of cover to shelter them.
I did find blooming Bladderwort, a free floating carnivorous plant with
yellow flowers that are about three quarters of an inch across that stick
up two or three inches above the surface.  It is considered by the PCA a
sensitive indicator of water quality and is only found in high quality
wetlands.  I don't believe I had noticed them before on the lake, but am
seeing them around.

This summer the wild strawberries in the yard have been more plentiful and
larger, sweeter, and tastier than I have ever seen.  Well, every year they
are tastier than I remember.

Steve Weston
On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2 at comcast.net
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