[Mnbird] Sandhill Cranes, colt, Turtles, 180th St March, Dakota Co

[Miller Johnson]

I was at the 180th St Marsh yesterday and saw a beautiful Sandhill Crane pair with a colt. The pair spent a lot of time out in the open by the dead reeds on the north side, east pond. The colt came out of hiding just three times. It was so elusive that after the first disappearance I questioned whether I had turned one of the shabby looking Great Blue Herons into a colt. Then it reappeared. They eventually flew northeast toward the back of the east ponds.

There was also a weird thing going on in the south pond. I thought I was seeing the tail of a dabbling duck sticking up in the water. What would be part of its body just below the water was white. The "duck" never came up, and eventually a turtle swam over to it. The turtle seemed to struggle with whatever it was, sometimes being on top of it, sometimes going below and forcing parts of it above water. At some point there were four turtles going at this thing. When the object was pushed above the water line, it looked like it had a black wing-tip or a fish's fin or tail. I would have needed a scope to figure it out. My interpretation was that there a feeding frenzy, but I don't know what was on the menu. Does this sound like anything anyone else has seen? Can you decipher what may've been happening? Thanks.

Molly Miller 
Inver Grove Hts,
Dakota Co