This afternoon I drove down Randolph in St Paul across Shepherd Rd to look
at the osprey platform. It is right across a backwater from the High Bridge
Xcel EGU. The road goes past the power plant. Right away I saw a lark
sparrow in a small tree, then a savanna on the ground, then a couple
white-crowned in shrubs. At one time I saw two larks, a song, a savannah,
and a chipping in my view in the median between the two paved trails. A
jogger flushed a flock of about 10 birds from about 30 ft on and next to the
pavement that included larks and others. He jogged on without breaking
stride. I also got a glimpse of one swamp below the walkway in the thicket
above the river. Before I left there were 4 larks foraging together. I
never saw more than one savannah at one time but there may have been more.
The one had a very yellow face--- lores, ear patch, and supercilium. This
was all in the 150 yds of turf grass next to the walk and road, and the
trees/shrubs below the walk. In addition there was a solitary sandpiper and
I believe a spotted sandpiper, but need to confirm the flight call. There
were usually yellow rumped in view.
The osprey nest is being used. Happy May (for 17 minutes now)
GAndersson
St Paul
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News Every Day
"Birds don't say it just once. If they like it
they say it again. And again, every morning.
I heard a bird congratulating itself
all day for being a jay.
Nobody cared. But it was glad
all over again, and said so, again.
Many people are fighting each other, in the world.
You could learn that and say, "Many people
are fighting each other, in the world."
It would be true, but saying it wouldn't
make any difference. But you'd say it.
Birds are like that. People are like that."
--- William Stafford
in Passwords (1990)
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