Just when you think there’s no more odd ducks...

by JOHN KARRIGAN
published July 7 2008

Notice the little bird and his apparent home. (Photo courtesy of John Karrigan)

Last month I said we probably would not see any more “odd ducks” or other migrating birds this spring. As usual, the birds proved me wrong. At the end of May, a pair of Blue-winged Teal was on the lake along with a Pied-billed Grebe (not really a duck, but close). And on June 6, one (the same one I had seen in mid-May?) Spotted Sandpiper was on the shore. The Great Blue Heron is around almost every day, and on June 13, a pair of Black-crowned Night Herons was on the island. Years ago there were Night Herons most of the summer, but I have not seen any in Powderhorn for several years. I still have not seen any Egrets in the park this year, but sometimes see 50 to 100 of them east of the Cedar Avenue Bridge over the Minnesota River.

One or more Cooper’s Hawks are still in the neighborhood, and sometimes on their nest, but I don’t know yet if any young are in the nest. The Canada Geese, Wood Duck and Mallard families all seem to be progressing well. I have still not seen Eastern Kingbirds in the park this year, but a related bird, the Great-crested Flycatcher, was in the park in early June. I have seen and heard a Common Night Hawk (not really a hawk, but similar to a Whip-poor-will, as I say whenever I mention them) in the park and neighborhood a few times, but never more than one. A few years ago flocks of them were common most of the summer.

Chimney Swifts, which chase flying insects like Nighthawks and Swallows do, are still around but not as consistently as some years.

I have not seen or heard activity around the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nest lately but I do see Sapsuckers in the park. I don’t know if they are the adults or young from the nest.

Back to ducks, Wood Ducks specifically. Early in the month, while driving down the alley going home, I saw a family of Wood Ducks, a mother and about 12 very small ducklings heading through yards toward the park. By the time I got parked and out of the car, I could not find them. Later I went to the park where, on one side of the lake, I saw a person carrying a crate or a box to the other side of the lake—he released a female Wood Duck and six babies. I tried to catch up with the person, but did not, and I don’t know where these ducks came from or if the ones I saw ever made it to the lake. But I like to think they did.

Another bird-on-the-block story, and I know how this one ended. There was a Crow in the yard on May 29. It looked fine but could not fly. I talked to a friend who works at the Wildlife Rehab Center and got good advice on what to do. Early the next morning, we went after it, attempting to throw a lightweight blanket over it. The Crow quickly figured out how to get out of the fence that had kept it confined for 24 hours, but we successfully caught it in a neighbor’s yard and took it to the Rehab Center in Roseville. I learned that there are two types of broken bird wings: operable and non-operable. This was the good kind. They thought they had successfully operated, but the Crow quit breathing after the operation. Somehow they revived the Crow (I don’t know how they did it) and everything was fine. But they found it dead a short while later. At least we and the Rehab Center did our best. The next-door neighbors (where we caught the Crow) had better luck. They found an injured female Mallard in their yard (prior to the Crow incident) and it is still at the Rehab Center, recovering. It will soon come back to Powderhorn for release. The Wildlife Rehab Center asks nicely for a contribution when you bring in an injured animal and I gladly gave them one. They and the Raptor Center do very good work and we are lucky to have them in the area.

Another on-the-block item: I mentioned last month that I hoped some of the Chipping Sparrows would stay this year. Well, at least two of them did. A pair of them, one without tail feathers (which have now grown back), has been feeding in the back yard regularly and now have two (I think) young. The whole family is often in the yard and quite tame and cute.

On to another block, not far away from mine: A Wild Turkey was seen in the block bounded by 14th and 15th Avenues and 32nd and 33rd Streets.
And something that affects lots of blocks and the park: Many more elm trees in the neighborhood and park have been marked for removal.

Now for something out of the block, park and neighborhood. While at an event at the State Fair Grounds recently, we were sitting in front of the Smokey the Bear chainsaw sculpture in the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) exhibit area, and we noticed Eastern Bluebirds flying near us, sometimes carrying food, sometimes landing in trees, on wires, and on the Smokey the Bear sculpture. At some point, we were walking behind the sculpture and noticed a hole in Smokey’s right shoulder blade area. And then we discovered that’s where the Bluebirds had a nest. We realized they were feeding an active group of babies inside the sculpture. What a fun and unexpected discovery! Look for the bluebird family if you go the State Fair.

And even further away, on my recent travels to Wisconsin, we found the flood damage in that state was much more than was reported here. Among the other things, the complete cherry crop in Door County was destroyed in all the storms. We wish our neighbors well in Wisconsin and Iowa and other states in recovering from the recent Midwest flooding.

Thank you, Josh, for the e-mail about the Catbird. A great bird to see and hear, but seldom found in the city. I’ll work on getting an answer to you on your question.

Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of the Southside Pride. Thank you.