Birds lead the way, bugs and bureaucracy not far behind

BY JOHN KARRIGAN

Herons have to be the lead item this month. Well, they don’t have to be, but it’s my column and that’s what I say. I just got home from the park (on July 1) and there were at least five Great Blue Herons and two Egrets. Last night there were at least three Black-crowned Night Herons, which I probably would have seen tonight if I had stayed later, along with the Egrets and Great Blues.

On June 13, I saw a Green Heron at my imaginary estate in Eagan; two days later I saw a Green Heron at Powderhorn. They used to be regulars here but that is the first one I have seen at Powderhorn for a number of years. People often comment to me on how much they enjoy seeing so many Herons and Egrets, and, not to be left out, Double-crested Cormorants, this year. There are usually from two to a dozen Cormorants every day. Various people also comment about the cranes, which I nicely tell them are Egrets, Great Egrets in this case. We have cranes in Minnesota, usually Sandhill Cranes, and, once in a while, the quite rare Whooping Crane, neither of which is ever likely to come close to Powderhorn.

The Mallard and Wood Duck families are progressing normally as are Canada Geese, but according to the “real newspaper” (the Minneapolis StarTribune), the “Goosetapo” has been hired again and any day I expect them to show up and take all or most of the Canada Geese. Maybe they won’t get here in time and the geese will be in flying condition and able to escape a one-way trip to the foodshelves.

A Spotted Sandpiper was again on the lakeshore on June 28. I don’t know if it was visiting from somewhere nearby or if it was already going south (from way up north) as some shore birds do as soon as the summer solstice happens.
I finally saw a young Cooper’s Hawk, but so far the hawks, mature and immature, are not as visible in the park as in some years. Some think there are three immature hawks. There are at least three hawks, but I am not sure there are three young. Hopefully time will tell.

Various people told me that I missed some birds in the park when I commented last month that I had seen very few migrating songbirds in the park this spring. They had seen Pine Warblers, Black and White Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and Great-crested Flycatchers. I have seen all of these in the park in other years, but even if I had seen them this year, I would still be way down on my park songbird numbers. I am still seeing Song Sparrows regularly and I saw a pair of Cedar Waxwings again in mid-June.

Chimney Swifts are still over the park often and Barn Swallows occasionally. While I have seen bats and Common Nighthawks a little to the east and west of Powderhorn, I have not seen any in the immediate neighborhood.

June Bugs were out the last few days of May. If we ever get consistent warm weather and thunderstorms like we had in the “good ol’ days,” maybe birds, bats and bugs would be happier, but some people would not.

The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board held one of its regular board meetings in the Powderhorn gym this evening (July 1), part of a new plan of meeting in different parks in the city instead of their Taj Mahal on the Mississippi River. The board members commented several times that they were surprised by the turnout and participation they got at Powderhorn, compared to other parks. I was not surprised and I doubt if the other Powderhornians in attendance were. No matter what they do or where they meet, I think that the park board staff are the most entrenched bueaucracy in the county and not always on the right track. But that’s a long and complex story. I served for quite a few years on the City of Minneapolis Capital Long-range Improvement Comm-ittee (CLIC). I know they were the most entrenched bureaucracy then. They claim they have seen the light and are citizen friendly now, but I don’t agree. I suppose I should not be editorializing in such a nice middle-of-the-road, mainstream publication as South-side Pride.

Anyway, back to more interesting things.

There is a purple Emerald Ash Borer trap in a tree near the southeast corner of the park. I don’t know how long it will stay or what it will trap but I hope we don’t have another situation as bad as Dutch Elm Disease. Recently more elm trees in the park and neighborhood have been marked for removal.

The yard and block have been OK bird-wise, but not too exciting. I was right about a Crow’s nest (at least one) being on the block. I could see it from the yard but did not see it until a neighbor pointed it out. I only saw one young crow, sitting on top of a neighbor’s car, going through the learning-to-fly process. Some-times I see a number of them, always an interesting experience. Among the usual backyard birds: English Sparrows, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Goldfinches, House Finches, Pigeons, Robins and Crows. The only young ones I saw at the feeders were Chickadees and a Downy Woodpecker. I might see more young in July.

One beautiful backyard sight was a tremendous lightning storm on the night of June 17. The whole southern sky from one side to the other was continuously lit up by fantastic nonstop lightning that also lit up an array of towering thunder clouds. At first, you could not hear the thunder but just see the great light show. Eventually you could hear a bit of thunder, but the storm never came close to the city. It was almost as good as watching a giant storm when you have an unlimited horizon on Lake Superior.

Back closer to home, I mentioned last month that a skunk was nearby on May 21. No other neighbors had seen or smelled it. Then after reading my column, a neighbor who works till late at night told me she smelled it when she got home that night and was glad she was not the only one and was not going crazy. I’m glad she is not going crazy also. I might be going crazy, but it has nothing to do with the skunk!

Now my final reference to past columns: The Eastern Bluebirds are still nesting in the Smokey the Bear chainsaw sculpture at the state fairgrounds near the Department of Natural Resources building, as they were last June. Just something to look for if you are at the fairgrounds for any event.

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