So our weird weather just continues to get weirder here in Minnesota. Today it got up to 78 degrees and it was kind of like we skipped Spring altogether and jumped headfirst into Summer! It was hard to believe that only 4 days ago we received about 5" of snow and only 9 days ago received 6-8" of snow. There was basically no trace of snow on the ground anywhere today and in fact I took a photo of the only small pile on the side of the trail I could find. I was walking with a friend today and right away we ran into a frequent park-goer who told us of a very unusual looking creature. He told us where we might see it and sure enough it was viewable right there from the footbridge over Shingle Creek on the south side. 
Indeed it was a Horned Grebe and we had a front row seat, watching it dive and surface over and over. This was an exciting sight for me as it's the first time I've seen one AND the first time I've documented one at PLP. One time when he was close enough, we could see him move underwater after he dove which was neat. They have intensely red eyes which really stand out as well. As we were making our way around the lake on the south end we could see that there were hundreds of waterfowl out on the water -and not just your normal, average Mallards! We were quite a ways away but through my binoculars I could see tons of Ring-necked Ducks, a few Northern Shovelers and mabye a Bufflehead or two. 
Upon closer examination of the photo once I got home I noticed even more Horned Grebes and possibly even a Ruddy Duck or two but I can't be sure. Also it's possible that maybe some of what I thought were Ring-necks were Scaups but too hard to tell from such a distance. This was the largest group of non-Mallard waterfowl I've ever seen at the park! Later on the south west side I noticed a group of 4 or 5 Brown-headed Cowbirds that we'd walked right past. 
They weren't making any noise and just sat there silently as I took a few photos. I'd heard a Cowbird much earlier in the year up at the Coon Rapids Dam but haven't officially seen one until today. The female is on the left and male on the right in this photo. Before we turned the corner to head north we noticed a large shape in a tall tree way up ahead and looked closer through binoculars. It was an adult Bald Eagle staring out towards the center of the park. He was a long ways away but once we started up the wood chip trail we realized that he was actually perched above the waterway that connects the two western most bodies of water. My guess is that maybe he was on the lookout for a Coot to snatch up. I was able to get even closer by heading to where the old overgrown railroad ties are and snap a few photos without bumping him. 
It is always fun to see Bald Eagles at the park and it seem like maybe Jan or Feb was the last time I'd spotted one. On the north side we quite plainly heard Sandhill Cranes again. They have an extremely loud call that tends to echo and to me sounds like some kind of pre-historic bird. There was no sight of them but we could tell they were close. Then all of a sudden one came barreling straight towards us, above the trail but under the tree canopy. I only got off one shot just as it turned and headed to our left. I wasn't even sure if I got it but was quite happy to see this photo when I got home! This was my second new species (for the park) in one day making it quite an enjoyable day.
Indeed it was a Horned Grebe and we had a front row seat, watching it dive and surface over and over. This was an exciting sight for me as it's the first time I've seen one AND the first time I've documented one at PLP. One time when he was close enough, we could see him move underwater after he dove which was neat. They have intensely red eyes which really stand out as well. As we were making our way around the lake on the south end we could see that there were hundreds of waterfowl out on the water -and not just your normal, average Mallards! We were quite a ways away but through my binoculars I could see tons of Ring-necked Ducks, a few Northern Shovelers and mabye a Bufflehead or two. 
Upon closer examination of the photo once I got home I noticed even more Horned Grebes and possibly even a Ruddy Duck or two but I can't be sure. Also it's possible that maybe some of what I thought were Ring-necks were Scaups but too hard to tell from such a distance. This was the largest group of non-Mallard waterfowl I've ever seen at the park! Later on the south west side I noticed a group of 4 or 5 Brown-headed Cowbirds that we'd walked right past. 
They weren't making any noise and just sat there silently as I took a few photos. I'd heard a Cowbird much earlier in the year up at the Coon Rapids Dam but haven't officially seen one until today. The female is on the left and male on the right in this photo. Before we turned the corner to head north we noticed a large shape in a tall tree way up ahead and looked closer through binoculars. It was an adult Bald Eagle staring out towards the center of the park. He was a long ways away but once we started up the wood chip trail we realized that he was actually perched above the waterway that connects the two western most bodies of water. My guess is that maybe he was on the lookout for a Coot to snatch up. I was able to get even closer by heading to where the old overgrown railroad ties are and snap a few photos without bumping him. 
It is always fun to see Bald Eagles at the park and it seem like maybe Jan or Feb was the last time I'd spotted one. On the north side we quite plainly heard Sandhill Cranes again. They have an extremely loud call that tends to echo and to me sounds like some kind of pre-historic bird. There was no sight of them but we could tell they were close. Then all of a sudden one came barreling straight towards us, above the trail but under the tree canopy. I only got off one shot just as it turned and headed to our left. I wasn't even sure if I got it but was quite happy to see this photo when I got home! This was my second new species (for the park) in one day making it quite an enjoyable day.
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