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Here are hawks that frequent the road.
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This hawk circled and climbed around me.
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This is the silhouette of a buteo - the high-soaring hawks.
I believe this is a red-tailed hawk based on the shape of the tail, the size of
the bird, and the distinct elongated feathers at the edge of the wing. I will have better pictures
of hawks later in the year.
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Farmers are beginning to work their fields.
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I'm going to walk out along Bluebird Treeline to see the view from there.
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If you enlarge this you'll see a tiny bird almost dead center. These were flitting along
beside me as I walked along.
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The trees in Bluebird Treeline are for the most part mature. A long time ago, tree lines like
this were commonplace to separate one field/farm from another. If the farmer logged the oak
in this tree line he could make some good money. This is often what happens.
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Suddenly these mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) came into view - they are in
Field #6 between Bluebird Treeline and
the East Farm. I count four drakes and one hen - run lady!
Males have a bright green head and pale body, while this lone female is dull brown all over.
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The East Farm.
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In back of the East Farm is what is called Bailey Lake - it's not a natural lake but rather
contrived from rainwater runoff.
Water runoff seems to be a big
deal in this part of the county. The Mississippi river is only several miles away, yet
no natural stream nor river drains this land. With the local soil so sandy perhaps no
streams ever formed. Now with all the urbanization north of here, water collects and
the watershed district has had to construct what amounts to an artificial watershed.
The elderly farmer has been unhappy with the watershed district
because they flooded what was once his land. He told me he used to plant his
crops running east-west right across where Bailey Lake is now. The long range plan is
to include the gravel pit as a holding area for rainwater runoff.
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A commercial airliner overhead. The road is located over both flight patterns and
the go-around path for the MSP international airport.
I think this is the the Boeing 757, the narrowbody sister of the widebody Boeing 767.
The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane
manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was designed for Eastern Airlines
and British Airways to replace the Boeing 727 and entered service in 1983.
Production of the 757 ended in October 2004 after 1050 had been built.
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