I went to McLeod County with Milt Blomberg to find the Swan. Nothing on 

the pond that even resembled a Swan. A few ducks, shorebirds, and a 

lone Great Egret. No Swans. Went to the farm owners place that owned 

the pond and found two ECD's. After we left, because the farmer was not 

home, we found another Collared Dove  just into Wright County off from 

Hwy 5. We decided to go to Cocato to look for more species. Serendipity 

paid off. We were going back to the intersection of Common Street and 

Peyton Avenue where we took some back roads. I looked out my window 

and saw a bird with an red-orange beak on a pond. I knew it as a 

Common Moorhen. Good bird to find. We went back to the farm to look 

for the Swan and met the owner. I think Milt and I created a new birder 

after we filled his mind with Gallinule's, Collared Doves and Mute Swans. 

He took us to his Fathers, who is at least 85, and we found a Collard Dove 

at his house. I hour later we left after we gave the two guys a whole lot 

more info about Mute Swans, Collard Doves and Common Gallinule.



The moral is if we would have found the Swans when we first got there all 

the other events wouldn't have transpired. I usually get down trodden 

when things don't work out. Today I was glad we didn't find the Swan or I 

may not have found two new friends and a Gallinule.           



 Frank Gosiak  Little Falls, Mn     P.S. Milt left the info for locating the 

Gallinule and the Collared Doves are at the location where the Swans use 

to reside. Look on the lines near all three neighboring farms. They all had 

Doves.



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