During a survey of a BBA Priority Block this afternoon, one Red-headed Woodpecker was found foraging in oak trees on the bluff-top of Cherokee Heights. The trees are on the west side of the large ravine at the end of Delaware St., where it intersects Baker. On the east end of Crosby Farm Park, the Cliff Swallows have moved back into their nesting colony under the 35E bridge. To my surprise, they have a different species neighboring among them: House Finches appeared to be adopting some of the old, unoccupied nests, whether to scavenge for food or to brood I couldn't tell. However, I did see an outright battle break out between two male house finches who were investigating the same nest. Meanwhile, in the backwater beside the bridge, two Spotted Sandpipers were engaging in the more peaceful behavior of mating. Down-river, at the end of the old power plant island, the osprey held watch on the nesting platform, standing briefly to either re-arrange materials, or perhaps turn eggs. Some of the migrants may be tardy, but other birds seem to know it's spring. Linda Whyte ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html