The Big Freeze on the Upper Mississippi

After a week of freezing weather, I was very surprised to see Tundra Swans at Rieck's Lake Park yesterday.   We spotted a dozen big white birds sitting on the ice in front of the observation deck.  They were sleeping when we arrived.  They woke up when a flock of Canada Geese honked as they flew by.

It's just a matter of time before the backwaters and main channel of the Upper Mississippi River ice-over.

Looking across Pool 4 from the Jay Hawk Ranch (Nelson, WI)

I went back for another look today.  The Upper Mississippi River at Pool 4 is iced over - covered with strings of resting waterfowl - ducks, geese and Tundra Swans.  This may be the last weekend to see large concentrations of waterfowl on the river.

Despite what the calendar says, when the backwaters are filled with people ice-fishing, winter is here.

The sunny skies have been full of Bald Eagles, soaring along the bluffs and coulees.  It's not unusual to spot them feeding on roadkill along the highways and in fields feeding on deer remains left behind by hunters.

 We spotted hawks on utility poles and along tree lines - lots of Red-tailed Hawks, a couple of Harriers and our first-of-the-season Rough-legged Hawks.

Red-tailed Hawk

Harrier

Tundra Swans in Nelson, WI

Here's what it looked like this afternoon from Cedar Ridge Resort just south of Nelson, Wisconsin.  Wes Stensland said he first noticed them (their vocalizations) on Sunday.

Look up-river from the dock at Cedar Ridge.  They're pretty far off so you'll need a scope.

There's a handful of Tundra Swans in the Buffalo River near Tell (head east on State Road 37 towards Mondovi).

Just up-river from Rieck's Lake Park (take County Road I to Badland Road) we got great looks at dabbling ducks - Gadwalls, pintails, Green-winged Teal - and coots.

Tundra Swans are Back in Alma, Minneiska & Brownsville

When the morning weather reporter forecast sunny skies and temperature pushing 60-degrees, Tom and I decided to head down the Mississippi - on the Minnesota side - to check out the Tundra Swan migration.

First stop, just north of Minneiska on US 61 - Great River Road.

We pulled off the road and parked at St. Mary's Cemetery. That's where we saw 200+ swans and a thousand or more coots. Too far away for a photograph. I resisted the temptation to cross the highway and railroad tracks to get closer.

Instead, we got back in the car and headed south to Brownsville (south of La Crescent, MN). We spotted the first rafts of swans just south of the Shellhorn Bar and Grill on MN State Rd 26. A mile further down the road, we got our closest looks - at the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge new Brownsville Overlook.

According to the Refuge fall waterfowl aerial survey report for October 25, there were 10 Tundra Swans on the river. Today there were several thousand, along with thousands of ducks, coots and Canada Geese.

On the way back home we stopped to check out the waterfowl on the Wisconsin side of the river - at Cedar Ridge Resort in Nelson and Rieck's Lake Park in Alma. We spotted a handful of swans and several rafts of waterfowl way off in the distance at Cedar Ridge (please stop by the front desk at Cedar Ridge and ask Wes Stensland for permission before you drive down to the river) and a few swans way off in the distance at the Rieck's Lake Park observation deck.

We got a better (but not great) look at a dozen swans in the lake by the Tell Church on State Road 37 (south and east of Rieck's Lake Park on the Buffalo River).

By the time we found these swans, the sun was setting.

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Now's the time to head down river to see waterfowl. If you're interested in a guided tour, the Refuge is sponsoring a SwanWatch bus tour ($20/person - lunch included) on Saturday, November 13 (9am-3pm) departing from Winona. To reserve a seat, call Ed Lagace (before November 6) at 507-494-2636.

Refuge volunteers will be at the Brownsville Observation Deck to help answer questions every weekend (10am to 4pm) in November.

Dress for cold, windy weather. If it's too cold, you can see the swans from your car at Brownsville. The bird action is best early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Click here (and scroll down) for a sample of what you'll hear...

Hooded Mergansers and Tundra Swans

Late this afternoon when the temperature hit 55, we headed to the Lower Chippewa River for a stroll, and then down to Meridean to see if it was warm enough for the insects to be out and about.

Along the Chippewa River State Trail by County M, I heard a familiar sound "like dragging your finger over a well-inflated balloon" (according to Amphibians of Wisconsin).   I stopped and look for the frog that created it.  I scanned the wetlands, but the frog was invisible.  Try as I did, I could not spot it.

While I was looking down, I heard the faint calls of Tundra Swans over head.  I gave up on finding the frog and looked up.  I looked, and looked.  I couldn't see them either.

Then I spotted a faint silver flash as a skein of 30 or more high-flying swans turned - and their feathers caught the sun.  There they were.  Way, way up there.  Too high and too far away for a photo. 

Further up the road on the way to Meridean we were surprised to see our favorite oxbow - empty of waterfowl.  No ducks.  No geese.  What's up?

I stopped wondering when I spotted a Canada Goose, dead on a patch of ice floating near the shore.

Just south of Meridean, we stopped on a little bridge to check out 2 ducks swimming away towards the river.  I grabbed my binoculars and got a good look before they disappeared in the flooded forest.   Hooded Mergansers!

The smallest of the three mergansers found in Wisconsin, the drake is a strikingly handsome black and white bird with a fan-shaped, crested head, rusty brown flanks and narrow, black serrated bill.

Eagles & Trumpeter Swans on the Upper Mississippi

It was seasonably cold today - by noon the temperature was sunny 16ºF.   A great day to go check out the eagles down the road along the Mississippi River.

Tom and I hopped into the Toyota Prius and headed west, then north from Wabasha towards Lake City.  We hit the jackpot at our first stop:  Reads Landing.

Reads Landing is one of the best places in Minnesota to spot bald eagles this time of year.  The flow of water from the Lower Chippewa River and Lake Pepin speeds up as it moves through the narrow channel, keeping the river from freezing from Reads Landing to Wabasha.   Eagles are attracted to places like this - where the river is open and the fishing is good.

We counted over 200 eagles on the ice on both sides of the river...

loafing in trees over-looking the river...

and flying overhead...

... along with goldeneyes, mallards, crows and - I couldn't believe my eyes (I had to roll down my car window and hear their calls) - 2 dozen Trumpeter Swans.

The Trumpeter Swans were a first for me this time of year.

Reads Landing, however, isn't the only place to spot eagles in our neighborhood.  

You can see dozens hanging out in Red Wing's Colvill Park (where the river is heated Xcel Energy Plant).  Look for them in Alma, Wisconsin by the lock and dam.  Arcadia, Wisconsin, home of Ashley Furniture and Gold'n Plump Chicken, is another great place to see Bald Eagles.   Call the Chamber for sighting info before you go... (608) 323-2319.

And in case you didn't know... Buffalo County Wisconsin is a "hot spot" for wintering Golden Eagles.  Sixty Golden Eagles were spotted in the bluffs of Buffalo County on the 6th annual golden eagle survey, Jan 16th! 

 

Saturday Fog

The TV weather forecasters promised warm and sunny for Saturday, cool and cloudy Sunday, and rain for Thanksgiving week.

We got up early Saturday, and in the darkness, headed down River to get yet another dose of Tundra Swans.  I didn't expect the fog.  The River was socked in from Nelson to La Crosse and south.  According to the thermometer in my Prius, the outside temperature was just above freezing.

We could hear the cacophony of thousands of swans, ducks and geese, and the chittering of dozens of Bald Eagles.  But we only see a few birds through the fog.   Lesson learned:  check the weather before leaving the house.

The fog didn't lift until mid-afternoon.

We headed home on the Wisconsin side of the River and stopped at Rieck's Lake Park in Alma.  There were more birdwatchers than swans, one White Pelican, Mallards, Canada Geese and a very friendly muskrat at the deck.  A pair of Bald Eagles at the pond by Tell.  The highlight of our ride home was a Rough-legged Hawk hunting the newly harvested cornfields at the intersection of County Roads I and D. 

Turkeys Eagles and Swans

A recent message on the Minnesota Ornithological Union's listserv motivated me to put my husband in the Prius and take another drive down-river.  

According to the report, the Tundra Swan count at Pool #8 overlook at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Brownsville, MN is up to a spectacular (and noisy) 12,000 birds - along with a couple of dozen White Pelicans, herons, ducks and lots of Bald Eagles.  I could hear their "chittering" calls in my head, as we headed south in the Prius.

Along the way, we caught good looks at a "rafter" of Wild Turkeys along State Road 25 near Nelson, Wisconsin.

We arrived at the swan-viewing overlook at 1pm.   The early afternoon light was perfect.  There were lines of swans as far as the eye could see.  The air was full of swan calls.  They were "woo woo wooing" up a storm.

Kudos to the  ish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers.  They've done a great job creating the viewing area infrastructure - and managing the river so that it provides a stop-over that's rich with waterfowl food.  We spent an hour enjoying the spectacle!

Bald Eagles harassed the swans, ducks and other eagles.  The swans pulled up vegetation, preened and bickered, as dozens of visitors watched and marvelled.  I practiced my duck identification skills - looking at goldeneyes, teal, Gadwalls, wigeons and pintails.

On the way back we stopped at one of several roadside apple stands in La Crescent.  I bought a dozen apples and a gallon of cider.

Bauer Market apple consultant Sue Bott, offered samples.

And yes, I ended my day by baking an apple pie - from scratch (with my favorite buttermilk crust - from the Moosewood cookbook).

Tundra Swans, Again

                         
I can't seem to get enough of these birds.

They don't do much while they're here.  They swim, fly around, vocalize, eat, preen, sleep and bicker.

Yes, they bicker.

It's hard not to be anthropomorphic.  One swan swims too close, lands too close, does a "woo-woo-woo" in a tone that only a Tundra Swan might find offensive.  Then feathers fly, breasts puff out, necks stiffen, wings flap and the bickering starts.

I have no idea what the problem is, but the aggressive display is easy to recognize.  It continues until one of them backs down.  Then, as if a light is switched on - all is tranquil again.

I used to be one of those birdwatchers who delighted in spotting and identifying my quarry. Then I'd move on to the next identification challenge.

Today, I came to see white swans in Alma - again.  They're relatively easy to identify.  Three choices:  Mute, Trumpeter or Tundra.  Go to the ID book.  It's a Tundra Swan (I go by the call and by the "u" shaped border of the eye and bill on the swan's forehead - click on this link to look at Sibley's illustration). 

These days, I find myself more patient, or maybe more curious.  I spend more time watching, waiting for birds to "do" something.  

Today, we watched several groups of swans tip their white feathered fannies in the air as their their long necks disappeared under water.   Seconds later they bobbed back up, bills full of vegetation, their white feathers soiled with the black muck lining the shallows of the Buffalo River.

It was noon - lunch time for swans too.    

We stayed in the car, on the shoulder of CR II - windows down, binoculars up (the temperature was an unseasonably mild 54-degrees).  The birds ignored us.  Suddenly, hundreds of Green-winged Teal and Mallards exploded into the sky.  Only the swans and Canada Geese remained.

What spooked them? 

We looked up in the air and spotted a Bald Eagle, apparently looking for lunch too, flying low over the open water - scaring up the ducks.  Unfortunately for us (and the eagle), we did not get to see the drama of a raptor at lunch today.

We checked the view from Badland Rd and then drove up to Cedar Ridge Resort, expecting to see the backwaters empty of swans.  As I pulled on to the shoulder of the Great River Road and rolled down the car window, I heard the familiar "woo-woo-woo."  Wrong!

Thousands of swans formed a thick line along the backwaters - way across the river where the swans had been feeding last week.

Nelson Swans Head Down River

I got a call from Wes at Cedar Ridge Resort this afternoon. 

The Tundra Swans just outside Nelson, took off en masse this morning.  One of the guests at the Resort caught the spectacle - thousands of white birds filled the sky - woo woo wooing.

Wes missed it.  So did I.

Wes had a question for me:  why'd they go - all at once?

Cleaned the backwaters of their favorite food?  Harassed by boaters?  Just time to go? 

I could only guess.

More Swans and Warm Weather

The temperature today:  68-degrees!   The River:  full of waterfowl.  
Fifteen Tundra Swans were in front of the Rieck's Lake Park observation deck in Alma at noon.  (We haven't seen any Swan Watch volunteer guides at the deck this fall, so you're on your own.)
Over 100 swans are in the backwaters of the Buffalo River off Badland Road (County I).

Looking towards Minnesota from Cedar Ridge Resort (south of Nelson), there are close to 1,000.   The riverfront here is private property, so stop in at the Resort Offices and ask for Wes Stensland.   He'll give you access directions and permission.

A hundred or so are at Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge.   The Refuge Vistor Center was open Saturday until 4pm.

Easily a thousand are at Weaver Bottoms, several close to the road (US 61).

Don't miss the special event at the Brownsville (MN) swan observation area on 14 November 10am-2pm.  And, if you're a bat fan and you're in the neighborhood, don't miss the Wisconsin Bat programs at the new Myrick Hixon EcoPark in La Crosse, Saturday afternoon, November 14th.

Alma Swans

Tundra Swans have arrived near Riecks Lake Park.

According to the message on the swan hotline, they arrived on Halloween.  But don't expect to see them from the observation deck yet. 

The first 14 swans to hit the Buffalo River wetlands are 3.7 miles east on State Rd 37 (turn left just south of Reicks Lake, then start looking for them past the dairy farm - in the Lake at Tell (before the left turn to County Road II).  They're way out there (see below - a photo of the two swans at the top of this page taken with a "normal" 50mm lens).

Every fall, fewer and fewer swans stop-over in Alma.   Ducks and geese are still using the wetlands, but if you want to see the spectacle - thousands of swans and their noise - you'll have to head down the Mississippi River.   Last week there were hundreds at Weaver Bottoms and further down the River at Pool 8 south of Brownsville (MN).  

Brownsville is the "hot spot" - where the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Geological Survey, Wisconsin and Minnesota DNRs, Minnesota Pollution control Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have been working together  to construct new islands to maintain and re-establish aquatic plant beds (swan food) and the deepwater habitat they need for resting.

If you drive down - look for the big parking area on the river side of the Great River Road (Highway 26).

When weather permits, the Fish & Wildlife Service conducts a weekly flyover of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge,  starting at Lake Pepin, then south including Pools 2-14 and Trempealeau NWR.  They post a list of what they've spotted at the Refuge website.

If you head over to the observation deck at Riecks Lake park, you will get close looks at ducks, geese and coots; but swans - not yet.  Also absent at the deck - the local volunteers who in past years have cheerfully pointed out the birds and answered questions. 

Tundra Swans

I first heard the phrase "swan fall" over a decade ago, but I never expected to experience one.

Then it happened.

I was living on the prairie north of Weaver Bottoms along the Upper Mississippi River in Minnesota.  It was late October.  The moon was full.  I was awakened by the sound of whistling wings and the echoing "who-who-who" bugling calls.

I bolted upright, got out of bed and ran to the window.  I could see them - dozens of ghostly white swans, literally falling out of the sky, one after the other, landing in the river nearby.

That's a swan fall.

Later that morning, I drove down to the river.  It was dotted with rafts of white swans.  From a distance they looked like fallen snow.

The swan fall marks the beginning of the approximately 4 week stop-over of feasting swans - fueling up for the last leg of their migration to the coastal waters of the mid-Atlantic from New Jersey to North Carolina.  These big birds spend half of their lives migrating - from their breeding grounds along the Arctic Circle to their wintering grounds along the mid-Atlantic coast.

Today, ten seasons later, it felt like time for the Tundra Swans to be here - especially after the recent snowstorm.

Tom and I hopped into the Prius and went looking for swans.

We headed across the River to Minnesota, and down Highway 61 towards Winona.  We spotted the first rafts of white birds on the River at Weaver Bottoms.  I pulled off the road at the cemeteries and pulled out my scope.  White Pelicans or Tundra Swans?

Both!

Further down the River, just north of the I-90 bridge to La Crosse, we spotted more white birds - way out there.  Further down at the Brownsville overlooks, we spotted dozens of pelicans hauled out on the new constructed islands, and hundreds of swans sitting in the water.

On the way back, after stopping at Bauer's Market in La Crescent (for apples and a pie), we checked out the waterfowl situation at Rieck's Lake Park in Alma.  No swans.  One pelican and lots of Green-winged teals.