[wisb] Re: Mississippi River Pools (and some MN birding)

Hey everyone, 

To add to Alex's post: 
I stopped up at Brownsville last week and my conservative estimate of the 
number of swans was around 3-5000.  I'm sure that more have come in with the 
last cold front.  
I should also mention: Everyone always tells me about how they went up to Alma 
to see the Tundra Swans.  Everyone knows about Alma because that used to be the 
single best place on the entire river to see migrating Tundra Swans. I don't 
know if it's still running, but they used to hold a festival every year for 
this.  
In recent years, reports I've heard from up there have been disappointing at 
best. My understanding is that some dredging was done in the area and that the 
habitat is no longer ideal for Tundra Swans. 
At the same time that this happened, they started building the islands in the 
river in front of the overlook at Brownsville, MN. This project is now nearing 
completion and provides superb habitat for migrating waterfowl. I would have no 
hesitation in stating that the Brownsville overlook (which has a brand new 
platform which was completed only a few years ago) is THE single best place to 
see migrating Tundra Swans, not only on the Mississippi River, but perhaps even 
in the entire country.  
So if you have a day free this fall, I'd highly recommend making a stop at the 
Brownsville overlook. You won't be disappointed. It's easy to find. It's right 
on the highway, just south of the town of Brownsville, MN. 

If you don't want to look for it yourself, come along on my audubon field trip 
on Saturday. It will be our last stop of the day. :) 



Happy Birding! --Chris W, Richland County Interpretive Naturalist Mississippi 
Explorer Cruises
http://mississippiexplorer.com/chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://swallowtailedkite.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.nabirding.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/swallowtailphoto

"The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first 
material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the 
composer; but when the last individual of a race of living things breathes no 
more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be 
again."

(From William Beebe's "The Bird: Its Form and Function," 1906)

> Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:30:36 -0600
> Subject: [wisb] Mississippi River Pools (and some MN birding)
> From: thearctictern@xxxxxxxxx
> To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Hey Wisbirders,
> 
> My wife and I took a quick drive up the river from Prairie du Chien to
> check out the Tundra Swan migration. As we were driving up highway 35
> heading to Brownsville, MN we noted about 50 Bald Eagles flying south
> along bluff. There was the occasional Red-tailed Hawk and a single
> Rough-legged Hawk thrown in there during the 30 mile stretch. In the
> "big water" next to the Lynxville dam there were hundreds and
> thousands of American Coots, Canvasback, Bufflehead, Redhead,
> Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Ducks. There were also many
> Tundra Swans viewed in this particular pool also through the scopes.
> 
> We arrived to the overlook just south of Brownsville, MN and were
> awestruck (like we are every year) with the sheer numbers of Swans.
> The amount of Tundra Swans in that single area is unimaginable. We
> were also getting great looks at Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail,
> Northern Shoveler, Gadwall and many other puddle ducks. We didn't see
> anything rare but everyone from Wisconsin must get to this area and
> observe the fantastic Tundra Swan migration sometime during their
> birding adventures.
> 
> I managed to find a fish and wildlife ranger and he mentioned that
> this is PEAK Tundra Swan migration! It doesn't get any better after
> this until next year, so try get over here and see this amazing stop
> in the Swans migration.
> 
> Bird On,
> Alex Stark
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