Nothing too exciting to report here, but I headed to Vernon Marsh today via Frog Alley Rd. I first headed down the Greenwing Dike, which seemed dead at first but after I got to the second handicap blind there was open water and there was a fair amount of waterfowl. It was a very cloudy day, snowing off and on, so visibility from a distance was a little poor, but I was able to pick out a number of scaup (appear to be LESSER SCAUP), quite a few RING-NECKED DUCKS, a BUFFLEHEAD here and there, COMMON GOLDENEYES, a couple of mallards, and a pair of COOTS. They flew off a while before I got there but I did get a photo and upon scanning it I also found in the mix a NORTHERN SHOVELER. Lots of Canada geese there too sleeping, conservative estimate was 300 that I could see, more further out Iâ??m sure. Also present were 4 swans, which unfortunately were all MUTE SWANS. And there were several SANDHILL CRANES too. At one point I did think I heard a â??chetâ?? of a RW blackbird but never saw it. Overall the adjoining marsh was very quiet with only the occasional possible peep coming out of it and I usually wasnâ??t sure if I was hearing something or not. No sparrows whatsoever that I could find except a couple SONG SPARROWS near the parking area. Walked a little into the Figure 8 as well, but by then it was getting a little late and didnâ??t see anything else besides more cranes. Out by the tamaracks all I heard were a number of chickadees, playfully muching on the cones. The sun came out around then briefly. (But as I write this itâ??s snowing again.) A couple of hawks soaring as I left. One was a red-tailed. Other one looked darker but it went behind some trees and I wasnâ??t able to refind it if it was anything other than a red-tail. So had to wait until March for winter to really get here, and it looks like by Tuesday it will be back above 50, sigh... -Mike Duchek, Waukesha, Waukesha Co. #################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding Network (Wisbirdn). To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn