There were very impressive numbers of birds on Lake Pepin today. I counted 1,213 Bald Eagles between Reads Landing and Wacouta, which represents the highest reported count for the state. Also present were 2499 Common Mergansers (although tens of thousands gather here in fall, this is a new high count for spring), 59 Hooded Mergansers, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, approximately 500 Common Goldeneyes, and several hundred mixed Aythya divers.
Gulling was excellent in Goodhue County at the north end of Lake Pepin and at Colvill Park, including 1200 Ring-billeds, 368 Herring, 3 adult Thayers, a second-cycle Glaucous, a first-cycle Iceland, and two Lesser Black-backeds: a third-cycle and an adult. Both the Iceland and the third-cycle Lesser Black-backed were seen from the rest area at the north end of the lake near Hansens Harbor, while the Glaucous and the adult Lesser Black-backed were at Colvill Park. The first-cycle Iceland is a different individual than the one present in the Twin Cities last January. Karl Bardon __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
