There were at least some signs of spring migration in Jackson Co this afternoon. In the area around Spirit, Little Spirit, and Grovers lakes, three northbound flocks of geese totaling ~1,000 individuals were noted, mostly Canadas with several Gr White-fronteds and Cacklings mixed in. No Snow/Ross's were seen.
At the N end of Little Spirit Lake (which is kept partially open by an aerator), the following species of waterfowl were visible from the public access: Trumpeter Swan, Wood Duck, Gadwall, N Shoveler, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Com Goldeneye, Com Merganser, and Ruddy Duck. (A pair of N Pintail was also seen from CR 2 on the Iowa side of Spirit Lake.) Also noted this afternoon were a few Red-winged Blackbirds singing on territory, 2 Com Grackles (but no Great-taileds), and a small flock of northbound Lapland Longspurs. There is no snow cover to speak of in this part of the state, but neither is there any open water, except on lakes with aerators (e.g., Little Spirit Lake). A few intrepid MBWers will be in Nobles Co tomorrow, so perhaps there will be more migrants to report on then. Kim R Eckert [email protected] http://www.mbwbirds.com ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
