Hi I got out early with my scope at the Coon Rapids dam and saw a fair amount of waterfowl this morning. I was there about nine thirty in the a.m. and upstream from the walkway I saw perhaps as many as two thousand birds. Up close to the walkway I saw a dozen or so gadwall and twice that many lesser scaups both male and female. As I was watching these and some goldeneye I noticed many birds half a mile up steam. So I lugged my scope to the Brooklyn Park side and hiked up the trail for half a mile or so. It was then that I also saw two hooded mergansers crossing the river lots more of the Lesser Scaup, some red heads and a pied billed grebe. I might have seen a bufflehead but since i neither got a good picture of it or saw it well in the scope i’m going to say only maybe. As I stayed and watched the crowd of birds seemed to thin and then a couple of bald eagles drove some off. As i was heading back across the walkway I spotted a single male Northern Shoveler and some Common Mergansers to add to it. Also I saw a bald eagle on the ice. I’ve posted a few photos. I’m afraid that they are not of the best quality because of the distances but they do show some idea of what i saw. At least it shows that the migration is in full swing Here are some photos https://www.flickr.com/photos/ronsthoughts/ Ron Taube Coon Rapids
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