On 1-1-12 Dedrick Benz posted a sighting of a Barrow's Goldeneye and a White-winged Scoter on the Mississippi River near Minneiska Minnesota and observed that the flocks of mergansers and goldeneyes that these birds were mingling with at times would fly over into WI waters. I wanted to let everyone know that I was able to re-find the Barrow's Goldeneye and White-winged Scoter and a Long-tailed duck in Wisconsin waters, but I also was able to observe them fly over into Minnesota as well. Most of the flock flew when an airboat was working its way through the backwaters. The birds would also move when chunks of ice would shift, causing eerie sounds that although were cool to hear, made me think about moving as well. I saw them in Buffalo City WI, Buffalo County WI from River Road and Second Street. When they flew into MN waters they would then be visible from the town of Minneiska MN. With the warm weather we are now having, there will be even more open water in the next few days maybe making the flocks stay in one place longer. Thanks to Dedrick Benz for originally reporting some of these birds so that I then took a closer look at what was hanging out on the WI side of the river.
THANK YOU, Scott A. Mehus Education and Eagle Research Director NATIONAL EAGLE CENTER 50 Pembroke Avenue Wabasha Minnesota 55981 651-565-5357 - Fax 651-565-4989 ext. 101 ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
