[mou] MN River Valley Migration

[JELLISBIRD@aol.com]

I took advantage of a day free and the 35 mph S. winds to bird the upper MN 
River Valley. Near Sparta Cemetary about 3 Miles NW of Granite Falls the hills 
overlook a large riverine wetland. Eagles and Redtails were following the 
updrafts from the hills on the N side of the valley. In a 35 minute period 
(10:45-11:30) I counted 14 adult Bald Eagles, 8 Juveniles Bald Eagles and 12 
Red-Tailed Hawks. There were several other raptors I was not certain of.
    Small pockets of water were open at the HGH 75 dam site at Big Stone and 
many Canada Geese and Snows were loafing and feeding. Further NW from a rest 
stop along MN 7 just SE of the Bonanza Grove unit of Big Stone State Park 
(south of Beardsley)    I saw many flocks of geese including 75 Greater 
White-fronted Geese, hundreds of Canada Geese, and many, many flocks of white and blue 
phase Snow Geese, some with a few Ross's Geese thrown in. In one short period an 
aggregate of Snow Geese moved through which had flocks of 1000, 1500, 500, 
200, 1000, 200 and finally the last 400. I was surprised at how 
opportunistically they all moved with the winds. Nearly all the geese I saw from this point 
moved west over Dakota. Truly a migration spectacle.
    John Ellis, St. Paul