[mou] Fw: Pool 8, Miss. R., Brownsville, Houston Co. south: New viewing areas.

[fred lesher]

--- On Mon, 11/10/08, fred lesher <corax6330 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: fred lesher <corax6330 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Pool 8, Miss. R., Brownsville, Houston Co. south: New viewing areas.
> To: "min bird" <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>
> Date: Monday, November 10, 2008, 7:51 PM
> Am. White Pelican----------------------100+/-
> Double-crested Cormorant
> Great Blue Heron-----------------------  1
> Tundra Swan---------------------------5000+/-
> Can. Goose
> Wood Duck
> Green-w. Teal
> Am. Black D.
> No. Pintail
> No. Shoveler
> Gadwall
> Am. Wigeon
> Canvasback
> Ring-necked D.
> L. Scaup
> C. Goldeneye
> Bufflehead
> Hooded Merganser
> Bald Eagle------------------------------90+/- (30A,60I)
> Am. Coot
> Killdeer (Wildcat Creek delta, Brownsville/Hwy 26) ---8
> Common
> Snipe------------"----------------------------55
> Ring-b. Gull
> Belted Kingfisher----------------------------1
> Red-w. Blackbird-------------------------2000-3000 + 
>                 (LaCrescent cattail marsh, south edge of
> town, viewed 
>                  from Hwy 16,
>                  2-3 thousand swarming into the marsh, 4:45
> PM.
>                  Numbers will build into tens of thousands
> roosting in 
>                  the marsh, early winter. Before
> snow-cover, these birds
>                  will remain, flying west to feed in fields
> on picked
>                  & unpicked corn. I have tried to count
> a stream of
>                  blackbirds flying in to roost &
> "guestimate" around 
>                  120,000 +, or enough birds to pass
> overhead for 30 
>                  minutes in an unbroken string of birds.
> Good idea not 
>                  to gaze upward with an open mouth as they
> pass.)  
> 
> The USFWS & MNDOT have constructed a viewing/parking
> area complete with two spotting scopes a couple miles south
> of Brownsville on Hwy 26. Check it out! The Corps of
> Engineers has dredged in several barrier islands &
> created flowing side channels & cattail marsh as well as
> beaches. Directly in front of this new area, Bald Eagles
> stand around awaiting an unwary Coot or wounded duck, and
> others soar overhead. The near dredged island is about 100
> yards from shore, and the entire project is about a mile
> long. The Tundra Swans are further out, and strung out up
> & down the River for several miles.
> 
> The other viewing area is an older small wooden deck
> another 2 miles or so south of the new area described above.
> This deck has also been built by MNDOT & the USFWS. The
> waterfowl here are further away & there are more divers
> in this open pool area than at the new viewing area
> described above.
> 
> These birds present today, Nov. 10.
> 
> Fred Lesher
> LaCrosse, Wis.