TUNDRA SWANS GATHER BY THOUSANDS ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Large numbers of Tundra Swans gather on the Mississippi River from about Wabasha, MN to central Iowa in November and early December. Pool number 8 just south of Brownsville, MN is the area with the largest single concentration of swans.

We saw 23 eagles from Brownsville, MN to Lansing, Iowa during the 2nd week in November. This number will increase dramatically as we get farther in November.

Rafts of coots often provide hunting grounds for eagles along the Mississippi backwaters.

Mallards are like the crows of the big river-they are everywhere and very vocal and warn other birds of our presence.

The Mississippi River is loaded with side channels and backwaters that provide habitat for a large variety of flora and fauna.

articles for spring valley tribune

We have been writing nature articles for the Spring Valley Tribune for several months now and felt it may be good to include these articles at the end of each new blog entry.

THE TUFTED TITMOUSE IS THE KIND OF SUPRISE YOU CAN GET IF YOUR FEED BIRDS IN THE WINTER. WE HAVE BEEN WATCH BIRDS FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND THIS IS ONLY THE FOURTH ONE WE HAVE SEEN IN THIS END OF FILLMORE COUNTY. THE TUFTED TITMOUSE IS COMMON TO THE S.E. OF US BUT FAIRLY UNCOMMON IN MOST OF MINNESOTA.

THIS WINTER TRY FEEDING BIRDS. WE HAVE THREE FEEDERS. A HOMEMADE WOOD PLATFORM FEEDER, A WIRE CAGE FOR SUET, AND THE GROUND. WE FEED SUNFLOWERS SEEDS ON THE PLATFORM, CHEAP MIXED SEED ON THE GROUND, AND SUET OR SUET CAKES IN THE WIRE CAGE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL SHOW UP TO FEED. BELOW YOU WILL SEE OUR FEEDER SYSTEM AND MOST OF THE VISITER YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE.

IF YOU FEED SUNFLOWER SEEDS YOU CAN ATTRACT CHICKADEES. THE CHICKADEE SEEMS TO BE A BIRD THAT ALMOST ENJOYS WINTER. IT FEEDS ALL DAY AND AT NIGHT IT ACTUALLY ALMOST GOES INTO A STATE OF HIBERNATION TO SURVIVE THE COLD. MANY YEARS AGO OUR DAUGHTER ACTUALLY GOT A CHICKADEE TO EAT OUT OF HER HAND. SHE PUT SUNFLOWER SEEDS IN THE PALM OF HER GLOVE-HELD HER HAD OUT FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER-AND A CHICKADEE BEGAN TO LAND ON HER FINGERS AND STEAL ONE SUNFLOWER SEED AT A TIME. CHICKADEES MAKE WINTER BEARABLE.

RED-BELLIES WOODPECKERS ARE BADLY MISNAMED. THE MALES DO HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF BROWNISH-RED ON THEIR BELLY BUT IT IS SELDOM NOTICED. THIS WOODPECKER PREFERS SUNFLOWER SEEDS OVER SUET AND IS QUITE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN OUT BULLY THE BLUE JAYS.

NOTE THE MALE HAS A SMALL SPOT OF RED ON ITS HEAD.

DOWNEY WOOPECKERS LIKE SUET AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

NOTE THE FEMALE HAS NO RED ON ITS HEAD.

HAIRY AND DOWNY WOODPECKERS LOOK A LOT ALIKE, BUT HAIRY WOODPECKERS ARE MUCH LARGER. HAIRY WOODPECKERS LOVE SUET, WHILE DOWNIES WILL EAT SUET AND ALSO SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

THE PILEATED WOODPECKER IS ALMOST AS LARGE AS A CROW. IT EATS GRUBS OUT OF DISEASED TREES AND SELDOM COMES TO A FEEDER. THE LOWLAND FORESTS IN FORESTVILLE STATE PARK HAVE MANY PILEATED WOODPECKERS.

GOLDFINCHES BECOME LESS YELLOW IN THE WINTER. THEY EAT SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND WILL SOMETIMES SPEND THE WHOLE WINTER HERE. IF A WINTER IS REALLY HARSH THEY MAY ALL MOVE FARTHER SOUTH.

THIS NUTHATCH NEST UP NORTH AND OFTEN SPENDS THE WINTERS HERE. EATS SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND SUET.

THIS NUTHATCH IS A YEAR AROUND RESIDENT HERE AND EATS SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND SUET.

JUNCO COME DOWN FROM UP NORTH TO SPEND THE WINTERS HERE. THEY ARE GOUND FEEDERS NX VERY COMMON. THEY ARE SOMETIMES CALLED "SNOW BIRDS".

PURPLE FINCHES ARE OFTEN CONFUSED WITH HOUSE FINCHES. THE EASIEST WAY TO TELL THEM APART IS BY LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE BROWN PATCH ON THE SIDE OF THE FACE OR CHEEK. THE PURPLE FINCH HAS A DISTICNT BROWN CHEEK PATCH AND THE HOUSE FINCH IS NOT AS CLEAR. THE MALE PURPLE FINCH IS ALSO MUCH MORE RED WINE COLORED THE THE MALE HOUSE FINCH. PURPLE FINCHES COME DOWN FROM UP NORTH AND

LOVE SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

HOUSE FINCHES HAVE A LESS DISTICNT CHEEK PATCH AND THE MALES ARE NOT A REDDISH. THE FEMALES ALSO HAVE A LESS VISABLE CHEEK PATCH THAN THE PRUPLE FINCHES. HOUSE FINCHES LIVE HERE YEAR AROUND.

OUR RECORD FOR CARDINALS IS OVER 70 AT ONE TIME. THIS HAPPENED AFTER A HUGE LATE WINTER SNOW STORM AND OUR FOOD ON THE GROUND BECAME THEY ONLY FOOD AVAILABLE.

CARDINALS LOVE SUNFLOWER SEEDS.

BLUE JAYS LIKE CORN AND SUNFLOWERS SEEDS. THEY TEND TO BE THE BULLIES OF THE FEEDER. MALES AND FEMALES LOOK ALIKE.

OUR MAIN WINTER FEEDER IS A FLAT PLATFORM FEEDER ABOUT 5 FT. OFF THE GROUND. WE DRILL HOLES IN THE BOTTOM TO ALLOW WATER TO DRAIN AND FEED SUNFLOWERS ON THE FEEDER.

WE PUT SUNFLOWERS ON THE PLATFORM FEEDER AND SUET CAKES IN THE WIRE SUET FEEDER. THIS ATTRACTS WOODPECKERS, CHICKADEES, NUTHATCHES, CARDINALS, FINCHES, AND OTHERS.

MANY WINTER BIRDS PREFER TO FEED OFF THE GROUND. WE THROW SUNFLOWER SEED AND CHEAP BIRD MIX YOU CAN BUY ANY WHERE ON THE GROUND FOR THE GROUND FEEDING BIRDS.

SHARPSHIN HAWKS ARE A LITTLE LARGER THAN A BLUE JAY AND LOVE TO EAT SMALL BIRDS. THEY OFTEN HANG AROUND FEEDERS TO CATCH JUNCOS, NUTHATCHES, ETC.

THEY HAVE A LARGER COUSIN CALLED A COOPERS HAWK THAT IS ALMOST AS LARGE AS A CROW THAT ALSO HUNTS AROUND FEEDERS.

CEDAR WAXWINGS WILL NOT COME TO FEEDERS BUT THEY DO LIKE BERRIES OF ALMOST ANY TYPE. SOME DO SPEND THE WHOLE YEAR HERE.

THE HOUSE (ENGLISH) SPARROWS ARE BOUND TO FIND YOUR FEEDERS-ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT LIKE SUNFLOWER SEEDS THEY DO LIKE CRACKED CORN AND THE CHEAPER BIRD FOODS.