RIDGERUNNER REPORTS: Swans arrive in area waterways

After visiting the new Brownsville, Minn., overlook several times without seeing much waterfowl action, it was a pleasure to hear the tundra swans hooting and hollering when I visited again on Halloween. Most of them were farther out when I arrived, but the bay below the overlook was packed with a variety of ducks, Canada geese, pelicans and a few swans.

Several other excited visitors were looking through the telescopes and shouting about the eagles and other birds they were spotting out there. I moved my tripod down toward the scopes to get a better view, and I had barely got everything set up when the birds began to fly. Soon there was a general panic as every bird in the bay eventually took flight and headed across the river.

Unfortunately, a boat was putting along under the overlook, a violation of the voluntary closure of the refuge area that began Oct. 15 and extends until the end of the duck season. There are signs, but every year some people either ignore them or are just clueless about the disturbance they cause to the migrating waterfowl. After waiting patiently for 30 minutes for the birds to return, I gave up and headed for Goose Island.

Around sunset, I again heard the hooting of tundra swans as group after group flew over the island in “V” formations to join the others along both sides of the river. They will continue to arrive for some time now, reaching a peak sometime around the middle of November.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and members of Mississippi River Wild will host the annual Waterfowl Observation Day and dedication at the Brownsville overlook. Staff and members of MRW will be on hand to answer questions about the migrations. Food and hot beverages will be available for sale, and the proceeds will benefit the refuge.

Goose Island gang returns

Most of the usual gang of winter birds have also returned to the feeding spot on Goose Island. During my first couple times at the feeder I have seen both the white breasted and red breasted nuthatches; downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers; white-throated, song and house sparrows; blue jays, cardinals, starlings, red-wing blackbirds, juncos and of course, black-capped chickadees.

Also present on occasion was some kind of bird predator, probably a Cooper’s or sharp-shinned hawk. I never saw them, but the reaction of the other birds clearly indicated a threat was present. The first time there was a threat, a nuthatch I was watching froze on the spot and didn’t move for two or three minutes. That was highly unusual for the lively and fidgety nuthatch and was a defensive measure to make it less obvious to the predator. The rest of the birds fled from the area.

The second time a hawk came, I was watching a blue jay when it suddenly flew off screeching loudly as only a blue jay can, sounding the warning for everything else. The white-breasted nuthatches also squawk a lot when danger approaches, but after the birds have fled to a safer spot, they all become silent. I have even seen some of the birds dash under fallen logs so fast it is hard to see where they went. It is amusing after things settle down to see three or four birds fly out from under the a log where they were hiding.

People already have begun leaving food for the birds, but unfortunately some of it has not been appropriate. Popcorn and bread, for instance, are not the best foods for wild birds, and they also attract deer. Hopefully anyone interested in watching and feeding the birds will take the time to stop at Wild Birds Unlimited or any other outlet that sells nutritious seed for the birds.

I know many people will enjoy getting out of their cars to tempt the chickadees to land in their hands. This is a unique opportunity to get close to nature, especially for kids, but I would urge people to also sit quietly in their cars for a while and to simply observe the birds being wild birds. Being able to see the behavior and interaction of the birds is well worth the patience it takes to allow the shier species to come in.

The snowbird

Seeing the birds at Goose Island brought back memories of many enjoyable hours spent watching and photographing their activity during the late fall and winter during the past few years. It’s a sign that winter is definitely not too far away. One bird especially represents the onset of winter to many people; some even call it the snowbird. The dark-eyed juncos arrive in October as they migrate from their northern summer range, marking a transition in seasons much as the robins and redwing blackbirds are harbingers of spring.

Some juncos will continue south, but many stay in our area throughout the winter, often frequenting our bird feeding stations. They will eat a variety of seeds, usually preferring to search for them on the ground. In fact, they will look for the seeds that other birds knock to the ground around feeders, so leaving seeds on the ground to start with will help them.

The juncos are easily recognized by the dark gray color above, white bellies and white along the sides of the tail. Some have a tinge of brown, and the Oregon race has a very dark head with variable browns on the back. I see a lot of juncos with a distinctly black head with a dark grayish back and some with a more general gray color on the back.

Whaditiz

It was a dark-eyed junco.