Jan Collins: 11/14/07 Somers 8 AM 1 AMERICAN PIPIT in field on Hutton Rd with 40+ Horned Lark I just returned from a Birding Festival held on a 40 mile stretch of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge where the states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin meet. There are 2 dams in this stretch of river and last week's conservative estimate of the waterfowl in the 2 pools (Pool 8 and 9) behind these dams was: 250,000-300,000 ducks, with the divers being mostly Canvasback and the puddle ducks mostly Mallard but all other species except for Blue-winged teal (which have already departed) also represented in good numbers (flocks of 70+ Pintail, 50+ Northern shoveler, 50+ Green-winged teal, Bufflehead, Ring necked duck, Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Redheads, etc.etc.) Also huge numbers of the northern ivory billed diver (otherwise known as the American coot or mudhen) mixed in with the line of Canvasbacks which stretched for several miles along the deepwater channel. Tundra swans were just starting to cross the Refuge here on their way to the Carolinas due to the warmer than usual fall weather, but several thousand still made an impressive site and with their haunting call were most enjoyable to watch and listen to. Also present were 100's of Bald eagles, both adults and juveniles from the 60+ nests along this stretch of river, following the ducks for easy pickings of those ducks that unfortunately injested snails infected with a virus that kills the ducks but doesn't seem to affect the eagles. Also the eagles were scavenging road kill like deer and possum and being the majestic bird they are, they simply did not feel the need to move when approached by a car so gave really good looks as we drove around them! Approximately 100 White pelican stragglers were still on this part of the refuge as well, delaying their south bound trip until the real cold sets in. Exciting news regarding the Pelicans is that they have nested for the first time on the Mississippi River on Pool 14 in central Illinois. So all the habitat restoration projects are beginning to pay off as these huge birds now seem to be finding the River to their liking. Sandhill Cranes were also spotted in one marsh and Bonaparte Gulls and 1 Western Grebe added to the rarer list of 89 species recorded during the festival. This is my second year attending this Rivers and Bluffs Birding Festival (I have family nearby) and I highly recommend it. We even were fortunate to have the film maker for the PBS special called Raptor Force on hand as he lives in the area and he brought one of the stars of the film, a peregrine falcon, for an up close and personal look! Great time. Jan