Every year around October I start wondering if the Tundra Swans are going to come back to the Mississippi around La Crosse. I am happy to report that they are back in a big way this year again. I used to go Rieck's Lake near Alma Wisconsin in the late nineties. Unfrtunately the lake got silted from a big rain aound 2005, and the swans haven't been back to Rieck's Lake in large numbers since then. The now seem to prefer an area a few miles south of Brownsville Minnesota on the Mississsippi River. There is now a nice place to pull off the road near the swans with a parking and viewing area. These picture are from Saturday November 12, 2011.

Saw-Whet Owl

We traveled to Manitowoc Wisconsin on Friday October 14, 2011 to attend the annual owl festival at Woodland Dunes Nature Center. We were there last year and witnessed the release of  a number of Saw-Whet Owls that had been captured and banded. This was a wonderful experience and a great photo opportunity. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperative this year, and no owls were captured due to the high winds and rain that started on Friday and continued all night. We did manage to see a couple of Palm Warblers on the board walk trying to take shelter in the bushes from the wind. On the way there and back we stopped at the Horicon Marsh near Mayville Wisconsin. The wind made for difficult conditions at the Marsh as well. We did find an excellent restaurant in Mayville called The Audubon Inn. The Horicon Marsh will be a great place to visit in a few weeks when there are more migrant water fowl, and in the spring when the neo-tropical migrants are returning.