TRUMPETER SWANS & BALD EAGLES In Alma

A year ago Alma was visited by 6 Trumpeter Swans, 1 adult and 5 cygnets.  The adult had been injured and died with a day of arrival.  The 5 cygnets remained feeding in the open waters below Lock & Dam #4 on the Mississippi River around the Great Alma Fishing Float.  These juveniles were often visited by adults who were staying south of the area where there was a larger population in Buffalo City, WI.

This was a rare sight for Alma ... we enjoy a robust Bald Eagle population and Tundra Swans are a fixture in the fall but no one remembered Trumpeter Swans.

 1-15-2010, 3 Trumpeter Swans

Wednesday brought a return of Trumpeter Swans to Alma,

 2 adults and 2 cygnets.  This year they are a little south of the Lock & Dam

feeding in the open waters of the Mississippi River. 

 One adult and one cygnet are banded.

Today there was a Bald Eagle intently watching the group

 float by on the Mississippi River

as they were feeding ... but no interaction.

Check with the staff at Wings Over Alma

if you come to town and want to view the Trumpeter Swans.

BALD EAGLES, Too Many To Count

December 13th   Today is a special day for Bald Eagles in Alma!  300+ counted along the 2-mile stretch of Mississippi River beside Alma's Main Street.  Their chittering was so loud you could hear it throughout town.

The mist in this photo is from the difference in temperature: 

Air 3 degrees, Water above 32 degrees

15 Bald Eagles In Trees

26 Bald Eagles In Trees

Look closely at these tree pictures, there are lots of eagles.

Not all bald eagles have white heads. 
Juveniles are mottled & more difficult to see in trees.

Photos taken from beside the NAPA Auto Parts Store on Main Street

within 5 minute period, it was 3 degrees and too cold to stay longer. 

Camera:  Olympus SP-800UZ Point & Shoot

BALD EAGLES Surfing The Mississippi

December 12th  The Bald Eagles were out in force today on the Mississippi River in Alma, Wisconsin following yesterday's blizzard and record 26" snowfall. There were well over 200 Bald Eagles counted in the 2-mile stretch along Alma's Main Street.  With the winds from the north they could hover over the water and wait for a fish.

These Bald Eagles took the easy way and floated on a piece of ice down the fast moving Mississippi River. They had trouble standing because of the wind and the swiftness of the water.

Then there were three ...

   

 ...watch the balancing act ...

                                                                                                                                                      

...from one end of the ice float to the other.

Photos taken from beside the NAPA Auto Parts Store on Main Street

Camera:  Olympus SP-800UZ Point & Shoot

Where Are The MUSKRATS?

We experienced an inordinate amount of rain in September in the Buffalo County, Wisconsin area resulting in flooding of the Mississippi River and its backwaters as well as the Buffalo River. Throughout fall we looked for the sign that winter was coming ... the muskrat huts, but there were few to be found. Did the prolonged high water cause the muskrats to seek dry land in other areas? There was lots of discourse on where the muskrats had gone.

The first snow of the season fell on December 3rd and the muskrat puzzle was solved.

If you drive by Rieck's Lake just north of Alma on Wisconsin Hwy 37 you can see white spots where the snow had settled on the roofs of the muskrat huts. You couldn't see them until it snowed because the huts were tucked up behind grasses and high spots out of the way of the high waters of the lake and the unusally swift currents coming down the Buffalo River to the Mississippi. Huts are used for communal living and for food storage.

Take note of the muskrat trails from hut to hut. I love this shot showing the sway in the trail formed by the muskrat scooting from left to right in the 6 inches of snow.

This is a great nature view for kids and a real learning opportunity. For more "kid friendly" info on muskrats visit the DNR Critter Corner.

Field Trip To Buffalo City

We have been experiencing extraordinary numbers of Bald Eagles flying below Lock & Dam #4 on the Mississippi River in Alma, Wisconsin. From the Wings Over Alma Nature & Art Center's viewing deck our daily counts are ranging from 80 to 100. The City of Alma eagle count is between 120 and 160 daily.

Knowing that Alma was not alone in this abundance, I decided to take a field trip and drive to Buffalo City, just a few miles south. Turning right on County Hwy OO off of Wisconsin State Hwy 37, I entered one of my favorite drives for Bald Eagle watching because the road closely parallels the Mississippi River backwaters for about 8 miles.

I was not disappointed. During my drive time of an hour along the river I counted 215 Bald Eagles in the trees, on the ice and flying overhead. If time would have allowed, I could have sat for hours and watched the eagles.

Photo opportunities along this stretch of road require preparation because you are so close to the eagles, many of them are just a few feet away from you. Walking up or driving your car by them causes the eagles to fly away.

You have to have your camera ready, your window down and embrace "drive by" photography. Lots of photos are no good, but you can achieve some real gems with patience and perseverance. I often drive the stretch of road picking the areas where I want to take pictures and then return with camera at the ready.

If you live in the Buffalo County, Wisconsin area or nearby don't miss the opportunity for outstanding Bald Eagle viewing at the Wings Over Alma Nature & Art Center or along the Mississippi River in Buffalo City.

BALD EAGLES Arrived This Week

The local Bald Eagle population has not been down by the Mississippi River for awhile, preferring the food opportunities available on land. This week the migration of Bald Eagles from points north brought new arrivals.
Dec 1st, 2pm, counted 20+ Bald Eagles visible from the viewing deck at Wings Over Alma, sitting in trees and fishing in the open water below Lock & Dam #4 on the Mississippi River. They are about 2 weeks early and it was an unexpected thrill to see them. Bald eagles will spend the winter at this location and we normally count 40 to 200 Bald Eagles a day between mid-December and the beginning of March.
Dec 2nd, 2pm, counted 60 Bald Eagles on a bright sunny day. They were swooping and diving ... it made you wonder how they could pass each other without colliding. The juveniles were the most fun to watch flying into headwinds, low to the water, with a parent overhead guiding them on. Thousands of Ring-Billed Gulls migrating south had stopped over to fish in the open water but they were forced to feed around the lock & dam by the Bald Eagles.

Dec 3rd, 10am, counted 102 Bald Eagles with 98 sitting in the trees and 4 flying over the open water. Most of the eagles stayed in the trees all day. The weather had changed to overcast with an expectation of snow later in the day. It was amazing to see 20 to 30 Bald Eagles in a single tree through the lense of a spotting scope. Since the Eagles weren't flying a lot today the Ring-Billed Gulls were everywhere. Lots of ducks and geese overhead in formation flying south. Almost 200 Common Goldeneye ducks rafting below Lock & Dam 4.
Come experience this Bald Eagle explosion first hand at the Wings Over Alma Nature & Art Center on Main Street in Alma, Wisconsin or visit our website at http://www.wingsoveralma.org/ for more information.