Minnesota birders are invited to view by boat tens of thousands of swans and other waterfowl now congregating in pockets on Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge. Swan numbers reach as high as 18,000. Scores of thousands of some 20 species of other waterfowl are already present, and their numbers are increasing daily as well. Duck and geese numbers could reach 300,000 or more. Dozens of Bald Eagles are easier to approach by boat than ever before, and they put on wonderful behavioral displays. As many as one hundred eagles can be seen at peak fall times, many at close range.
The trips are aboard a heated boat with windows on all sides and cushioned seats (and toilets). Cruises depart from the waterfront at Lansing, Iowa, 35 miles downstream from La Crosse, Wisconsin, at 1 p.m. The trip lasts three hours. The boat gets close enough to the birds for exceptional views and excellent chances for photographs. Four cruises remain on the fall schedule: Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 6 and 7 and Nov. 13 and 14. Pre-registration with Mississippi Explorer Cruises is required. To make reservations or for more information, call 877-647-7397. Tickets cost $39.95 for adults, $34.95 for children. There is a Web site at www.MississippiExplorer.com. ===== I'm posting this at the request of Ric Zarwell, Iowa birder and conservationist (who has no financial interest in the boat or the tours). Jim Williams Wayzata, Minn. www.startribune.com/blogs/wingnut ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
