Broad swathes of water opened up Monday and migrating waterfowl are abundant along Hwy 35 in Wisconsin. Pelicans are in!

Other observations from Dan Jackson and the La Crosse Audubon group:

On Saturday, March 29th, a nice sized group met at Goose Island to look for waterfowl and other spring migrants. We saw 47 species of birds which included most of the species of ducks that are typically seen on the river during the early part of the spring migration (missed Green-winged Teal, Black Ducks, Redheads, Greater Scaup, and Red-breasted Mergansers.

The highlights were probably a female Great Horned Owl on a nest, a pair of Trumpeter Swans, and a soaring Red-shouldered Hawk.

On Sunday, the geese were really on the move. I had 10-15 flocks go over my house in the morning while I was boiling sap. These included mostly Canadas with a few Cackling Geese. The last flock of the morning was a flock of Greater White-fronted Geese that included a single Snow Goose. A nice distraction from tending the fire and gathering sap!

The first weekend in April join the Audubon group at the Genoa Fish Hatchery at 10:00 a.m. The Genoa Fish Hatchery will be giving the Coulee Region Audubon Society a tour. It will last about an hour.