Much of the central part of the country is currently experiencing dangerous flash floods. See up to the minute status reports for American rivers by clicking on our INTERACTIVE FLOOD LINK in the category list to the right.
Looking for more great content, lots of river content available by clicking on any of the category links.
I just heard from the La Crosse Audubon group that there are four trumpeter swans in Perrot S.P, and 16 in the Whitewater Wildlife management area. ( Open water on the north side of 74, before you hit the pavement coming from Weaver.) Waterfowl are certainly creatures of habit, but, they aren’t pinned down! So keep your eyes open!
Thank you for the heads up, Pat Schmidt!
Images below and in header are found at the Trumpeter Swan society site.
Trumpeter
The Trumpeter is a huge bird, with a wingspread up to 10 feet! But notice the very black bill which makes an almost perfect triangle and stretches right to the eye.
The society offers a detailed identification guide free if you CLICK HERE.
Tundra
Ok, Friends, as Great River Arts is encouraging us to find new options for using our
30 years of River Content and Waterway Travel, I am trying out pdf and flipbook formats.
Here is link to our first Old Time Railroad Stories Flipbook Sample, by Michael Gillespie. If you prefer a .pdf for your hand-held device, try this: Railroad Stories .pdf
If you wish to have it as a kindle file on Amazon, let me know and we will post it there!
Please have a look at our sampler links above and let me know what you think.
All of Mike’s books are now available at Amazon as both paperback and Kindle formats, as well as on our shopping cart at www.greatriverarts.com
I also have a Mississippi River Treasuring Hunting Guide based on one of our HEARTLAND BOATING 
feature stories, and I’d like to get a Winter Bald Eagle Pamphlet out before long.
Click this link for our TREASURE.pdf
and here for the Treasure flipbook.
Our idea is to offer shorter readings of perhaps 12 pages on specific topics, rather big chunks on the whole river. Your thoughts are welcome!
“Wow, I can’t begin to describe how beautifully painted my 1858 Plantation map is! Great communication with the artist. I highly recommend Lisa Middleton’s work!” ~Mary Ann Carter, 12/12/2017
Our Collection of hand-painted Historic Maps is growing by leaps and bounds! Please use (blue) links to explore our maps and prints by category! Need a custom map of YOUR estate or favorite destination? Please PHONE 888-255-7726
CLICK HERE TO SEARCH our Map shopping site by any KEYWORD… date, cartographer, locale, state, etc. If you don’t find it, Call us! 888-255-7726
Gosh, better yet… Give YOURSELF a gift print! Sign up for a FREE weekly map raffle HERE!
Hand painted originals available now! Usual wait period is 1 month!
Top selling Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain maps
Special Gift set of Mississippi River Guidebooks and the 1887 map of the Mississippi River… save $20 on the set!
Discover! America’s Great River Road: Heritage and Natural History Guidebooks
A “heads up” from Dan Jackson… THANKS, Dan!
Tim Miller, the District Manager for La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge, found an immature female Snowy Owl at the District Visitor Center on Brice Prairie just west of Onalaska this morning. When he first saw it, it was near the staff parking lot. It then moved into the maintenance lot and was perched on a truck.
Hopefully, this bird will stick around as the prairie around the Visitor Center would be a wonderful hunting area.
Good Birding,
Dan Jackson
www.PBase.com/DEJackson
The wayside just south of Goose Island County Park, along Hwy 35 is offering excellent viewing of Tundra Swans and ducks once again. The Brownsville wayside on the Minnesota shore should be equally as busy. There are often DNR folks and other volunteers on hand over the weekend with spotting scopes. Bring your binoculars!!
For more on the history of Swans in Pool 8, enter Tundra Swans, and to answer the question of “why are they here now?” please CLICK HERE.
American Bald Eagles are also abundant, but the water is open as yet so they are fairly well distributed.
See all FIVE of Michael Gillespie’s excellent river/rail steam transportation anthologies available as quality paperbacks published by Great River Publishing…. CLICK HERE A beautiful collection for gifting to your favorite Railroad Buff!
Or Visit AMAZON KINDLE Books to purchase in NEW Kindle Editions...CLICK HERE.
Fall Foliage Hot Lines from greatriver.com
While mid-October seems to be the month when Fall Foliage really POPS along the Upper Mississippi River, it may be a little EARLIER this year. You can follow its southward march with the contacts below. Weather is perfect, enjoy the drive!
Arkansas. 800-628-8725; www.1800natural.com (late October to early November)
Illinois. 800-226-6632; www.enjoyillinois.com (early October)
Kentucky. 800-225-8747; (late October)
Minnesota. 800-657-3700; www.exploreminnesota.com (late September to mid-October)
Missouri. 800-778-1234; www.missouritourism.org (mid-to-late October)
Tennessee. 800-697-4200; www.state.tn.us/tourdev/ (early November)
Wisconsin. 800-432-8747; www.travelwisconsin.com (early through mid-October)
And don’t leave home without the indispensable guides to Mississippi River and Great River Road travel! Every volume of DISCOVER! America’s Great River Road is filled with a variety of fascinating Mississippi River fact and lore. Photos, maps, charts! All Volumes contain info on birding, wildlife viewing hotspots. Each highlights Geography, interpretive history and natural history attractions along the Great River Road.
SAVE $10!!! Purchase ALL FOUR VOLUMES of Discover! America’s Great River Road… St. Paul, Minnesota, to Venice, Louisiana, individually signed by the author. Four guides for $62.
Map Artist, Lisa Middleton, got her start on the Mississippi River, but she is truly nationally know for her custom designed artisan maps as well as her extensive body of hand painted historic maps. Her summer home is Montana, and the Northwestern market is keeping her busy. See ALL Lisa’s maps at www.greatriverarts.com
Custom map of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
215 The Ice Age Trail Map, Wisconsin Designed by Lisa Middleton
168 Hiking trails of Hixon Forest, LaCrosse WI