They’re on the Way
November 19, 2006
Hundreds of tundra swans converge on Rieck’s Lake
By Tony Borreson | Winona Daily News
K744 has been visiting Rieck’s Lake every fall for nine years.
The 16-year-old female tundra swan was identified and banded in 1992 in North Carolina. She is one of about 200 swans that stop in the backwaters near Alma, Wis., during their winter migration.
Every fall, thousands of tundra swans make their way from their nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska near the Arctic Circle to the Chesapeake Bay. They use the area of the Mississippi River valley around Winona to rest and gather strength before continuing their 4,000-mile journey.
About 50 Winona area residents, and some outsiders, hopped on a bus Saturday to watch the swans at Rieck’s Lake, Weaver and Brownsville, Minn.
This is the second year I’ve been drawn for a tundra swan permit. (Last Year’s Hunt Blog Post & Last Years Hunt Web Page ) We are planning our hunt around the middle of January in Washington County. I was down there last week deer hunting and heard and saw some swans from the stand.
 |
| From hunting |
A magnificent bird and I look forward to the hunt.
These birds make a long migration and over the next few weeks they should really start arriving in North Carolina. Rumors are that a drop in the population in the nesting surveys will lead to a decline in permits next year. Seems like a waste because even with the current permit system farmers in North Carolina kill far more (crop damage) then hunters do and they leave them to rot in the fields.
Moose Droppings is a place that chronicles my journey, I’ll explore new places and ideas I’ll learn new things and I’ll teach the things I’ve learned to others. Join me on the adventure and hopefully it will help you in your outdoor endeavors.
