Swan song: Tundras flocking to spots across Minnesota

Flocks of tundra swans can be seen flying across Minnesota on their way from breeding grounds on the northern edge of North America to winter grounds along the mid-Atlantic coast. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge offers the most notable spots for seeing them in protected waters where they can rest and refuel.

Try Weaver Bottoms marshes in Winona County, Rieck’s Lake Park just north of Alma on the Wisconsin shore, and at an overlook 3 miles south of Brownsville, Minn. Tundra swans, which are smaller than trumpeters, stand out the most, but all three areas draw a variety of migrating waterfowl, including pintail ducks, wood ducks, ring-necked ducks and American wigeons.

In northern and central Minnesota, yellow-needled tamarack trees bring a blaze of color to lakeshores and bogs in late fall. Tamaracks are the only evergreen to drop all their needles until spring. Though they are plentiful in some areas, they are struggling because of the eastern larch beetle and warming winters. Get close to a branch, and you can identify a tamarack by the delicate circular clusters of needles and tiny cones.

If you’re walking along lakes, rivers or ponds you might spot a so-called raft (or gathering) of American coots. These dark-feathered birds only about a foot long feature stubby, sloping light-colored bills that make them look a bit like a chicken. They also have red eyes, a possible red dot on their forehead and black ring at the tip of their bill. They bob their heads while swimming and dive for seeds, grasses, aquatic plants and insects. You can hear their croaks, squawks and calls at allaboutbirds.org.

Lisa Meyers McClintick of St. Cloud has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.