I just joined your TWEETERS list (finally), and am enjoying the discussions
invasive species. I'm not going to wade in on that subject though as I'm
from the guv'mint.

It was too nice of a day to stay in the office tallying paper ducks and
wrestling with computers and telephones, so I escaped out onto the refuge to see
what birds might be about. The old TRUMPETER SWAN did come back again this
spring and he has a young friend with him, an immature trumpeter. They are
hanging around the Pine Lakes. There aren't a large quantity of waterfowl on
the refuge yet, but the variety is increasing daily (we had a skim of ice out
here this morning on the puddles). Besides the trumpeters there were a
handful of TUNDRA SWAN still here, CANADA GEESE, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, RING
NECKED DUCKS, PINTAIL, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, CANVASBACK, RUDDY DUCK,
REDHEADS, and WOOD DUCK. A single male HOODED MERGANSER had 6 hens with him on
Wheeler Pool along the refuge entrance road, lucky guy I guess. Other birds
observed were CASSIN'S FINCH, WESTERN BLUEBIRD, RED BREASTED NUTHATCH, BLACK
AND MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES, RED CROSSBILLS, MOURNING DOVE, RED TAILED HAWK,
MARSH WREN, GREAT BLUE HERON, COMMON SNIPE, NORTHERN FLICKER, RED WINGED
BLACKBIRDS (not a yellow headed or Brewers in sight yet), BLACK BILLED MAGPIE,
COMMON RAVEN, HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE, RING NECKED PHEASANT, VIOLET GREEN SWALLOW, one
YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER. Yesterday we had a SHARP SHINNED HAWK visit the
office bird feeder (a successful SSHA I might add). We've also been seeing a
SAY'S PHOEBE hanging around the office area. Also visitors got to see a cow
moose with her yearling calf near the refuge entrance road.

Nancy J. Curry
TURNBULL NWR