Over 15,000 Bufflehead ducks were counted on Pool 9 of the Mississippi River in early December. The birds were migrants resting and feeding on the river. The count, considered a world record for that species, was made by two Wisconsin DNR biologists. The exact number reported was 15,565, although I'm not certain how that many moving targets can be counted with such precision. Also counted by this team were 12,859 Common Goldeneyes, another very precise record. Counts of 62,000 Canvasbacks and 8,700 Gadwalls were made, but didn't break any records. Pool 9 begins in near the Minnesota border with Iowa, and continues to Genoa, Iowa. (The male Bufflehead in the photo was not part of the count.)
