Played hooky today and cruised several areas around Franklin County...

Lake Carmi Dam:
Common Mergansers (7 male, 3 female)
Mallards 3 or 4
Black Ducks - pair
Some dabbling duck I couldn't figure...
Canada geese -8

Missiquoi Bay around Rock River:
Common Raven pair (one on nest, I bet they are incubating. Anyone have
info on CORA egg dates??)
Turkey Vulture pair, copulating. They were at it for more than a
minute - far more leisurely than I associate with the avian sex act. I
guess vultures just don't live life in much of a hurry (Nothing more
dangerous than turning a voyeur loose with a spotting scope...)
Something gawky-looking under the flooded silver maples that flew off
going GAK!GAK!GAK! Any hints, anyone??
Chipping sparrows (more than one in the interstate R.O.W.)
Through the scope we could also count 29 or so Great Blue Herons on
nests at the Shad Island rookery.
Snow geese, a dense flock of perhaps 1 - 2 thousand were also
periodically visible in flight near the Quebec shoreline
(Venice-en-Quebec and vicinity).

Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge:
 From the tiny one car pullout on the N side of 78, 1/4 mile W of the
Louie's Landing fishing access, looking over the large wetlands:
Osprey, on nest platform
Wood Duck pair
Common Grackles mixed in with the Redwings, and possibly a couple of
one of the bright-eyed blackbird species...

- Russ