Welcome to Frank's Field Notes, a semi-regular look at what’s happening across the Prairie Pothole Region during spring migration and breeding season.

Part field journal, part migration report, and part window into duck country, Delta Waterfowl Chief Scientist and President Dr. Frank Rohwer offers firsthand observations from the field on ducks, geese, weather, habitat conditions, and the annual return north.

Monarch Butterfly

What a migration

10/9/2026

We all love the waterfowl migration, but the Monarch migration is really something.

3 flying male pintail

early fall Pintails

10/8/2026

You can clearly see the wings and see they are three adult males.

Swainson's adult and juvenile

10/7/2026

Typical of hawks – the juveniles are splotchy.

Yes, they eat ducks too

10/6/2026

I suspect Swainson’s Hawks (shown) and Red-tailed Hawks had good production years

Gadwall Male

nice Gadwall

10/5/2026

Gadwall are loving the shallow water areas created at Delta Marsh.

Goose flock

Flocked versus territorial

10/4/2026

Snapped this typical early October picture of a seasonal pond with a flock of big Canada Geese in foreground and Mallards in back

subtle differences

10/3/2026

This photo shows a male Pintail as seen by most hunters in September.

First day for arctic birds

10/2/2026

Today at Lake Winnipegosis I saw the first flights of Snow Geese and one set of Cacklers.

Lake Winnipegosis

10/1/2026

Beautiful colors this time of year – both on ducks and trees.

Great blue heron

close up

9/30/2026

Great Blue Herons are still at Delta Marsh working on the small fish.

Not what we want to see

9/29/2026

I have no huge problem with drain tile as long as they don’t drain wetlands.

Learning to forage can be hard

9/28/2026

In the bird world – ducks included – young birds almost always have lower survival than adults.

Winter vs. Summer - amazing

9/27/2026

The difference between winter and summer plumage in Long-tailed Ducks is simply amazing.

Longtails

Beautiful birds in breeding plumage

9/26/2026

Like many duck hunters, I have never seen Long-tailed Ducks (aka oldsquaws) in their breeding plumage.

Learning or just foraging

9/25/2026

Female waterfowl home; males do not.

1/2 & 1/2

9/24/2026

Nice mix of 4 BWT and 4 GWT

Flying ducks

Mixed Delta ducks

9/23/2026

Grey light, but many species. Can you get them all?

slough pump

9/22/2026

American Bitterns are common at Delta and across the PPR.

molt feather comparison

last tail feathers to replace

9/21/2026

Ducks hatched this summer carry notched tail feathers compared to non-notched tails.

Avocet in winter and summer

Winter versus summer plumage

9/20/2026

I saw lots of Avocets on wetlands across Saskatchewan.

first crane

9/19/2026

Research team had a great trip to Saskatchewan.

Blue winged Teal females

Adult female BWT

9/18/2026

Adult females are about the last cohort to leave for the winter.

Gray Partridge

Gray Partridge

9/17/2026

Hungarian Partridge – officially Gray Partridge – were introduced from Europe in the 1900s.

sunrise

Duck steaks - great for the grill

9/16/2026

One of my favorite ways to eat duck is to grill both breast with the skin still attached to the breast muscles.

juvenile coot

Juveniles are everywhere

9/15/2026

This is a juvenile coot, with light grey plumage.

spinning wing decoys - work better north

9/14/2026

Afton and Szymanski researched the effects of spinning wing decoys years ago – striking benefit up north; not in Louisiana.

Crane Wing

Crane Wing

9/13/2026

Molt is a major energy expense for birds with big wings.

Hard to be selective

9/12/2026

Bills and wings are the only easy ways to distinguish males and females.

Coot

Lobed toes for better swimming

9/11/2026

Coots are in the rail family, but swim much more than other rails – hence the lobes on their toes.

Marbled Godwit

Big shorebird

9/10/2026

Marbled Godwits are one of the largest shorebirds in North America.