1-9-17  back to Alton and the bird refuge nearby:

Not too exotic, but interesting birds none-the-less, Canadian Geese.  There are a lot of them in the Midwest.

Looking over towards some of the migratory birds---Swans and Mallard ducks.

I never knew Swans migrated until I came across them here a few years ago.

Don't know where they're on their way too or from, but they like to spend a little bit of time here along their way.

 close up of some of the chunks of ice flowing on the Mississippi.

Looking across to Alton, Illinois, from the Missouri side of the river.

 checking out under the Alton bridge.

another view of Alton.  Who says the midwest is all flat lands?!

 There are a few ponds on the Missouri side of the river.  This is our "Loxahatchee" of Missouri---our go to place for sunsets.  We do get an amazingly lot of really pretty sunsets in the midwest!

  Heading over to the Bird Refuge side of Highway 367 by the Alton bridge.

Often we see Bald Eagles on the trees here during these cold winter days.  The Swans are just before the trees.

 Back to the Mississippi on the other side of one of the Locks and Dams. 

 According to one of my nifty Christmas gifts from Tim and Faith, "Field Guide to Birds of North America", this is a Barrow's Goldeneye.  I don't recall ever seeing these guys before!

I assume they were migrating, too.  But they were on the lower part of the dam.

 Another view of the bird refuge with the Alton Bridge in the background. 

Not quite like the bird watching I grew so fond of in Florida, but still really neat----just a bit colder!