MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Weather officials found themselves surprised Wednesday when they learned that the plume they spotted on radar over northern Minnesota turned out not to be a wildfire but lots and lots of ducks.
About 600,000 of them.
READ MORE: Court Hears Motions In Derek Chauvin Trial; Jury Selection Paused For At Least A DayThe National Weather Service station in Duluth tweeted about the wildfire-waterfowl confusion, explaining that forecasters spotted the suspicious plume Wednesday morning in the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge and called officials there to see if they were aware of the situation.
The wildlife officials said they were conducting a waterfowl survey and estimated some 600,000 ducks were flying over the park, located just south of McGregor.
READ MORE: 'Summer During Winter': Minnesotans Enjoy Unseasonable Temps On #Top10WxDayAccording to the U.S. Geological Survey, all sorts of flying animals, from birds to bats to insects, can appear on radar.
This morning we saw a plume on radar that appeared to be a fire. We tracked down the location to the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge. We contacted someone there and it turned out they were doing a waterfowl survey and they estimated 600,000 ducks were in the air. #radar #ducks pic.twitter.com/wU6pTvxb5g
MORE NEWS: Wife Of Hockey Ref, Who Died From COVID, Thinks He Contracted It During Carver Co. Games— NWS Duluth (@NWSduluth) October 16, 2019
