A non-birding friend was driving through Nebraska on I-80 on Feb. 16th in the early to mid afternoon near N. Platte.  He reports seeing thousands of birds migrating north.  He said 100's of birds in a flock and the flocks were stretched out for several miles.  He describes them as having a dirty white body with black wings.  They're about the size of a large mallard.  No dimorphism.  He said that he thought they were canada geese at a distance, but once he got closer they didn't have a bill, but a beak.  Also said they were like a fat gull.  He drew a sketch that looked like a galinaceous bird.  He liked the shorebird body shape, but said they are too small and the bills too long.  Greater white-fronted goose has too long of a neck.  Any ideas what he could have seen.  I've been trying to figure it out for hours and it's killing me.  What would have been migrating in large numbers at that time?  Anybody know a local birder that can attest to what was actually in the area that day.  I checked a few NE RBA's but didn't see anything.    
 		 	   		  
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