Salutations, I'm excited to present this field trip to you. If the magnificent views of the Mississippi River Valley bluff countryside aren't enough to interest you, some of my favorite birding I've done in Minnesota has been in this part of the state. Of course, no guarantees can be made with birding, but specialty summering species to this region include: Cerulean, Prothonotary, Yellow-Throated, Hooded (rare), and Blue-winged Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Acadian Flycatcher, Ruffed Grouse, Henslow's Sparrow, Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse and perhaps my favorite avian feature in this part of the state are the boisterous Wood Thrushes and their ethereal song. Given that this is early June, it is the start of Summer rarity season and some unexpected species could be encountered.
At 6AM, we will be starting at Beaver Creek Valley State Park to try for Louisiana Waterthrush among the many other resident species which nest in this beautiful park. We will then caravan from there to Reno Hillside recreation area, then North along the Mississippi River Valley to multiple excellent birding sites. Much more detailed information can be found on the Signup Genius registration<https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2FA5FFCE9-49086835-southeast#/>, including lodging and logistics. We will want to keep the caravan to as few vehicles as possible, ideally two vehicles but I can live with three, so openness to carpooling down there will be very much appreciated. I am personally willing to pick up as many as three individuals from the Twin Cities metro. Alternatively, if you're coming from outstate, you can leave your vehicle at my home in Mound and ride down with me Friday night. Limit of 7 individuals in two vehicles, registration via Signup Genius event page required: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2FA5FFCE9-49086835-southeast#/ I hope you'll consider joining us! Thank you for reading. Best, Trey Weaver MOU Field Trip Coordinator ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
