We've still got plenty of space for the first official MOU Field Trip of 2005. Bob Dunlap and myself will be leading a weekend trip to Rock County (and other hotspots in the SW), looking for a large variety of spring migrants.
As many of you are certainly aware, Spring is here and more birds are arriving in the state everyday. Rock County and the Southwest are great places to bird in the middle of April, as opportunities abound to see plenty of Waterfowl and other early spring migrants. It's a great place and time of year to discover the early Shorebirds for the year. Every trip has the possibility of exciting rarities, and this trip is no exception, with the following species seen in the region during that time of the year: White-faced Ibis, Burrowing Owl, Williamson's Sapsucker, Rock Wren, Sprague's Pipit, Lark Bunting, and Great-tailed Grackle. We'll be birding mostly around Rock County on Saturday, using Luverne as our base, where we will gather for dinner that night. Sunday should find us working a bit north and east, in the likes of Nobles and Jackson counties. Hopefully, we will carpool, so that we'll have a more intimate caravan and save everyone gas expenses. Don't forget, the best part is that these trips are FREE! I'm aware that some individuals may be reluctant this year, because they're unfamiliar with the new management of the MOU Field Trips, so I've included some short biographies below of the two leaders for this trip, myself (Tom Auer - MOU Field Trip Chairman) and Bob Dunlap (Co-leader). Please send me an email by April 13th if you're interested in coming along. We hope to see you out there! Tom Auer Duluth, MN MOU Field Trip Chairman --------------------------------------------- Biographies: Bob Dunlap, an intensive Minnesota birder extraordinaire since 2000, hails from St. Peter, as a freshman at Gustavus Adolphus. With a state list encompassing all of Minnesota's Regular species, Bob has birded in an astounding 83 of the 87 counties in Minnesota. In 2003, he became the youngest person to complete a successful 300+ Big Year in the state. This is Bob's first year co-leading MOU Field Trips, but he frequently gathers his fellow birding comrades for serious jaunts into all corners of the state. Tom Auer, a native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, is in his second year with MOU Field Trips, working last year under the guidance of Mike Hendrickson. He's currently looking to graduate from UM - Duluth this coming December, with a degree in Biology. Tom has 8 years of full-time birding under his belt, with copious experience in all corners of the country. This past winter irruption found him guiding out-of-state birders almost every weekend, having much success. With a penchant for distribution and biogeographical studies, Tom is currently assisting with the Fall Seasonal Report and looks to publish his study on Jaeger Migration on Lake Superior, as soon as he can get around to finishing it to his liking.
