WINONA, Minn. (FWS) – The Winona District of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Friends of the Refuge Headwaters will host the The Big Sit!, a 15-hour bird watching event, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, at McNally boat landing on Prairie Island Drive in Winona, Minnesota. Bird watchers will sit in a 17-foot circle to watch, listen and record birds in the area. The goal of the event is to tally as many bird species as can be seen or heard from the designated area. The Refuge will provide binoculars, spotting scopes, bird identification books and chairs. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may come-and-go at their leisure within the designated times. The event will be canceled if it is raining. The Big Sit! will be held in conjunction with a 10 a.m. event at the McNally boat landing to commemorate the Upper Mississippi River Floodplain’s designation as a Wetland of International Importance. The Big Sit! is an annual, international, noncompetitive birding event hosted by Bird Watcher’s Digest and founded by the New Haven (CT) Bird Club. The Big Sit! has been adopted by the National Wildlife Refuge System as part of National Wildlife Refuge Week celebrations. The event allows birders of all ages and the non-birding public to enjoy a National Wildlife Refuge. Look for signs at McNally Landing the day of the event or follow the GPS coordinates to the Big Sit! site: N 44° 04.885’ W 091° 41.242’ For more information, call Heath Hamilton at 507-494-6213 or e-mail: [email protected].
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