Hi All, Just a reminder that there are some fun MOU trips coming up this weekend that are led by some talented birders:
* May 12-13: Western Minnesota Shorebirds Trip led by Garrett WeeParticipants may well see 20+ species of shorebirds on this one or two day option trip led by one of the area’s top birders. Public and private land around Cottonwood, MN will be explored in the effort to see as many shorebirds and marsh birds as possible. Whether you bird one day or two, bring your own provisions and plan to spend the full day afield with Garrett. Meet Garrett each morning at the Cenex at 8:00 a.m. Participants are encouraged to bring mud boots of some kind. Garrett says that accommodations can be made for the physically handicapped--please email [email protected] <[email protected]> for more information. May 12: Warbler Walk at Frontenac State Park led by Ben DouglasBe a part of Ben Douglas’s State Park Big Year by joining him to look for warblers and other migrant passerines at one of the best state parks for spring migration. Interested participants should meet Ben at the main lot at the end of Park Road at 7 a.m. and plan on a roughly a 4-hour walk. * And if you are planning far ahead, field trips have been set through the month of July: May 27: Koochiching County Big Day Challenge led by Frank Gosiak This friendly competition set near the Canadian border is an annual event in which participants will try to list as many species as possible in Koochiching County in a single day. Teams will work to unseat current record holders Shawn Conrad, Dedrick Benz, and Earl Orf who sit atop at 141 species back in 2009. The competition begins with a meet-up at the Shining Light Cafe in Northome at 6:00 a.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. at the same location. There is a meal planned for breakfast and one at the end of the competition at the Shining Light Cafe with the cost incurred by the participants. A trophy will be passed to the winning group to hold for the next year. More information regarding maps, hotels, and rules can be found in the Minnesota Heartland Birders Facebook group, the Shining Light Cafe’s Facebook page, or by contacting Frank directly at [email protected] or 320-267-1667. June Field Trips June 2: Birding Boat Tour through Marsh Lake and Lac qui Parle WMA led by Garrett Wee Participants will explore this wild area in a way that only intrepid birders can--by canoe! This area is restricted to non-motorized boats, so participants will paddle their way through the WMA in an effort to see large counts of waterfowl, shorebirds, waders, and other marsh birds. Space is limited on this excursion, so email [email protected] to reserve your spot. If you have your own canoe and are willing to bring it, please mention that in the email. Exact meet-up time, location, and other trip details will be determined once the participant list is finalized. June 16: Touring Two “New” SNAs with Liz Harper and Alex Sundvall: Crystal Spring SNA (Washington County) and Lawrence Creek SNA (Chisago County) Target species for this trip will include Louisiana Waterthrush, Acadian Flycatcher, and Cerulean Warbler. This trip is capped at 10 people/2 cars due to parking limitations. Email [email protected] to reserve your spot. This trip will likely start at dawn, but the exact time, meeting location, and carpooling details will be determined after the participant list is finalized. Please note that most of the hiking will be off trail on some steep, slippery terrain and in and around stream beds. Also, there is poison ivy, the potential for wood and deer ticks, and there are no bathroom facilities (though Scandia is nearby). Please come prepared for hiking in these conditions. Bring snacks and water and plan to spend 4-6 hours afield. *July Field Trips* July 14: Stearns County Birding Day led by Aaron Ludwig Participants will tour Stearns County with a local expert, going through county parks and other great locales such as St. John’s Arboretum and the Albany WTP. Meet Aaron in the A&W parking lot in Albany at 7:00 a.m. There will be a stop for lunch, but this will be a full day of birding. There will be a fair amount of hiking, so plan accordingly. July 28: Hunting for Blue Grosbeaks in West-Central Minnesota led by Josh Wallestad Gone are the days that Blue Grosbeaks could be found regularly in just the extreme southwest corner of the state--they now occur with regularity much further north and east. Participants in this trip will tour historical Blue Grosbeak sites in Chippewa and Renville Counties to ascertain reoccurence at some of these sites. Additionally, this trip will visit new sites that have Blue Grosbeak potential, possibly even looking for this bird in Meeker and/or McLeod Counties. Meet at 7:00 a.m. in the Hardee’s parking lot in Granite Falls. The trip will last 4-6 hours and will involve a fair amount of driving as we travel between several sites and stop for a short time at each to look/listen for Blue Grosbeaks. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
