Hello All, MOU has some fun field trips coming up, including one this weekend! Here is a quick list. A more detailed account of each trip is found further down in this email.
October 21: Fall Birding in Ramsey County November 3: Central Minnesota Sea Duck Search November 10: Northeast Metro Sea Duck Circuit November 10: North Shore Sea Duck Trip November 11: Superior Entry Gull Watch Best Regards, Josh Wallestad MOU Field Trip Coordinator --------------------------------------- October 21: Fall Birding in Ramsey County led by Becca Engdahl and Ezra Hosch Participants will be looking for a variety of migrating birds, such as waterfowl, sparrows, finches, and owls. Some of the locations that will be covered include Tamarac Nature Center, White Bear Lake, and Vadnais Lake which has turned up some spectacular finds in recent years including Common Raven, Pine Grosbeak, Tufted Titmouse, Townsend’s Solitaire, both Crossbill species, and even a Boreal Owl! Meet at the parking lot for Vadnais-Snail Lake Regional Park on Sucker Lake Road at 9:00 AM and plan to bird until 2:00 PM or so. Coordinates for the parking lot: 45.051315, -93.094553. Restrooms are available at the birding locations, but participants should plan to pack along a lunch. November 3: Central Minnesota Sea Duck Search led by Aaron Ludwig and Ben Fritchman It’s the time of the year to check the larger inland lakes for Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks. This field trip will tour such lakes in Todd, Pope, and Douglas Counties. Specifically, this trip will make multiple stops at Lake Osakis, Lake Reno, and Lake Minnewaska which historically have all been good for sea duck sightings. Meet in the city of Osakis at the Public Access at 8:30 AM and plan to spend 4-5 hours afield. Participants may pack a lunch or plan to eat in Glenwood which will be the last stop of the trip. November 10: Northeast Metro Sea Duck Circuit led by Ben Douglas and Pete Nichols This is yet another opportunity to look for inland sea ducks away from the big water of Lake Superior! This 4-5 hour trip begins at 9:30 AM and will make stops at lakes various lakes in Washington, Ramsey, and Anoka Counties, including White Bear Lake, Centerville Lake, Forest Lake, and Big Marine Lake. The group will make stops for restroom breaks and lunch but participants may want to bring snacks/water. The trip is capped at 12 participants. Register by sending an email to [email protected]. November 10: North Shore Sea Duck Trip led by Clinton Nienhaus This should be an exciting trip: the 4th Annual Duluth Audubon Society North Shore Sea Duck Trip! This year, there is a partnership with the Minnesota Ornithologists Union, hoping to give folks in the greater state of Minnesota a chance to explore hotspots along the North Shore of Lake Superior! This day-long trip will be spent looking for sea ducks, in particular, but the group won't scoff at other late-fall rarities along coastal St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties! There is a shot at all three Scoters, Goldeneyes, Long-tailed Ducks, and Harlequin Ducks. Past trips have also turned up goodies like Boreal Chickadee, Red Crossbill, Northern Mockingbird, Western Meadowlark, and Bohemian Waxwing. This is a great time of year to see late season migrants like Rough-legged Hawk, Snow Bunting, even a chance at Townsend's Solitaire and other rarities. Meet at the Canal Park Lighthouse parking lot for a briefing at 7:15 AM and a departure at 7:30 AM, where the first stop will be right in Canal Park with some early morning viewing of birds in the canal, hoping to see both winter gulls and waterfowl. From there, the trip will work up and along the shore, hitting hotspots like Brighton Beach, Agate and Burlington Bay, Taconite Harbor and more ending up in Hovland, just north of Grand Marais. Participants should be prepared for a long day (7:15 AM until 6:30 PM) of driving with intermittent bathroom breaks. Plan on bringing a lunch, and a stop can be made for a group dinner. There will be minimal walking for this trip with lots of car time and some gaps between stops. Plan on lots of learning opportunities about the north shore and Duluth area while we are driving. Bring spotting scopes if you have them and plan for brisk weather. RSVP required: RSVP to Clinton Nienhaus at [email protected] with number of folks in the party and a willingness to drive a vehicle for carpooling. November 11: Superior Entry Gull Watch led by Clinton Nienhaus If you have ever wanted a chance to spend time in the field to learn gulls, this event might be for you! Join obsessive gull watcher Clinton Nienhuas on this joint MOU/DAS Superior Entry Gull Watch! This field trip has the intention to view and learn about gull identification in the field, less about listing. Gulls can be a difficult group of birds to identify, but this field experience will work to help attendees better understand the more common gulls in Minnesota, as well as give pointers on how to spot the more uncommon species of gull that make their way to the state every fall and winter. Targets for this trip would include Iceland gull (Thayer's and Kumlein's), Glaucous Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, and maybe even a shot at a 7 gull species day with something rare mixed in! Meet at the Superior Entry Breakwall (very end of Wisconsin Point) at 10:00 AM. The gulling could last between 2-4 hours, depending on the gulls. Bring cameras, binoculars, and spotting scopes. If possible, bring one loaf of bread or more (for the gulls!). Dress according to the weather. This is a stationary event that will not have any bathroom breaks or lunch stops, so bring snacks and water as needed. RSVP required: RSVP to Clinton Nienhaus at [email protected]. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
