A Birder's Guide to
Minnesota
Corrections and Additions (as of April 2009)
Kim R. Eckert
These updates to the 4th edition
of A Birder's Guide to Minnesota (revised 2002), which will
be included as needed here and in the Minnesota Ornithologists'
Union newsletter Minnesota Birding, are to provide those who
use this standard reference to Minnesota's birding locations with as
accurate and up-to-date information as possible. Accordingly, please
contact the author with corrections and additions as you find them
so they can be passed on to other Minnesota birders. Either e-mail
them to eckertkr@gmail.com, or send by U.S. mail to 1921 W. Kent
Rd., Duluth, MN 55812. For additional information about A
Birder's Guide to Minnesota, contact the author.
My thanks to Jim Barrett,
William Brown, Cindy Butler, Cathy Clayton, Shawn Conrad, Herb
Dingmann, Bob Dunlap, Bob
Ekblad, Michael Evans, Janet Green, John
Hockema, Allison Jensen, Doug Johnson,
Jeanie Joppru, Chuck
Krulas, Fred Lesher,
Jim Lind, Molly Malacek, Craig Mandel,
Bill Marengo, Barb and Denny Martin, Jim
Mattsson, Scott Meyer, Warren Nelson, Bob O’Connor, Cindy &
Kim Risen, Bob Russell, Julian Sellers, Peder
Svingen, Brian Smith, Tony Smith, Linda
Sparling, Bill Stauffer, Jeff
Stephenson, Shelley Steva, Steve
Stucker, Dan and Sandy
Thimgan, Ben Wieland, Larry
Wilebski, Steve Wilson, and Ned Winters
who have contributed information for these updates.
Note: Boldface type indicates
new information since the previous update (December 2008).
* * *
INTRODUCTION
Publication Data (page ii)
The contact information for
Gavian Guides has changed to: 1921 W.
Kent Rd., Duluth, MN 55812, telephone (218) 349-5953, e-mail
<eckertkr@gmail.com>. American Birding Association Sales is now
located at P. O. Box 25249, Asheville, NC 28813, website <http://www.abasales.com>.
Suggestions to the Birder / Shorebirds and Sewage Ponds (p. 5)
Some additional comments about
sewage ponds:
• The best and most accurate
on-line source for locating sewage ponds is Google Maps <http://maps.google.com>.
(Also see Google Earth at <http://earth.google.com>,
which includes the same maps.) These maps are based on satellite
photos, which were not readily available in 2002, and this guide's
original directions to some ponds often had to rely on less accurate
sources. Accordingly, corrections to some directions have been
necessary in previous updates, and, with the help of Google Maps,
dozens of other sewage ponds not included in this guide in 2002 have
been located and are also included here. (Note, however, that Google
Maps are not infallable: they are
subject to human error when streets and roads are labeled, and a
sewage pond can appear or disappear after the satellite photo of the
area was taken.)
• Keep in mind that most sewage
ponds are not worth going too far out of your way for: many are too
small to attract that many birds, very few are consistently good for
shorebirds (they tend to be better for ducks, grebes, gulls, terns,
and swallows), and some are hidden behind berms
and fences and impossible to see without venturing beyond those
fences or without permission to gain access. On the other hand,
however, almost all sewage ponds can be worth a look if you happen
to be in the vicinity, especially in areas where there are few other
wetlands to attract waterbirds.
• When exploring on your own for
sewage pond locations, keep in mind that most are 1-3 miles away
from town, usually adjacent to rivers or creeks (to handle water
discharges or overflows), and the fenced berms
around them are typically the most noticeable feature you'll spot
from nearby roads.
References and Resources / Books (p. 7)
The Nature Conservancy of
Minnesota has a new address (1101 West River Pkwy., Minneapolis
55425) and e-mail (minnesota@tnc.org).
Their guide to the state's preserves is most easily ordered from the
Minnesota's Bookstore website <http://www.comm.media.state.mn.us/bookstore>.
The new
address of the Minnesota Bookstore is 660 Olive St., St. Paul 55155;
they now have a website on which orders can be placed:
http://www.comm.media.state.mn.us/bookstore.
The new "Minnesota River Valley
Birding Trail" booklet includes 17 loops to 132 birding areas in the
vast Minnesota River watershed of western and south-central
Minnesota. It is available for $2.00 from Audubon Minnesota, 2357
Ventura Dr., Suite 106, St. Paul 55125; you can also download the
information at
http://www.birdingtrail.org.
A Guide to Minnesota's
Prairie Passage Route and Sites is a free
booklet available from the Minnesota Department of Transportation's
Office of Environmental Services (address on p. 7; telephone
651-284-3765). Includes historical, natural history, and other
information on 38 sites along the so-called Prairie Passage Route,
most of which are included in the West Region.
References and Resources / Maps (p. 7-8)
The Minnesota Office of
Tourism's toll-free number has changed to (888) 868-7476.
The DOT county highway maps are
now available from the Minnesota Bookstore (see above). The new
address for obtaining Minnesota county maps from the DOT is 395 John
Ireland Blvd., Room 110, St. Paul 55155; telephone (651) 366-3017.
These same maps are now available as free pdf
downloads at <http://www.dot.state.mn.us/maps/cadd/html/counties.html>.
A new and recommended atlas with
detailed county maps is the Minnesota Highway and Recreational
Atlas ($19.95; published by Cloud
Cartographics in St. Cloud, telephone 800-731-8005, website
http://www.ccimaps.com).
Almost all back roads statewide are now signed as numbered streets
and avenues, and this is currently the only complete set of maps
with this information. Sold at many convenience stores and other
retailers along side the DeLorme
atlases.
Most of Minnesota's state forest
maps are available as free pdf downloads
at <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/list.html>.
Free pdfs of the Department of Natural
Resources County Biological Survey maps are also available at <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/maps.html>.
The “Great River Birding Trail”
maps of the Mississippi River Valley are now available online at <http://www.audubon.org/campaign/umr/birdmaps.html>;
also available online are the Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail
maps at <http://www.birdingtrail.org>.
References and Resources / Checklists (p. 8)
Bob
Ekblad's website address is now <http://www.birding-minnesota.com>.
This website includes good information on birding locations
(especially Olmsted County), contacts, and other resources
(including these updates to A Birder's Guide to Minnesota).
References and Resources / Hotlines (p. 8)
The Duluth Birding Report
telephone number has been changed to (218) 834-2858.
References and Resources / Bird Clubs (p. 8)
The MOU's
new website address is
http://moumn.org.
To subscribe to the MOU-net
listserve (mou-net@moumn.org),
see the instructions at <http://moumn.org/subscribe.html>.
References and Resources / Birding Tours (p. 8)
The new address of Minnesota
Birding Weekends is c/o Kim Eckert, 1921 W. Kent Rd., Duluth 55812,
e-mail <eckertkr@gmail.com>.
References and Resources / University of Minnesota (p. 9)
Although not associated with the
university, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota is
another Twin Cities facility for treatment of injured birds and
other wildlife (including raptors when The Raptor Center is closed).
Their contact information: 2530 Dale St. N., Roseville 55113,
telephone (651) 486- 9453, website <http://wrcmn.org>.
References and Resources / Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (p. 9)
Checks for memberships and other
inquiries about Hawk Ridge should now be sent to Hawk Ridge Bird
Observatory, which now manages Hawk Ridge (P. O. Box 3006, Duluth
55803; telephone 218-428-6209; website
http://www.hawkridge.org).
References and Resources / A Birder's Guide to Birders (p. 9-10)
The MOU's
listserve has a new address: <mou-net@lists.umn.edu>.
(This address change should also be noted in the Bird Clubs section
on page 8.) Also note that previous postings on this
listserve, the best resource for
reporting and receiving news of significant bird sightings, are
available on the MOU's website (http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=MOU-NET)
and the Birdingonthe.Net website (http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MNOU.html).
Kim Eckert's contact information
is 1921 W. Kent Rd., Duluth 55812; telephone (218) 349-5953; e-mail
<eckertkr@gmail.com>.
There are also new e-mail addresses for: Craig Mandel (egretcman@msn.com);
Dave Benson (bensodavid@gmail.com);
Mike Hendrickson (mlhendrickson@yahoo.com); and Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net).
ANNOTATED LIST OF MINNESOTA BIRDS
The MOU Records Committee
recognizes a total of 435 species recorded in the state as of
January 2009. Since the publication of this Birder's Guide in
2002, additions to the state list have been: Cackling Goose, Brown
Pelican, Wood Stork, Slaty-backed Gull,
Elegant Tern, Long-billed Murrelet, Inca
Dove, Costa's Hummingbird, and Green Violetear;
in addition, Black Phoebe has been deleted from the list. There are
now 314 species classified as Regular, 42 Casual, 76 Accidental, 2
Extirpated, and 1 Extinct.
Additional identification
reference books of note since the 2002 publication of this guide
(see p. 15):
• The Sibley Field Guide to
Birds of Eastern / Western North America (Eastern guide includes
Minnesota; smaller and more portable than original Sibley Guide, but
much material omitted)
• National Geographic Society
Field Guide is now in its 5th edition (except for some range
maps and a new section illustrating North American accidentals,
little changed from 4th edition)
• Identify Yourself: The 50
Most Common Birding Identification Challenges by Thompson et al.
(similar in concept to Kaufman's Advanced Birding guide, but
newer and includes superior color illustrations and more species)
• Raptors of Eastern /
Western North America by Wheeler (two large and expensive
volumes greatly expand on material in the two Clark & Wheeler
guides)
• Hawks from Every Angle; How
to Identify Raptors in Flight by Liguori
(new and recommended guide to 19 widespread North American species,
with 370 photos)
• Shorebirds of North
America: The Photographic Guide by Paulson (more inclusive and
useful than Paulson's other shorebirds guide)
• The Shorebird Guide by
O'Brien, Crossley, and
Karlson (new and recommended
photographic guide to all species ever recorded in North America;
includes 870+ photos and extensive text)
• Shorebirds of North
America, Europe, and Asia by Message and Taylor (illustrated
with paintings, not photos; includes non-North American species)
• Gulls of North America,
Europe, and Asia by Olsen & Larsson (printed in 2003 with many
errors, withdrawn by publisher, corrected and republished in 2004;
far more comprehensive than Grant's gulls guide)
• Gulls of the Americas
by Howell and Dunn (as comprehensive as Olsen and Larsson’s 2004
gull reference, and this newer guide is more user-friendly)
• Sparrows of the United
States and Canada: The Photographic Guide by Beadle and Rising
(recommended supplement to Rising's other sparrows guide)
• Tanagers, Cardinals, and
Finches of the United States and Canada by Beadle and Rising (a
useful photographic guide similar in design to the sparrows guide by
these same authors)
Additional ID references of note
on specific birds published since 2002:
• White-faced Ibis (p.
17) / North American Birds 57:136-139
• Canada (& Cackling)
Goose (p. 18) / The Loon 76:99-102
• Tundra Swan (p. 18) /
The Loon 75:230-234 and The Loon 78:227-231
• Mississippi Kite (p.
21) / Birding 36:508-519 and The Loon 74:110-112
• gallinaceous birds (p.
23-24) / The Loon 77:175-180
• Short-billed
Dowitcher (p. 28) / The Loon
78:48-52 (Note: not recommended is a recent article in
Birding 38:34-42; see The Loon 78:172-175)
• Thayer’s Gull (p. 30) /
The Loon 74:168-173
• Yellow-bellied (& Red-naped)
Sapsucker (p. 34) / Birding 38:42-51
• swallows (p. 37-38) /
The Loon 77:111-114
• longspurs (p. 46) / Birding
35:508-514
• Eastern Meadowlark (p.
47) / The Loon 78:111-114
WEST REGION
Kittson County (p. 54-55)
Larry
Wilebski is developing two birding sites on his property in
the northern part of the county. One is named Shorebird Park, where
water levels are often low enough to expose mudflats: from
Lancaster, go 7 miles north on Highway 59, then 1.4 miles west on
Township Road T-61. The other is Evergreen Acres, a site with
planted conifers among a mix of habitats, and with even a cabin
available for visiting birders: from Shorebird Park, continue 0.6
mile west, 1 mile south, and 0.7 mile west. For more information,
contact Larry at (218) 762-4205 or <larryw@wiktel.com>.
The Wallace C. Dayton area, part
of The Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass
Aspen Parkland Project, now has Sharp-tailed Grouse observation
blinds; call (218) 498-2679 for information.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Hallock
– 2.1 miles south from Highway 175 on Highway 75, then 1 mile west
and 0.2 mile north.
Roseau County (p. 55-59)
The habitat along the back roads
south and west of Roseau River Wildlife Management Area (inset B),
including the sedge marshes along County Road 7 (4), is not as
productive as before. The remaining grasslands and marshes are now
fragmented by brushlands, aspen stands,
and agriculture.
The north-south road through the
meadows on inset C (C5) is now signed 360th Avenue. To reach this
area from Roseau, it is best to go west 3 miles on Highway 11 to
County Road 123 and then north 4 miles. This area can be reached by
going north 4 miles from Roseau on Highway 310 and then west 3
miles, but this east-west road may be impassable in wet weather.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Badger – 1.2 miles east on
County Road 2 to 290th Avenue, then 1 mile north and 0.4 mile west.
Marshall County (p.
59-61)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Argyle – 0.5 mile north on
Pacific Avenue along the west side of railroad tracks, then 0.5 mile
west.
Grygla
– 1 mile west to 390th Avenue, then 0.2 mile north and 0.3 mile
east.
Pennington County (p. 62-63)
As of May 2005, the north-south
road past the west side of Goose Lake (see inset A) was in good
condition and passable its entire length. The mixed habitats of
marshes, thickets, and grasslands are still intact here and, except
for prairie-chickens, remain potentially good for the species
mentioned.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Goodridge – 0.5 mile north to
County Road 9, then 1 mile east and 0.4 mile south.
Red Lake County (p. 63)
The productive cemetery for
birding is Oak Grove Cemetery on County Road 1, located 1.5 miles
east of Highway 32. (The cemetery a mile east of 32 has little or no
birding potential.)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Oaklee
– 1 mile west from south edge of town at Seventh Avenue, then 0.2
mile north.
Plummer – west on Central Avenue
to 0.2 mile west of the river.
Red Lake Falls – west on Third
Street to its end at the edge of town, then 0.5 mile north and 0.2
mile west (ponds have been enlarged with improved birding).
Polk County (p. 64-67)
The east-west road to the
Wetlands, Pines, and Prairie Audubon Sanctuary (1) is now signed
190th Street.
The so-called
Melo water impoundment near the
Wetlands, Pines, and Prairie Audubon Center (1) can attract a
variety of water birds in wet years during summer or migration (in
dry years, this location has been plowed up and planted): from the
Audubon Center on 190th Street, go 1.5 miles east, 2 miles south, 2
miles east, and 1 mile south.
Note the county road numbers in
this area have been renumbered and can be confusing:
• County Road 23 goes east from
Angus for 5.3 miles, then 3 miles north, and now continues 4 miles
east to the Pennington County line (where it becomes County Road
8).
• At the corner where County 23
turns east, County Road 69 goes west 1 mile, north 1 mile, then west
6 miles to Highway 75.
• And where County 69 turns
west, County Road 68 goes north 2.4 miles to the Marshall County
line (where it becomes County Road 36).
The
Malmberg Prairie west of Crookston (see p. 65) was wet enough
in 2005 to attract Yellow Rails; accordingly, Le Conte's and
possibly Nelson's Sharp-tailed sparrows should also occur here
during summer or migration.
There are now prairie-chicken
observation blinds at The Nature Conservancy's Glacial Ridge Project
/ National Wildlife Refuge (see p. 66); call the Crookston
Convention and Visitors Bureau at (218) 281-4320 for information.
Glacial Ridge N.W.R. (see inset C) now has a headquarters building
on Highway 32, 3 miles south of Highway 2. This refuge, which
includes portions of the former Crookston Cattle Company (C5) and
other nearby areas, has created some water impoundments along County
Road 45 west of Highway 32.
The county landfill east of
Crookston often attracts good numbers of gulls during migration. On
Highway 2, go 6 miles west from Highway 32 (or 8 miles east from
Highway 9) to County Road 44, then 1 mile north and 0.3 mile east.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Crookston – These large and
productive ponds are now off-limits to birders, although efforts are
underway to restore access; for more information, contact the city’s
Water Department at (218) 281-5711 or the Convention and Visitors
Bureau at (218) 281-4320.
Fertile – 1 mile south from
County Road 1 East on Highway 32, then 2 miles west on Sand Hill
Road and 1.2 miles north.
McIntosh – 0.7 mile east on
Highway 2 to 370th Street, then 0.1 mile north to the T and continue
0.2 mile north on the dirt track.
Winger – 0.5 mile south and
0.3 mile west.
Norman County (p. 67-68)
There are now prairie-chicken
blinds at Neal Wildlife Management Area, with visits arranged by the
Twin Valley Heritage & Arts Center: telephone (218) 584-5658. From
the road, prairie-chickens have recently been most easily observed
along County Road 28, 1-2 miles north of County Road 39 (see inset
A).
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Borup
– 0.6 mile north on Third Street.
Hendrum
– 0.5 mile north from County Road 25, then 0.2 mile east.
Mahnomen County (p.
69-70)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Bejou
– 0.2 mile west and 0.3 mile north.
Becker County (p. 70-71)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Callaway – 0.2 mile south to 280th Street, then 0.4 mile west.
Lake Park – 0.7 mile west
from County Road 7 on road along south side of railroad tracks.
White Earth – 0.7 mile west
from County Road 21 South on Highway 224, then 0.1 mile south.
Clay County (p. 72-74)
Among the gulls attracted
recently to the county landfill have been California Gulls on two
occasions. On Highway 10, go 4 miles west from Hawley (or 2.2 miles
east from Buffalo River State Park) to County Road 23, then 2.5
miles south.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Comstock – 1 mile north on
Highway 75 to 150th Avenue, then 0.5 mile east and 0.3 mile south.
Georgetown – 0.5 mile north
on Probsfield Street.
Glyndon – 0.5 mile south on
Parke Avenue to Seventh Street S.E., then 0.5 mile east to the curve
and continue 0.3 mile east.
Hitterdal – 0.7 mile west and
0.2 mile north.
Moorhead (municipal ponds) – 1
mile north from Highway 10 on Highway 75 to N. 15th Street, 0.5 mile
east to N. 28th Street, then 0.5 mile north (American Crystal Sugar
ponds still off-limits).
Ulen
– 1 mile north to 170th Avenue, then 1 mile east.
Wilkin County (p. 74-76)
The roads in the
Rothsay area (inset A) and elsewhere in
the county are now numbered on street signs: the east-west road by
the prairie-chicken lek (A1) is 190th
Street; the parallel road a mile to the south is 200th Street; and
the north-south road at the east end of 190th Street is 300th
Avenue.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Campbell – southeast on Pacific
Avenue along west side of railroad tracks to curve at south edge of
town, then continue 0.5 mile southeast.
Rothsay
– west on Third Avenue N.W., just south of the giant
prairie-chicken.
Otter Tail County (p. 76-79)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Battle Lake – 0.4 mile north
from Highway 210 on Highway 78, then 1.2 miles west on County Road
83.
Bluffton – 0.2 mile west from
north edge of town on County Road 19, then 0.7 mile west on Bluff
Creek Road.
Henning – 0.8 mile northeast
from Highway 108 on Highway on 210 to County Road 67, then 0.1 mile
west and 0.6 mile north.
Parkers Prairie – 1 block
south from Highway 235 on Highway 29 to Lake Street, then 0.8 mile
west and south.
Perham (ponds south of Highway
10) – 0.1 mile south from Highway 10 on Highway 78, then 0.7 mile
east opposite Fort Thunder Road.
Underwood – 0.5 mile east from
County Road 35 on Highway 210, then 0.5 mile south.
Urbank
– 0.2 mile west on County Road 38.
Vergas – on northeast side of
town, 0.2 mile west from County Road 4 on Highway 228, north on Old
Detroit Road to first right, then 0.4 mile northeast.
Douglas County (p. 79-80)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Alexandria – 4 miles west
from north side of downtown on Third Avenue W., then 0.3 mile west
on County Road 8.
Brandon – 1.2 miles east from downtown on Front Street E. and
Aldrich Road.
Carlos – 0.3 mile north from
County Road 13 on road along west side of railroad tracks.
Evansville – 0.4 mile south
on Railroad Street, then bear right to ponds where Railroad turns
east.
Kensington – 1.8 miles southeast
on Highway 55.
Millerville
– 0.6 mile east on County Road 60, then 0.3 mile south and
southwest.
Miltona
– 0.2 mile northeast on County Road 14 / First Street, then 0.1 mile
south and 0.1 mile east on Second Street, and bear left to ponds.
Osakis – 1 block west from
County Road 3 on Highway 27, then 1 mile south on Clifford Lake
Road.
Grant County (p. 80-82)
Black-crowned Night-Herons
apparently no longer nest at Egret Island (B2). However, Cattle
Egrets are still there, and they still favor the pasture on the
south side of Pelican Lake, along the dead-end road north off County
Road 54, a mile west of the county line (see inset B).
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Barrett – 0.3 mile south from
Highway 55 on Highway 59, then 0.4 mile west.
Elbow Lake – 1.5 miles west from
Highway 54 on County Road 25 (see inset A).
Hoffman – 0.3 mile south from
Highway 27 on Seventh Street N., then 0.3 mile east on Carolina
Avenue.
Traverse County (p. 83-84)
Amended directions to Miller
Prairie West: south on County Road 15 for 2 miles from Highway 27,
then west 1 mile to the 320-acre tract's northeast corner; turn
south for 0.5 mile along the tract's east side, and/or continue west
for 1 mile along the north side.
A third area worth birding in
the Mud Lake vicinity (see inset A) is White Lake Wildlife
Management Area, 2 miles north of the lake on County Road 10 just
east of the Red River. There are thickets and planted conifers for
migrants, and in dry periods the river's mudflats can attract
herons/egrets and shorebirds.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Dumont – 1.2 miles north from
County Road 6 on Highway 75, then 0.2 mile east.
Stevens County (p. 84-85)
The Morris Wetland Management
District has a 2.5-mile auto tour road which passes by several
wetlands (and some planted junipers) and is worth checking
especially if water levels are low enough for shorebirds. To reach
the headquarters, where maps of the auto tour and other information
are available, go east from Morris on County Road 10 (see directions
on p. 85 to the sewage ponds) for 3.4 miles.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Chokio
– 0.5 mile north from junction of Highway 28 and County Road 13 S.
Hancock – 1.3 miles southeast
from downtown on Pacific Avenue / Old Highway 9 along west side of
railroad tracks.
Pope County (p. 85)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Cyrus – 1 mile east on Highway
28.
Kandiyohi County (p. 87-88)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Sunburg
– 0.7 mile south from Highway 9 on Highway 104, then 0.2 mile west.
Raymond – 0.5 mile north from
Highway 23 on County Road 7, then 0.5 mile west.
Swift County (p. 89)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Danvers – west on Minnesota
Avenue along railroad tracks on south edge of town, then 0.3 mile
south on Minnesota and 0.2 mile east.
Murdoch – 0.4 mile northeast
on County Road 33 to 110th Avenue, then 0.2 mile north.
Lac Qui Parle County (p. 93-96)
The Nature Conservancy tract
west of Appleton along Swift County Road 51 (see inset A) no longer
exists.
The road which turns northwest
off Highway 119 towards the Marsh Lake dam is now numbered 115th
Street S.W. (see inset A); the road which goes southwest and
dead-ends at the dam is now numbered 100th Street S.W.
In recent years, both
Sharp-tailed Grouse (natural range expansion from South Dakota) and
Greater Prairie-Chickens (reintroduced) have established
leks in Lac Qui Parle and other adjacent
counties. One lek where both species
have been seen displaying is along the east edge of Plover Prairie
(see area C2 on p. 94); another is in southwestern Swift County:
from Appleton, go 3 miles west on Highway 7 to County Road 51, then
1.4 miles south on 51 to 90th Street and west a half mile (see Lac
Qui Parle County inset A on p. 95).
Chippewa County (p. 97)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Milan – 0.4 mile east on
Highway 40 to County Road 10, then 0.5 mile north and 0.3 mile west.
Renville County (p. 99-102)
Amended directions to the area
along the Minnesota River northwest of Granite Falls (see inset C):
turn north off Highway 212 on 15th Street (the first street west of
the railroad viaduct), go 3 blocks to a T, jog east 1 block to 14th
Street, and follow 14th as it turns west onto 306th Avenue along the
river; 306th comes out on Highway 212, about 4 miles west of town.
Yellow Medicine County (p. 102-103)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Canby – 0.9 miles northeast from
downtown on Highway 75 to County Road 3, then 1.1 miles east.
Porter – 0.7 mile north on
County Road 12 to 170th Avenue, then 0.1 mile west.
St. Leo – 0.5 mile north on
County Road 11, then 0.2 mile east.
Wood Lake – 0.5 mile east from
County Road 6 on 170th Avenue.
Lyon County (p. 106-108)
The Lincoln-Lyon county line
shown on inset B should be located 1 mile to the east.
The Lyon County landfill just
north of Black Rush Lake is 1 mile west of Highway 23 on County Road
59 and 0.5 mile north; confirmed records here include California
Gull.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Ghent – 0.5 mile north from Highway 68 on County Road 5, then 0.1
mile east.
Minneota
– 1.3 miles north from Highway 68 on County Road 3, then 0.2 mile
east.
Russell – 1.1 miles west from
Highway 23 on County Road 59, then 0.5 mile south.
Taunton – 0.7 mile southeast
on Highway 68 to 120th Avenue, then 0.3 mile north.
Redwood County (p. 108)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Clements – 0.5 mile north on
County Road 1, then 0.2 mile east, 0.2 mile south, and 0.2 mile
east.
Lucan – 0.5 mile east from north side of town on 250th Street, then
0.4 mile south.
Milroy – 0.5 mile west on County Road 32, then 0.2 mile south.
Morton (note: town is in
Renville County) – southwest on Highway 19 / 71 across Minnesota
River to first left on County Road 2, then 2.5 miles southeast, 0.3
mile south on Porter Avenue, and 0.2 mile west.
Vesta
– 0.8 mile east from Highway 19 on County Road 30.
Wanda – 1.7 miles north on
County Road 17.
Brown County (p. 109-110)
The correct spelling of the
brewery in New Ulm is Schell.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Hanska
– 1 mile east on Highway 257 to 155th Avenue, then 0.5 mile north.
Searles
– 1 mile west on County Road 24, then 0.3 mile north.
Sleepy Eye – The productive and
birder-accessible municipal ponds are 2.5 miles south on Highway 4;
the Del Monte industrial ponds on Ninth Avenue S.W. are off-limits.
Cottonwood County (p. 111-113)
Another name for
Regier Slough (see inset A) is
Regehr Wildlife Management Area.
Great-tailed Grackles appear to
have nested at Bat Lake in 2002 and 2003: the west side of the lake
is 0.5 mile south, 0.5 mile east, and 0.5 mile south from Delft.
Pipestone County (p. 116-117)
As they did several summers ago
near Cazenovia, Chestnut-collared Longspurs may still breed in
northwestern Pipestone County: some were found in 2006 in an
Altona Township pasture north of
Cazenovia. Because the site is on private land, the exact location
was not given, but the best potential habitat may be in the 3 x 3
mile area bounded on the east by Highway 75, on the north by the
Lincoln County line, on the west by County Road 15, and on the south
by County Road 10.
There is a new flood-control
reservoir bordered by grasslands just south of
Ruthton which might be worth checking for marshes or
mudflats, depending on water levels. From
Ruthton, go 2 miles south on Highway 23, and turn east at the
sign for the Minett
Krintz Reservoir, just north of the County Road 18
junction.
Rock County (p. 117-119)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Jasper – 1 mile south, 0.7
mile west, and 0.2 mile north.
Luverne
– In 2007, it was possible to arrange birding access to the ponds at
the Gold ‘N Plump plant: contact the Luverne
Chamber of Commerce, telephone (888) 283-4061 or e-mail <luvernechamb@iw.net>;
however, do not attempt to enter the site without advance
permission.
Steen – 0.4 mile south on
County Road 11.
Nobles County (p. 119-120)
Sunrise
Prairie is no longer a
county park and is too small an area for birding.
In the recreation area at the
south side of Lake Bella (see inset A), be sure to check the
extensive stands of planted conifers during migration/winter for
roosting owls, crossbills, etc.
Alternate directions to the
county park at Indian Lake: from the south side of Lake Bella, go
0.5 mile east, 2 miles north, 5 miles east, and 1.5 miles south. Be
sure to check the heavily wooded south end of Indian Lake for
migrants: follow the road east through the county park until it
ends.
The power plant in Worthington
has shut down and been dismantled; therefore,
Okabena Lake (inset A) is no longer a potential site for
wintering waterfowl.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Ellsworth – 0.8 mile west from Highway 91 on Seventh Avenue / 330th
Street.
Leota
– 0.2 mile west from County Road 19 North on County Road 20, then
0.2 mile north.
Lismore
– 0.5 mile south from County Road 16 on Highway 91, then 0.3 mile
west.
Wilmont
– 0.7 mile east to County Road 13, then 0.5 mile north and 0.1 mile
east.
Worthington – 2 miles northeast
from Interstate 90 on Highway 60 to County Road 36, then east across
railroad tracks and 0.5 mile south on Sundberg
Avenue (limited visibility and access).
Jackson County (p. 121-123)
Amended directions to the
mudflats in the Heron Lake Outlet stream (shown but not labeled on
inset A): from Highway 60, go 1.3 miles south and east on County
Road 24 to the junction with a north-south road; from here, one view
of the outlet is 0.4 mile east, and the other is 0.3 mile south.
The point for birding in Sandy
Point County Park (see inset A) is accessed next to the observation
tower, before you reach the end of the park road. There is now
access to another good point just north of the park: follow the
dead-end road which turns north by the park entrance.
The wooded road along the Des
Moines River just northwest of Jackson is now numbered 530th Avenue
(see inset C).
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Okabena
– 0.5 mile south on County Road 9 to 860th Street, then 0.5 mile
west and 0.2 mile north.
Round Lake (town in Nobles
County; ponds in Jackson County) – south from downtown on Main
Street to Sixth Avenue, then 0.5 mile east to curve and continue
east on gated road.
Martin County (p.
123-124)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Granada – 0.5 mile south to
140th Street, then 0.5 mile east and 0.3 mile north.
SOUTHEAST REGION
Principal Birding Locations (p. 125)
On the Migration map, "s" is
Mille Lacs Lake; on the Summer/Breeding
map, "s" is St. John's University, "t" is Lake Osakis, and "u" is
Crane Meadows NWR.
Faribault County (p. 126)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Blue Earth – 1 mile south from County Road 16 on Highway 169, 0.7
mile west on 95th Street, then 0.3 mile south.
Delavan – from north side of
town, 1 mile west on County Road 15 to curve, then 0.4 mile south.
Frost – south on Main Street
to first street north of railroad tracks, then 0.4 mile east.
Wells – the ponds off County
Road 29 no longer exist; the ponds off Highway 109 are still
present.
Winnebago – these ponds no
longer exist.
Freeborn County (p. 127)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Hartland – 0.2 mile north on
Railroad Street along west side of tracks, then jog west to Pond
Road and 0.5 mile north.
Twin Lakes – 2 blocks east on
Main Street to River Street, then 0.5 mile southeast.
Mower County (p. 128)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Brownsdale
– 1.2 miles north from County Road 2 on Highway 56, then 0.3 mile
west.
Elkton – 0.5 mile north to 220th Street, then 0.5 mile east and 0.2
mile south.
Grand Meadow – south on Fourth
Street S.E. to south edge of town, then 0.7 mile east.
Lyle – 0.6 mile east from
Highway 218 on 105th Street (to north side of the ponds) or on State
Line Road (to south side).
Fillmore County (p. 129-131)
The two best areas for woods
birds (e.g., Acadian Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged
Warbler, Louisiana
Waterthrush) at Forestville State Park (A1) are along
Forestville Creek (near the park's west entrance and contact
station) and Canfield Creek (immediately east of the contact
station, turn south on the road which dead-ends at the group
campground, and hike south on Big Spring Trail).
Henslow's
Sparrows have been found in recent summers in the weedy field at
Hvoslef Wildlife Management Area (see
directions, p. 131).
There are also two good heavily
wooded areas just north of Hvoslef WMA:
• To reach the first, return to
County Rd 23, go north 2.6 miles to County Road 12, then east on 12
for 2.3 miles, bear left on the gravel road where 12 curves south,
and 1 mile north is the Cabbage Rock / Shattuck Creek area.
• To reach the second area,
return to County Road 12, go left or southeast 0.5 mile, and turn
right or south on a minimum maintenance road which leads downhill
about 2 miles to the Root River.
Another good area for woods
birds is Good Earth Village, a religious retreat near Spring Valley
which is open to birders. From the junction of Highways 16 and 63 in
Spring Valley (see inset C), go north 2 blocks on County Road 1 to
Farmer Street / County Road 8, turn east on 8 past the fish hatchery
ponds, and continue another 4.3 miles northeast on County 8 to the
Good Earth sign. Follow the driveway to the main lodge where trail
maps are available; the best areas are along the south end of the
Fish Trail and the north end of the Clover Trail.
Houston County (p. 132-136)
The area in southern Houston
County for Northern Bobwhites (A2) can no longer be recommended.
After thorough research, it has been determined that the species has
been essentially extirpated from Minnesota as a "wild" bird, with
any bobwhites sighted presently or in recent years all presumed to
have originated from local game farm releases.
On inset B, County Road 29
leading north out of La Crescent and continuing northwest as Winona
County Road 1 is the Apple Blossom Scenic Drive. It is not only
scenic, but this road also has places to scan for raptors and other
migrants above the Mississippi River, and it passes thickets and
fields with potential for such rarities as Bell's Vireo and
Henslow's Sparrow. The main stoplight
intersection in La Crescent is where Highway 16 / 14 / 61 turns east
towards La Crosse. From this intersection, take the frontage road on
the west side of the highway (Walnut Street) 1 block north to Third
Street, then go 2 blocks west to Elm Street, and then north on Elm
which becomes the Scenic Drive.
The marshy wetlands at Mound
Prairie (B5) appeared drier than normal in spring 2004 and were
unproductive for water birds. However, a large nearby wetland
appears to be potentially as good as Mound Prairie used to be: it is
located along the north side of Highway 16, 3.4 miles west of the
Highway 44 junction in Hokah.
In the Reno area (C6), Tundra
Swans have been congregating along the Mississippi River by the
thousands in recent Novembers, their numbers normally much greater
than in the Weaver area of Wabasha/Winona counties. Estimates of the
swan numbers here have been as high as 20,000. The best places to
scan for them and other waterfowl are between mile markers 9 and 12
along Highway 26, or about 1-3 miles north of Reno.
The road out of Reno to the
recreation area campground (C6) is now named Hillside Road. It is
worth following this road north for about another 4 miles to another
recreation area campground where Tufted Titmouse and Cerulean
Warbler have been found. (Farther north, in about another 4 miles,
Hillside Road comes out on County Road 3, a mile west of Brownsville
(see inset B).
Winona County (p. 137-141)
The wooded trail at
Donehower at mile marker 13 on Highway
61 (C1) was posted as closed to public entry as of spring 2006.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Rollingstone – 0.5 mile east from
County Road 25 S. on Highway 248, then 0.3 mile south.
Wabasha County (p. 141-143)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions
Zumbro
Falls – 0.3 mile east from Highway 63 on Highway 60, then north to
second right, east to first left, and 0.3 mile north.
Steele County (p. 146-147)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Medford – from Interstate 35
exit, 0.4 mile south and 1.3 miles west on County Road 12, then 0.4
mile north.
Waseca County (p. 147)
Moonan
Marsh is said to be the best wetland in the county, as evidenced by
two Common Moorhen broods here in 2006 and
Sandhill Cranes recently nesting in the area. From downtown
Waseca, go 1.5 miles east on Highway 14 to County Road 4, then about
4 miles northeast to the site, with the best visibility on the east
side of 4.
One of the county’s best sites
for migrant woods birds is Courthouse County Park: from downtown
Waseca, go 3.5 miles south on Highway 13, then 0.7 mile west to
County Road 4, then 0.5 mile south to County Road 75, and 0.5 mile
west. Another good wooded site is Maplewood Park just east of Waseca
on County Road 4, on the southeast side of Clear Lake.
Bell’s Vireos were still present
in 2006 at the Senn-Rich Wildlife
Management Area on the west side of Highway 13, about 6 miles south
of Waseca. Look especially in the southeast corner of the WMA and
west of the county’s brush/compost site just north of the WMA.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Janesville – south from Highway
14 on County Road 3 to the 380th Avenue frontage road, then 1 mile
west.
Blue Earth County (p. 148-149)
Kentucky Warblers were also
found at Williams Nature Center (A1) in 2001 and were still present
in 2007. The Mankato vicinity (including Seven Mile Creek County
Park in Nicollet County in the 1990s) has been the only reliable
area for this rare-Regular warbler in recent years.
Louisiana
Waterthrush can also be found in
Minneopa State Park (also A1) along
Minneopa Creek.
The extensive tracts of
junipers, rock outcroppings, and grasslands on the Le Sueur County
portion of inset A just north and south of
Kasota Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (A2) look just as
good as (or even better than) the SNA for birding. Also check for
Prothonotary Warblers along the creeks
and Minnesota River backwaters in this vicinity, especially just
north of the Le Sueur/Blue Earth county line.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Pemberton – 0.5 mile south on County Road 53 to County Road 168,
then 1 mile west to curve and continue 0.5 mile west.
Vernon Center – east from
Highway 169 on Main Street to the end, then south around buildings
for 0.2 mile.
Sibley County (p.151-152)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Gaylord – The best ponds are 0.6
mile south from Highway 5 / 19 on Highway 22, then 0.6 mile east on
280th Street; smaller and less productive ponds are 1.1 miles east
on Highway 5 / 19 to Tower Street, then 0.2 mile south.
Gibbon – the only ponds are off
Highway 19 east of town (disregard the other directions to other
ponds).
New Auburn – 0.7 mile west
from Highway 22 on Fifth Street, then 0.2 mile south.
Le Sueur County (p. 152-153)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Cleveland – from west side of
town, 0.3 mile northwest on County Road 148, then 0.2 mile north.
Elysian – 0.7 mile east from
County Road 11 on County Road 14.
Rice County (p. 153-154)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Lonsdale – 0.5 mile east from
Main Street on Highway 19, then 0.2 mile southwest on Industrial
Drive.
Goodhue County (p. 154-157)
Amended directions to Colville
Park in Red Wing (A2): going southeast from Red Wing on Highway 61,
turn right at the signs for Highway 262 and "City Park", take an
immediate right and turn right again at the Colville Park sign, and
turn at the bottom of the hill into the park.
There are some heavily wooded
spots for warblers and other migrants in Red Wing along the road
past Barn Bluff. Follow the street off Highway 61 (E. Seventh
Street) leading to the turn-off for Colville Park (A2), continue
west past Colville to Centennial Street, at the Barn Bluff signs
turn right to Fifth Street, and then right again past Barn Bluff
until the road dead-ends by the river beyond the power plant.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Cannon Falls – 1 mile north on
Highway 20, then 0.4 mile west on County Road 17.
Kenyon – 0.5 mile east from
Highway 56 on Highway 60.
Dakota County (p. 157-159)
A reliable spot for
Prothonotary Warblers has been on the
east side of the Vermillion River, adjacent to the public access
area on County Road 68 (see inset C).
Amended directions to birding
access points around Lake Byllesby (2):
• To reach the south side in
Goodhue Co., about a mile south of Randolph, follow the public
access signs east from Hwy 56, which lead you on Scotia Trail and
23rd Avenue for 1.3 miles to a parking area.
• On the north side along County
Road 88 / 292nd Street, hike south past the county park sign and
gate, 0.2 mile east of Highway 56. Also, 0.3 mile farther east, turn
south into the cemetery and follow the track back to the right.
• To reach the east side, turn
south off County Road 88 on Gerlach Way,
2.2 miles east of Highway 56, which leads to Lake
Byllesby Regional Park, which has some
good-looking stands of conifers. (Or from the east, go north 1 mile
from Cannon Falls on Highway 20, then west on Goodhue County Road 17
/ Dakota County Road 88 for 1.5 miles to the park sign.)
Water levels in a wetland along
180th Street just north of Vermillion are often low and attractive
to herons/egrets, shorebirds, and marsh birds. From Highway 52 / 56,
go 2.7 miles east on 180th Street; or from Goodwin Avenue / County
Road 85, go 0.5 mile west on 180th.
The sod farms along Blaine
Avenue are the Jirik Sod Farms. Amended
directions to the Castle Rock Sod Farms: along the west side of
Highway 3, just south of County Road 86 / 280th Street.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Hampton – 1.5 miles northwest
from Interstate 35 on Highway 50.
Scott County (p. 159-161)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
New Market – 0.7 mile east on
County Road 2, 0.5 mile north on Natchez Avenue, then east 0.5 mile.
Carver County (p. 162-163)
One of the best areas of
woodlands along the Minnesota River in the county is around Chaska
Lake, where Acadian Flycatcher and Prothonotary
Warbler sometimes summer. From Highway 41 in Chaska, take W. First
Street to the west edge of town, turn south just before the railroad
tracks to the ballfields, and follow the
hiking trail behind the ballfields south
to the lake and eventually west into the town of Carver.
South of Carver, Orchard Orioles
and the local Lark Sparrow can be found in summer. Just west of
town, turn south off County Road 40 on County Road 45, and listen
for the orioles in semi-open areas between 45 and the river. The
best place for Lark Sparrows is beyond the gated east end of Carver
Highlands Drive, which turns east at the junction of County Roads 45
and 50.
In addition to the
Whip-poor-wills and Prothonotary
Warblers mentioned for the gated trail off County Road 40 just east
of Highway 25 (see p. 163), there are recent summer records for
Bell’s Vireo, Cerulean Warbler, and Louisiana
Waterthrush.
In Carver Park Reserve (1), the
best deciduous woodlands are said to be along the trails north of
Steiger Lake, where Cerulean Warblers
have occurred; trail maps are available at Lowry Nature Center.
McLeod County (p. 163)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Silver Lake – 1.5 miles east
on Highway 7 to Grain Avenue, then 1 mile north, 0.2 mile west, and
0.4 mile south.
Stewart – from northwest corner of town, 0.8 mile
north on Yankee Avenue.
Wright County (p. 164-165)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Albertville – 2 blocks east from Interstate 35 on 60th Street N.E.,
then 0.2 mile north on Maciver Avenue.
Cokato – from Highway 12 on
east side of town, 1.2 miles northeast on County Road 4, then 0.3
mile east.
South Haven – 0.7 mile south
from Highway 55 on Fairhaven Avenue/Pittman Avenue N.W.
Hennepin/Ramsey/Washington Counties (p. 166-176)
Because of increased security
concerns, the Blue Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant (A2) is now
off-limits to birders; efforts to reestablish access are ongoing.
At Black Dog Lake (Aa2), usually
the best place to check both halves of the lake for ducks, gulls,
and other water birds from late fall into early spring is from Black
Dog Park on the south side. If the gate is closed north of the
park's parking lot, one can usually follow a path to the right, go
around the fence by the closed pedestrian bridge, and continue past
the bridge and across the railroad tracks towards the power plant
between the lake halves.
In this same Black Dog area, the
Park and Ride access to the Scientific and Natural Area along Cliff
Road is now named Cliff Fen Park. From the kiosk north of the
parking lot, one of the better trails for birding crosses and leads
north away from the railroad tracks.
In Hastings, the access to the
Rebecca Lake area (B4) has been renamed Spring Street (formerly Lock
and Dam Road). Another access to the river farther west: from Spring
Lake Regional Park, return to County Road 42 on
Idell Avenue, go west less than a mile to the public access
sign at Hilary Path, which leads through a densely wooded area on
the river.
Another good area near Hastings
to check for migrant and wintering water birds is Point Douglas
Park, at the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers: the
park is 3 miles east of Highway 61 along Highway 10, immediately
before the bridge to Prescott, Wisconsin.
There are three other
pedestrian-bridge accesses to the levee along the Mississippi River
near Pigs Eye Lake in South St. Paul (inset Bb). Besides the access
at Verderosa Avenue (see p.173), one is
1 mile farther north on Hardman Avenue at Grand Avenue, and two are
on Concord Street at Bryant Avenue (1 mile north of Grand) and at
Butler Avenue (1/2 mile north of Bryant).
Amended directions to Theodore
Wirth Park in Minneapolis/Golden Valley (see inset
Ab): exit Interstate 394 at Penn Avenue
S., go west on the frontage road along the south side of 394 for 1/2
mile to the sign for Theodore Wirth Parkway, turn left and then
right to follow the parkway north 1/2 mile to the signed Eloise
Butler Wildflower Garden / Bird Sanctuary parking lot. Coming from
the north, this site is immediately south of Glenwood Avenue.
Lebanon Hills Regional Park in
Eagan (see p. 175) is a current favorite of Twin Cities birders in
spring and summer, especially for breeding birds. During the last
few summers, a few Hooded Warblers and Summer Tanagers have been
found (along with Red-shouldered Hawk, Wood Thrush, and other
southeastern-type woods birds), plus several singing Mourning
Warblers (at the southern edge of their range). To reach the most
productive woods for these, start at the parking lot/trailhead at
the corner of Cliff Road and Lexington Avenue (1 mile east of Pilot
Knob Road), and follow the signed trails which lead generally
southwest towards the parking lot/trailhead on Pilot Knob, 3/4 mile
south of Cliff Road.
The relatively new Purgatory
Creek wetlands area in Eden Prairie is often attractive to
waterbirds, sometimes including
shorebirds when water levels are low. From the junction of I-494 and
Highway 5, go west on 5 to Prairie Center Drive (the first
intersection west of 494); then south on Prairie Center to
Technology Drive (the first intersection south of 5); turn right and
go west about 1/2 mile to St. Andrew's Church on the north side of
Technology; park here, cross over to the south side of the street,
and follow the asphalt path which leads south to the west side of
the wetlands.
“A Guide to Birding Ramsey
County,” a 40-page bird-finding booklet with 26 sites, is available
on-line at <www.co.ramsey.mn.us/parks/naturalresources>.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Hamel (inset A) – from downtown
(off Highway 55, 3 miles west of Interstate 494), 0.7 mile west on
Hamel Road, then south to the gated ponds.
Loretto
(inset A) – 0.6 mile east from County Road 19 on Hamel Road, then
north to the gated ponds; also continue 0.2 mile east on Hamel, then
0.3 mile and 0.8 north on Tomahawk Trail to other gates (access and
visibility limited at all three gates).
Rogers (inset A) – ponds
relocated to W. French Lake Road (see directions to French Lake on
p. 176).
Anoka County (p. 176-178)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Bethel – 1.7 miles west from
Highway 65 on County Road 24 to road along west side of railroad
tracks, then 0.3 mile south.
St. Francis – along east-west
section of Highway 47 on south side of town.
Chisago County (p. 178-180)
The sod farms east of Harris and
North Branch are now less extensive than before. The best roads to
view most of them, starting from North Branch, are: 410th
Streeet (2 miles north on County Road
30, then 1-3 miles east); 400th Street (1 mile north on 30, then 1-4
miles east); and Jeffrey Avenue (3 miles east on Highway 95, then
1-2 miles north).
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Rush City – Because of a new
prison across the road from the ponds, birding here would attract
attention from security guards and is not recommended.
Shafer – from County Road 21
on north side of town, 0.5 mile west on hiking/biking trail.
Stacy – these ponds no longer
exist.
Taylors
Falls – 1.5 miles west from Highway 95 on First Street, then 0.2
mile north.
Wyoming – 2.6 miles east and
north from downtown on E. Viking Boulevard (large, open, grassy, and
mostly dry in 2008).
Sherburne County (p.
181-182)
Additional sewage ponds or amended directions:
Becker – these ponds no longer exist.
Princeton – east from Highway
169 on Rum River Drive / County Road 29 to first stoplight, 0.8 mile
south on County Road 2 to 317th Avenue, then 0.4 mile east to 120th
Street and 0.2 mile north.
Zimmerman – 0.2 mile south from
County Road 4 on Second Street E. to Main Street, then jog left and
continue south past Park and Ride lot and composting site to the
gated ponds (limited access and visibility).
Benton County (p. 182-183)
The best side roads along the
Mississippi to explore for birds associated with pastures, junipers,
and planted conifers are in the vicinity of Rice. County Road 2,
which extends from the river east to Highway 25 and passes through
Rice, has scattered stands of conifers where nesting Pine Warblers
and wintering crossbills have been found. Also check for possible
Bohemian Waxwings in the junipers in the county park about 1.5 miles
south of Rice along County Road 55 (turn south from town on 55 along
the west side of the railroad tracks).
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Gilman – 0.4 mile southwest from
Highway 25 on County Road 3, then north to the ponds.
Rice – 0.7 mile west from
Highway 10 on County Road 2, then 0.5 mile south.
Stearns County (p. 183-186)
At St. John's University (inset
B), the pine plantation along the former entrance road is more
easily accessed from the community of Collegeville via the
pedestrian bridge which goes south across Interstate 94.
Additionally, there are other conifer stands worth checking in the
immediate vicinity of Collegeville.
Also on inset B, Millstream Park
is an excellent wooded area for migrants on the west side of St.
Joseph: it is signed on the north side of the highway just east of
County Road 3.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Avon – 1 mile north from
Interstate 94 on County Road 9 to County Road 155, 1 block east to
Anglefish Avenue, then 1 mile north.
Belgrade – 3 blocks south from
downtown on Washburn Street to School Street, 1 mile east to
Farmcrest Road, then 0.8 mile south and
0.5 mile west.
Greenwald – 0.8 mile north on Highway 4.
Kimball – 0.4 mile east from
Highway 55 on County Road 44, 0.2 mile south on 83rd Avenue, then
0.2 mile east.
Todd County (p. 186-187)
In the town of Osakis, the best
place to scan Lake Osakis (inset A), is from the public access north
of downtown: turn north from Highway 127 on Central Avenue. Clark's
Grebes have been spotted here several times.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Clarissa – 1 mile southeast on
Highway 71, 0.1 mile west on 340th Street to Lace Wing Drive, then
south to the ponds.
Hewitt – 2 blocks west from Main Street on Highway 210, then 0.5
mile north on Pickle Street.
Long Prairie – 1.3 miles
north from Highway 27 on Highway 71, then 0.7 - 1 mile west and
south to two sets of ponds.
Morrison County (p. 187-189)
As mentioned on p. 188, Yellow
Rails and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows had been found a few years
ago by researchers at undisclosed sites in the county; one of these
may have been along Highway 27, 1/2 mile east of the Todd County
line, where Yellow Rails were heard in 2005.
It is still possible to arrange
access to Camp Ripley: the current contact for information is
William Brown, Camp Ripley Training Center Environmental Office,
15000 Highway 115, Little Falls, MN 56345, telephone (320) 616-2719.
Since training activity is highest in the summer, May is usually the
best month for birding and access.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Flensburg – 0.5 mile east on County Road 1.
Motley – 4 blocks east from
Highway 10 on Main Street E.
Pierz – 1 mile south from
Highway 27 on Highway 25 to County Road 38, then 2 miles east to
280th Avenue and 1.2 miles south.
Sobieski
– 1.7 miles east on County Road 12 to 110th Avenue, then 0.5 mile
south and 0.2 west.
Mille Lacs County (p. 189-190)
Some updates to access points on
Mille Lacs Lake (see inset A):
• To reach
Mazomannie Point from Bayview,
follow 92nd Avenue north to Waseca Street and turn west; it can also
be reached by following the road along the shore west from
Izaty's Resort.
• In Wahkon,
the lake is best scanned from Wahkon
City Park on the north side of town.
• There are no longer good views
of the lake from Malone Island.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Foreston
– 2 blocks south from downtown on Washington Avenue, 4 blocks east
on South Street, 1 block south on Clearfield Street, then
zig-zag 1 mile east-south-east on School
Street.
Onamia
– 1 mile south on Highway 169 to Quail Road/County Road 22, then 0.5
mile east to curve and continue 0.3 mile east.
Pease – 0.4 mile north from
County Road 8 on first street east of Main Street.
Wahkon
– 1.4 miles south on County Road 17 to the curve, then continue
south on the gravel road to the ponds.
NORTHEAST REGION
Pine County (p. 193-195)
For access to Sharp-tailed
Grouse blinds near Sandstone, call the local Department of Natural
Resources office at (320) 245-6789.
Amended directions to the water
impoundment and woods of Chengwatana
State Forest: From downtown Pine City, go east on Third Avenue S.E.
for 4 blocks to Second Street S.E., and turn right on Second to
County Road 9 on the east side of town. Follow County Road 9 north
for 3.5 miles to County Road 10, and turn east on 10 for 4.7 miles
to Evergreen Road. Turn right on Evergreen, take an immediate left
on Forest Road, and follow Forest Road 2 miles east to the water
impoundment. This road dead-ends in the deciduous woods a couple
miles east of the impoundment.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Askov
– 0.5 mile east from Highway 23 on County Road 32 to
Pionervej Road, then 0.3 mile south.
Finlayson – 0.4 mile east on
Highway 18 to Scotch Pine Road, then 0.4 mile south.
Willow River – 1 mile south on
County Road 61 to Long Lake Road, then 0.3 mile west and 0.2 mile
north.
Carlton County (p. 195-196)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Barnum – 3.8 miles west from downtown on County
Road 6, then 0.3 mile south.
Cromwell – 0.6 mile west from
Highway 73 on Highway 210, then north across railroad tracks.
Kettle River – 0.6 mile west
on County Road 12.
Aitkin County (p. 197-201)
These is now an active
Sharp-tailed Grouse lek 0.4 miles south
of Tamarack, on the east side of County Road 16. Grouse are also
active and visible here on some winter mornings.
Another active Sharp-tailed
Grouse lek site is on the west side of
Kestrel Avenue / County Road 31 north of Tamarack: from Highway 210,
go north 1 mile on County Road 6 until it curves left, bear right to
continue north on County Road 31, and go 1.6 miles. Grouse can often
be seen feeding here on winter mornings around the farmhouse.
There are blinds available from
the Department of Natural Resources to view Sharp-tailed Grouse in
the Township Road 380 / 450th Street area (A2); for information,
call (218) 927-6915 in Aitkin.
The back roads of this county
are now numbered or named: Pietz's Road
(A1) is signed 320th Place. The east-west portion of Township Road
380 (A2) is now 450th Street, and after 380 turns south it becomes
330th Avenue. The Township Road 49 access in
Wealthwood to Mille Lacs Lake (5)
is opposite County Road 51 and is now signed 385th Avenue.
Amended directions to the
Rabey tree farm: The best way to bird
this area is to hike south from Highway 200 on the snowmobile trail,
0.3 mile west of Elliot Forest Road (which is at mile marker 186).
Boreal Chickadees and Cape May Warblers can also be found right
along both sides of Highway 200.
Aitkin County Naturally
is a new and thorough 86-page bird-finding guide to the county. It
is currently sold at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, or you can
download a free on-line version of it at
http://www.aitkinbirds.com.
Crow Wing County (p. 201-202)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Emily – 1.4 miles west from
Highway 6 on County Road 1, then 0.4 mile north on Yost Road.
Pequot Lakes – 1 mile south from
County Road 11 on Highway 371, then 0.4 mile east.
Cass County (p. 203-205)
Some updates to access points on
Lake Winnibigoshish (1):
• Forest Road 2163, the road to
Birches and Tamarack Point public accesses, is now named Tamarack
Point Road.
• In Bena,
there are access points at the end of South Winnie Road / County
Road 140 and just west of town at Nodak
Lodge.
• Forest Road 2074, the road to
Richard's Townsite public access, is now
named Richard's Road.
• There is another access via
Painted Turtle Drive, about 3 miles up West Winnie Road.
• The road to the public access
about 5 miles up West Winnie Road is now named Trapper's Drive.
Pelican Island on Leech Lake can
be accessed by boat from any of the three public accesses off
Highway 200 (see p. 203). Recent records here include Parasitic
Jaeger, Whimbrel (among other
shorebirds), and even an amazing Elegant Tern! The island is
off-limits from May through August to protect the gull and tern
nesting colony.
On the east side of Leech Lake,
shorebirds are often seen at Sugar Point's beach and rice paddies:
from Highway 200, go north about 12 miles on County Road 8, then
west 4 miles on County Road 73, and turn right on County Road 136
for 1.5 miles to Sugar Point.
Local birders especially
recommend two roads farther east of Leech Lake for breeding warblers
and other boreal forest specialties:
• One is County Road 135 and its
mile-long tamarack bog (good for Yellow-bellied Flycatcher,
Connecticut Warbler, etc.); from Boy River, go 2 miles north on
County Road 63, then east 3-4 miles on 135.
• The other is County Road 129
and its 6 miles of varied habitats between Highway 200 and County
Road 7 (good for 20 species of breeding warblers, Le Conte's
Sparrow, etc.); turn south on 129 from Highway 200, either 6.5 miles
east of Highway 84 or 7 miles west of Remer.
In the region where
prairie-chickens were formerly resident near Oshawa (5), both Yellow
Rail and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow were found in 2006. From
Oshawa, go 3 miles west on Highway 87, and listen on the north /
Hubbard County side of the road just east of the Highway 64
junction. (Note that the small prairie-chicken population in
Cass/Wadena/Hubbard counties is reportedly nearly extirpated, except
for one small Wadena County lek.)
In southern Cass County, the sod
farms along County Road 1 can attract Buff-breasted Sandpipers and
other shorebirds in early fall: from County Road 24 go south on 1
for 7 miles, or from Highway 210 go north on 1 for 10 miles.
Also in southern Cass County,
there are deciduous woodlands along County Road 36 (and connecting
side roads) where such southeastern species like Red-shouldered
Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, and Northern Cardinal occur. County 36 turns south off
Highway 210, 4 miles east of Pillager, goes 2 miles south, 2.5 miles
east, and 2 miles north back to 210.
The current staff at Deep
Portage Conservation Reserve east of Hackensack is especially
knowledgeable about Cass County birding: from Hackensack, follow the
signs to Deep Portage (east on County Road 5, then south on County
Road 46), and inquire at the front desk for information, both on the
Reserve and throughout the county.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Cass Lake – 4 miles south from
Highway 2 on Highway 371 to County Road 143 / 144th Street, then 0.6
mile east and 0.2 mile north.
Hackensack – 0.4 mile east on
Poquet Drive to corner, then continue
0.3 mile east.
Longville – east from Highway 84
on Pond Road just north of downtown.
Pillager – 0.5 mile south
from Highway 210 on County Road 1, then 0.7 mile west on Hazel
Avenue.
Remer – 1 block south on First
Avenue, then 1.1 miles southeast on Etna Avenue.
Walker – 2 miles south from
Highway 200 / 371 on Highway 34 to 73rd Street N.W., then 0.7 mile
east.
Wadena County (p. 205)
In 2006, there was still one
small Greater Prairie-Chicken lek near
Burgen Lake within the otherwise
extirpated population in Cass/Wadena/Hubbard counties. Look and
listen along County Road 18, 5-7 miles north of Nimrod.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Menahga – 3 blocks south from
downtown on Highway 71 to County Road 31, 1 mile east to County Road
147 / 139th Avenue, then 0.5 mile south.
Verndale
– 0.9 mile west from downtown on Highway 10, then south across the
railroad tracks and 0.3 mile west along south side of tracks.
Hubbard County (p. 206)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Akeley – from south side of town, 0.7 mile east from Highway 64 on
County Road 12, then 0.3 mile south.
Nevis – 0.3 mile east from
Highway 34 on 210th Street, 0.5 mile south on Woodland Drive, then
0.4 mile east.
Park Rapids – 2 miles south from
Highway 34 on Highway 71, then 2.4 miles west on 160th Street.
Clearwater County (p. 206-208)
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Bagley – 0.6 mile south on
Highway 92 to County Road 32, then 0.7 mile east and 0.3 mile north.
Clearbrook
– 2 miles east from County Road 5 on County Road 4.
Beltrami County (p. 209-212)
A new and excellent interpretive
boardwalk provides foot access into the Big Bog off Highway 72 (1):
turn west at mile 45.2 at the sign for Big Bog State Recreational
Area Boardwalk, which is 5.7 miles south of the Lake of the Woods
County line or 8.5 miles north of the Tamarac River bridge in
Waskish. Northern Hawk Owls nested here
in 2006.
Some of the access points from
which to scan Upper Red Lake (see inset A) no longer exist. Four
locations still provide access:
• Just north of
Waskish along the north side of the
Tamarack River;
• 0.2 mile south of the
Tamarack River;
• On Sunny Beach Road: turn
west on County Road 111 about 4 miles south of
Waskish, go west 1 mile to where 111 turns south, and
continue west 1.3 miles on Sunny Beach Road;
• At the public access 3 miles
west and 1 mile north of Shotley.
Koochiching County (p. 216-218)
County Road 13, the first back
road recommended for exploration, was especially productive in 2004:
American Three-toed Woodpeckers and Spruce Grouse were both seen 2-3
miles south of Lindford / County Road 1;
Black-backed Woodpeckers and Boreal Chickadees were also reported
elsewhere along this road.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Littlefork
– 2 miles east on Highway 217 to County Road 8 junction, continue
0.1 mile east on 217 to Township Road UT169, then 0.4 mile north.
Northome
– 2.3 miles east from Highway 46 on Highway 1, then 1 mile north.
Itasca County (p. 218-219)
County Road 148, which leads to
one of the access roads on Lake Winnibigoshish
(2), is now named Williams Narrows Road, and the road which turns
left off 148 to the lake is now named Bowen's Road. This road
dead-ends at Bowen Lodge, which has allowed birders to scan the lake
from their property
Amended directions to the fish
hatchery ponds at Island Lake: turn east off Highway 46 on Rearing
Pond Road, 0.7 mile south of the county line.
There is a new website with
birding locations and other information in Itasca County: <http://users.2z.net/itasca_chippewa_birding/locations.html>.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Bigfork – 0.4 mile east from
Highway 38 on Golf Course Lane / County Road 261, then 0.3 mile
north to Pine Tree Drive and east to the ponds.
Deer River – 0.9 mile north on
Highway 6, 1 mile east on County Road 128, then 0.5 mile north on
the gated access road.
Grand Rapids – 4 blocks south
from Highway 2 on Highway 169 to First Street S.E. / River Road, 1.6
miles east and southeast to 23rd Avenue S.E., then 0.2 mile south.
Nashwauk
– 1.1 miles east from Highway 65 on Highway 169.
Warba
– 0.5 mile west on Highway 2, then 0.2 mile north on County Road 10.
St. Louis County (p. 220-231)
Unfortunately, the fields along
the Sky Harbor Airport runway at Park Point in Duluth (A1) have now
been fenced off and are inaccessible. Also unfortunate are
indications that the Duluth harbor area (A2) may become less
accessible to birders, as evidenced by new signs, fences, and
security guards in the Port Terminal area and at the grain elevators
and railroad yards along Garfield Avenue.
Bayfront
Park is located in Duluth's harbor area just west of the Great Lakes
Aquarium: free parking and access on Railroad Street west of Fifth
Avenue W. (see inset A). Its waterfront landscape with planted
shrubs and open areas of gravel and weeds often attracts field birds
(larks, pipits, longspurs), warblers, sparrows, and other migrants;
recent records include Brant and Mountain Bluebird
In some recent years, spring or
fall, the St. Louis River has been low enough to expose mudflats for
shorebirds in the Morgan Park neighborhood of Duluth (see p. 225).
The entrance road into Morgan Park at the stoplight on Highway 23 /
Grand Avenue is now named Arbor Street: turn here and then left on
Beverly Street (the first left after the church), follow Beverly to
the ballfield and small park by the
river, and follow the path by the playground equipment through the
trees down to the railroad tracks near the mudflats.
As mentioned in the Superior,
Wisconsin section (p. 226), that side of the harbor is better in
some winters for Gyrfalcons and Snowy Owls. Besides the vicinity of
the harbor, also check Superior's municipal airport (follow Tower
Avenue south from downtown to 46th Street) and the fields adjacent
to Murphy Oil Refinery (from the airport, continue south to 56th
Street, then east and northeast on Stinson Avenue).
The Superior, Wisconsin landfill
is now closed to birding access (both driving and hiking) as of
January 2005 because of liability concerns. Gulls flying over or
resting on the slopes can still be seen from the road outside the
gate. If the road is plowed east of the landfill, follow it to the
first left which leads to so-called Gull Bluff, where gulls are
often distantly in view roosting on the lake.
A new fence around the Lakewood
Pumping Station (B6) now excludes birding access around the
building, including the former site of the fall migration censuses.
However, access to the woods and settling ponds behind the building
is still available from the gravel parking area on the east side of
Lakewood Road across the street from the church.
A so-called safe harbor has
recently opened at McQuade Road, 2 miles
northeast of Lakewood Pumping Station (see inset B). Its combination
of a small harbor with rocky breakwaters, mixed woods bordering the
parking lot, and open areas of grass, weeds, and gravel along the
lakeshore is an attractive site for migrants.
In the Sax-Zim Bog (inset C), a
quite visible Sharp-tailed Grouse lek
has been active the last few years near Meadowlands along the east
side of County Road 29, 1.5 miles north of County Road 133.
Non-displaying grouse (along with Le Conte's Sparrows, Bobolinks,
both meadowlarks, and other field birds) can also be seen along the
side roads adjacent to County Road 29 in this vicinity.
Sharp-taileds sometimes frequent the brushlands farther northeast
along 29: from the lek, go 1.5 miles north, 2 miles east, and 2
miles north.
There are blinds available from
the Department of Natural Resources to view Sharp-tailed Grouse in
the Orr and Palo areas; for information, call (218) 744-7448 in
Eveleth.
Additional sewage ponds or
amended directions:
Floodwood
– 0.7 mile west from Highway 2 at the BP gas station on Ninth Avenue
/ Floodwood Road, then 0.2 mile south on
Triplett Road to the gated access road.
Tower-Soudan
– in Soudan, 1.2 miles northwest from
Highway 1 / 169 on Main Street / McKinley Park Road.
Winton – 0.5 mile north from
Highway 169 on County Road 88, then 0.5 mile east on gated road
opposite Pioneer Road.
Lake County (p. 231-240)
In Two Harbors, the cemetery
along Highway 61 on the west side of town often attracts fall
migrant geese, Black-bellied and golden-plovers, pipits, longspurs,
and Snow Buntings; also note the small settling pond near the
southwest corner.
There are more than two ponds at
the golf course in Two Harbors (inset A) with potential for
shorebirds: they are a short walk east and mostly north of the
parking lot. Later in fall, these ponds sometimes attract Snow
Geese, with an occasional Ross's or Greater White-fronted among
them.
There are now sewage ponds in
Castle Danger: from Highway 61 go 0.6 mile west on County Road 106 /
W. Castle Danger Road, turn right on Bunker Hill Road, and in 1.1
miles the road ends at the large gated/fenced ponds. Equally
interesting is the extensive adjacent clearing with scattered brush,
rocks, and small muddy pools; such open habitat with good potential
for migrant shorebirds, sparrows, and other field birds is scarce in
this part of the state.
Iona's Beach (3) is more clearly
marked on Highway 61 by the "Twin Points Public Access" sign.
Just northeast of Silver Bay on
Highway 61 (mile 54.9), the weedy and brushy clearing around the
AmericInn Motel is a good place to look
for migrant pipits, sparrows, longspurs, Snow Buntings, and the
like. This is a half mile before you reach East Lakeview Drive (mile
55.4), which leads to two water treatment plants, not one: continue
past the first one until the road dead-ends at the plant at the edge
of the Northshore Mining property.
Three navigation aids on inset
B: 1) The construction at the intersection of County Roads 2 and 15
is now complete: to continue north on 2, you must still jog east, as
shown on the inset B map and as signed on the road. 2) Forest Road
102 at the east end of the Whyte Road (B5) is also named the Snake
Trail, and it comes out south of Isabella on Highway 1 at mile 330
(see inset D). 3) The Mitawan Lake Road
turns north off Highway 1 immediately east of mile 319.
In recent years, birders have
been having the best luck with American Three-toed and Black-backed
woodpeckers along the Spruce Road itself (inset C), about 1/4 mile
beyond the Endless Waters Road corner.
North of Isabella (see p. 238),
the forest road which connects to Forest Roads 173 and 373 is
numbered 369, not 396 (it is correctly shown on inset D).
Lax Lake Road, which leads to
the west side of Tettegouche State Park
(7), has been rerouted and renumbered as County Road 402. Coming
from the south from Beaver Bay, County Road 4 now curves west in
about 6 miles and becomes the beginning of County Road 15 / Forest
Road 11. Here, look for the sign for Lax Lake Road / County Road
402, which now turns right (north) to the access to
Tettegouche, 0.7 mile beyond Lax Lake.
Coming from the north from Finland, the sign on Highway 1 indicating
the Lax Lake Road junction still reads County Road 4, but the road
is signed as County Road 402 after you turn right (southwest).
Cook County (p. 240-246)
Grandview Park in
Lutsen at mile 93.7 on Highway 61 is a
new location from which to scan Lake Superior.
The Gunflint Trail / County Road
12 has been rerouted through Grand Marais, and now intersects
Highway 61 on the east side of town. To reach the Gunflint Trail
from the west side of town, follow W. Fifth Avenue north to the stop
sign at the Gunflint Trail, and turn left.
The Lima Mountain Trail is
marked with a sign on the Lima Grade Road (C5), just north of the
south tip of the "triangle"; Black-throated Blue Warblers nest along
the hillsides about a half mile up this trail. Black-throated Blues,
along with Philadelphia Vireo and Bay-breasted Warbler, have also
been found in some recent summers along the Lima Grade Road about a
mile north of the triangle.
St. Louis/Lake/Cook Counties (p. 220-246)
The North Shore Birding Trail
is a new 64-page bird-finding guide to 52 sites between Duluth and
Grand Portage, distributed by Adventure Publications (http://www.adventurepublications.net).
APPENDIX A (p. 247-248)
Documentation for unusual
sightings should now be sent to the current MOU Records Committee
chairman, Peder
Svingen, 2602 E. 4th St., Duluth 55812; e-mail
mourc@moumn.org
