A Common Loon, the spirit of the Northwoods, lies low on its nest on a Minnesota Lake. Photo: Chris Wood
The wonders of the breeding season in Minnesota and North Dakota could well be the best kept secret in all of birding—and with our small group size, we plan to keep it that way! June landscapes are as lush as the birds are conspicuous. From boreal forests to aspen parkland and the grasslands and prairie potholes of North Dakota, this trip covers some of the richest breeding locales in all of North America.
We’ve recorded over two dozen species of ducks and half a dozen grebes, often with adorable babies. Fifteen species of sparrows are possible, including many of the most difficult species to detect in all of North America. The subtle songs and muted plumages of Baird’s, Henslow’s, Nelson’s, and LeConte’s Sparrows are always among the highlights. But perhaps more than any other group, it is the wondrous warblers that draw us time and again to the region. We typically record at least twenty-five species, and unlike watching warblers during migration, our views are often leisurely and prolonged: imagine scope views of Golden-winged or Mourning Warbler, and Connecticut and Canada Warblers singing from near your feet! We are also on the southern boundary for nesting Great Gray Owls, and we’ll spend an evening or two driving the quiet roads in search of this enigmatic species. On another evening, we’ll visit an extensive sedge meadow to listen for what is certainly a good candidate for the most enigmatic species in the country: the nearly mythical Yellow Rail. With great luck, we may even see one. Perhaps best of all, almost the entire tour takes place far from the hustle and bustle of the city, giving us ample time to enjoy the tranquility of the northern forests and prairie potholes and the tremendous birdlife that calls this region home.
Day 1: The tour begins at 6:00 pm at our hotel near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport. Night in Bloomington.
Chris Wood is one of the best. Not only is he an outstanding birder (especially by ear!) but he really took the time to work with us, teaching us to stretch ourselves. My skills grew considerably thanks to Chris … and I added some nice birds to my life list as well!
Pieter Poll, June 2011
Day 2: Starting in the Twin Cities allows us a morning to look for birds with more southern affinities—species that are pulled north along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. The winding trails of Murphy-Hanrehan Regional Park present a wonderful opportunity to explore this rich southern-flavored avifauna with local specialties such as Red-shouldered Hawk, Acadian Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged and Hooded Warblers—the latter known to breed nowhere else in the state—Eastern Towhee and Field Sparrow. In recent years Henslow’s Sparrow and Cerulean Warbler have been found in small numbers and we’ll hope to see both of these avian gems. A number of productive regional and county parks and nature centers throughout the greater Twin Cities area will give us additional options for birding before we leave in the afternoon for the Duluth-Superior area. Night in Superior.
Days 3-4: The northwoods of Minnesota are comprised of a rich variety of habitats from jack pine stands to tamarack bogs, from spruce woodlands and alder swamps to hardwood forests, interspersed here and there with sedge meadows and cattail marshes. From our convenient location in the Twin Ports (Duluth and Superior) we’ll head out looking for such highly prized species as Connecticut Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Great Gray Owl.
We’ll spend one morning along the edges of bogs and coniferous forests, where the woods are alive with warbler songs including Mourning, Canada and Blackburnian. Haunting songs of White-throated Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Veery and Winter Wren echo from inside the bog, while Blue-headed Vireo and Purple Finch often sing nearby. Just north of Duluth is the southwestern limit of Black-throated Blue Warbler, and we’ll search for it along the little-visited portions of Lake County, where we also have a slim chance of finding Philadelphia Vireos.
Of course, no visit to the Duluth area would be complete without a trip to the Sax-Zim Bog. This is prime habitat for Connecticut Warbler and we’ll concentrate on finding this species. Other summer residents include Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Golden-winged Warbler. Displaying Bobolink, Eastern Kingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird and perhaps Upland Sandpiper will give us our first taste of the grassland species that we’ll see in abundance later in the trip. We’ll also make an evening excursion to look for Great Gray Owl and we’ll hope to encounter Moose, Fisher, River Otter, Beaver and if we are truly lucky, a Wolf. Nights in Superior.
Day 5: We’ll keep our morning options open and look for species that we haven’t yet encountered. We may visit nearby Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, whose deciduous woodlands and scrubby grasslands hold species such as Black-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Clay-colored Sparrow. In the afternoon we’ll explore northern Aitkin County for any species we may not yet have seen, making a particular effort for Cape May Warbler. Following invasion years this area has been attractive to White-winged Crossbills, but they are not to be expected most years. After dinner we’ll visit McGregor Marsh, searching for Yellow Rail and enjoying the fireflies while listening for the insect-like hiss of Nelson’s Sparrow. Night in McGregor.
Day 6: We’ll drive west to the prairies of western Minnesota. Clay County’s Felton Prairie is one of the few tracts of natural short-grass prairie left in the state and it is here that we’ll meet our first western prairie birds. The area is best known as home to the last remaining Minnesota breeding colony of Chestnut-collared Longspur but we’ll also see Western Kingbird, Warbling Vireo and Orchard Oriole, all of which nest in the cottonwood trees that dot the area. The grasslands also support Marbled Godwit and Vesper and Grasshopper Sparrows. Late in the afternoon we’ll drive to Jamestown, North Dakota. Night in Jamestown.
Day 7: Today we’ll explore the remarkable freshwater marshes and lush prairies of Kidder County. In the marshes and sloughs the guttural pumping calls of American Bitterns and the cacophony of “song” produced by colonies of Yellow-headed Blackbirds fill the air; Black and Forster’s Terns wheel about over their nests among the cattails, and small flocks of Franklin’s Gulls fly between marshes; Ruddy Ducks, one of more than a dozen species of waterfowl that breed here, engage in their unusual courtship displays while Willets, Marbled Godwits and Wilson’s Phalaropes dart back and forth across the meadows; and American White Pelicans and Eared, Western and a few Clark’s Grebes dot the scattered alkaline lakes. This early in the season there are often still some northbound shorebirds including White-rumped Sandpipers. Piping Plovers are sporadic but possible.
In the prairies Chestnut-collared Longspur and Grasshopper, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows will be common and we’ll listen for the tinkling song of Baird’s Sparrow and the elaborate flight song of Sprague’s Pipit. We’ll also hope to see Dickcissel and Lark Bunting although the numbers of these nomadic birds vary from year to year. These open expanses also attract Northern Harrier and Red-tailed, Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks, and each year seems to bring a surprise or two. We’ll have a good chance as well for Sharp-tailed Grouse and we’ll scan roadsides for Gray Partridge. Night in Jamestown.
Day 8: This morning we’ll bird the prairies north of the towns of Tappen and Dawson looking for species we may have missed the day before or concentrating on more intimate looks at species of particular interest. After a field lunch we’ll begin driving east toward Minneapolis. Night in Minneapolis.
Day 9: The tour concludes this morning in Minneapolis.
Updated: 02 May 2013
Prices
- 2013 Tour Price : $2,650
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $430
Notes
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
This tour is limited to seven participants with one leader.