|
GREAT RIVER BIRDING AND NATURE FESTIVAL-May 9-11
The Robins have arrived which is the best sign of warmer weather right around the corner. Our Festival this year will be scaled down to the two main events of Birding the Chippewa River bottoms on a Mini-Railcar and Birding the Mississippi Backwaters by Boat. Both events are very popular for Spring Migration. Go to the web site at www.mississippi-river.org/birding or access through our site by clicking on Birding Events above to make your reservation. Don't forget to check the other nature related events that are happening in the MVP communities throughout the year.
Read All About It - The Great River Birding and Nature Festival is featured on page 70 of the Spring issue of Trails magazine.
FALL AND WINTER BIRDING OPPORTUNITIES
Bald Eagles are arriving and can be seen in the trees along the Mississippi River Hwy 61. Pull into wayside rest areas for viewing and photographing. Also along river edge at Read's Landing.
POSTING NOVEMBER 30, 2007
Be on the lookout for a Snowy Owl in Lake City. They often stay in one place for days, even weeks on end if the hunting is good. Given the location of the sighting, it may be a female. They tend to be somewhat larger than the males and have a propensity for taking waterfowl in Winter. If there are ducks in the harbor she may hang around for while.
Walt Popp found it on the rocks at the Lake City Marina in the morning of November 28, and the bird was still there in the afternoon.
A Long-Tailed Duck was reported seen along Wabasha County Road 24 where Pioneer Club overlooks the Mississippi near community of Wabasha, MN.
Frontenac State Park located just 6 miles north of Lake City and Hwy 61. Take Cty Rd 2 toward the park, first turn to the left just before park entrance is Hill Avenue, take a drive along this road to site Wild Turkey and Ring-necked Pheasants in fall and winter and songbirds in spring and summer. After a mile, gated park roads on your right have breeding E. Towhee, Scarlet Tanagers and Wood Thrush. Winter birds also find good shelter here. Back track to the park entrance into diverse uplands, scenic vistas, Oak Savanna, adjacent bottom land woods and wetlands. Turning left leaving the park drive to Historic Frontenac and walk through the Villa Maria Convent and Retreat Center where at dusk Chimney Swifts funnel in. Walk the Old Frontenac Cemetery off Wood Avenue adjacent to the Villa property for Tufted Titmice, Red-shouldered Hawks and birds in all seasons can be heard and seen on the gated cemetery road. Wintering Crossbills can also be located in this area. Walking in the Old Frontenac community check road sides for Tufted Titmice and other wintering species. Check the wetland area adjacent to the Villa for a variety of birds year round. Leaving the Villa turn right back onto Cty 2 continue to just before the entrance onto Hwy 61 pull off into the parking lot on your left and walk the signed trail on your right. Listen for breeding Acadian Flycatcher near the woods entrance. Prothonotary Warbler near the boardwalk, and Pileated and Red-headed Woodpeckers along the trail. At the lake edge, walk right checking for migrating Piping Plover and other shorebirds beyond the point.
Heading downriver toward Lake City scope the boat landing and rest stop for loons, Greater Scaup, gulls and ducks. Try mid-late November for huge rafts of Common Mergansers and swooping/feeding Bald Eagles.
Hok-Si-La Municipal Park located just north of Lake City is a migrant trap of mixed woods that juts out into Lake Pepin. Check the entrance road's bottomland woods, wetland areas and parking lot woods for Barred Owls, ducks, Pileated Woodpeckers and migrants. A walk through the grass area to the right of the parking lot eventually weaves throughout the campground with an overlook above a "Birdy" creek. Continue upriver through oaks and circle to the lot through tall pines where there are more warblers, records of Cooper's Hawks and Long-eared Owls. Walk an old road down to the water for shorebirds, gulls, tern rarities and egrets.
Continuing back onto Hwy 61 and along the water's edge in Lake City park along any side streets adjacent Park Street near Ohuta Park. Any duck species can be seen from here. Find huge rafts of Common Mergansers in November and December in a warm winter. Check for shorebirds on the sand and in cold weather there may be a Purple Sandpiper. Bald Eagles can be found in any season from any vista. Follow the one way signs past the mobile homes to a parking area on the point. In late fall find thousands of Common Mergansers and Bald Eagles fishing. Even in the distance you might see a rare Pacific, Red-throated or very rare Yellow-billed Loon, besides migrant Common Loons April-June and in September until freeze-up.
Continue to Roschen Park boat landing at north end of town and see terns (Common, Caspian, Foresters and Black are regular) in spring and in fall, jaegers may be harrassing gulls. Check for Glaucous, Iceland, Thayers and less common Greater and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwakes among the Herring and Ring-billed roosting on the lake at night. Long-tailed Ducks, any loons, scoters and rafts of C. Mergansers can be found here in spring or fall. From Rochen Park take two left turns and follow Oak Street, staying close to the river. Past a creek and across a railroad trestle on your right, scope Lake Pepin for shorebirds in May and scoters and gulls in November. A good Bald Eagle spot along the creek. Check behind the small brick building further down Oak Street and at the Sportsman's Club for Greater Scaup flocks and other ducks and gulls.
Information provided by Carol Schumacher- Ornithologist-Winona
For a copy of the Lake City Area Birding Map/Brochure contact the Lake City Tourism Bureau at 877-525-3245 or download from this site by clicking links.
TUNDRA SWANS AND BALD EAGLE VIEWING
TUNDRA SWANS AND BALD EAGLES - Large concentrations arrive in the fall starting in mid-October.
Tundra Swans arrive at Rieck's Park just north of Alma, Wisconsin and at Weaver Bottoms on Minnesota side of Mississippi River in mid-October and linger here until late November or freeze-up . They reach a peak population from early to mid-November . The Observation Platform at Rieck's Lake Park is manned with trained volunteers on weekends and there are scopes mounted at the platform. You may also see Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Mallards, Black Ducks, Pintails, Gadwalls, Widgeons, Shovelers, Canvasbacks, Redheads, Lesser Scaup and Buffleheads. Early in the season Great Blue Herons, Common Egrets Snow Geese and a variety of shore birds can be seen. Visit the home page www.mwt.net/~swanalma or E-mail: swanalma@mwt.net
Bald Eagles many pairs nest in the area year round and migrating begin arriving in mid-October to mid-November and linger through March. Viewing area spans from Covill Park in Red Wing, Frontenac State Park in Frontenac and Hok-Si-La Park in Lake City. Large concentrations of eagles can be found at Read's Landing just north of Wabasha where the water is open year round at the confluence of the Chippewa River and Mississippi River. Drive off parking areas along Hwy 61 can be congested during this time.....be careful driving this corridor.
The National Eagle Center located on Main Street in Wabasha has 3 Bald Eagles on staff. Harriet, Angel and Columbia are permanent residents with damaged wings that prevent their release into the wild. They provide an opportunity to have a "nose-to-beak" experience year round at the Center. A Golden Eagle will take residence at the Center in 2008. Viewing stations inside the building have binoculars and scopes placed to view outdoor eagles located in the trees and on the ice flows on the river. The Center is open daily 10am-5pm year round.
An Observation Deck is open 365 days a year. The Deck officially opens with volunteer staff in mid-November through March.
Soar with the Eagles celebration is held in Mid-March. This is an incredible event that will interest the entire family. For more information contact 651-565-4989 or www.nationaleaglecenter.org.
Wings Over Alma located in Alma, WI, is a multi-purpose, non-profit facility staffed by volunteers. Take the bridge from Wabasha to WI Hwy 35 and go south about 9 miles to Alma, WI. The building is located on the right just south of Lock and Dam #4.
The center offers a 50 foot viewing platform overlooking the Mississippi River, equipped with spotting scopes and binoculars to view a variety of wildlife year-round. Eagles, a variety of waterfowl, deer and other mammals are common. The center hosts a variety of artists works, nice seating, and hot coffee. This is a great area for relaxing and viewing the happenings on the river.
Check the web site at www.wingsoveralma.org or contact 608-685-3303 or wingsoveralma@yahoo.com for information on events and programs.
| 
