Explore Minnesota Birding Report Update June 20, 2013
As of late last week, a few openings remained for the Koochiching County II Minnesota Birding Weekend offered June 22-24. Birders will be based in Grand Rapids and International Falls, exploring the back roads in this remote county's vast expanses of bogs and coniferous forests. A wide array of boreal specialties can be expected, including Black-backed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied and other flycatchers, Boreal Chickadee, more than 20 nesting warblers (with Cape May, Bay-breasted, Connecticut, Mourning, and Wilson's as possibilities), and possibly both crossbills. Special emphasis will be placed on listening to and learning the songs of warblers and other passerines singing in the surrounding territory. To learn more about this and other birding weekends, visit the Minnesota Birding Weekends site.
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Information in this report has been provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and their affiliates. This report is brought to you by ExploreMinnesota.com.
The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
A Long-Tailed Jaeger was found in Roseau County on June 14th. The bird was along County Road 123, but access is limited; take State Highway 89 north from State Highway 11 and turn east on County Road 118, then turn south on 123.
In Chisago County, a Bell's Vireo has been seen for the last two weeks near the town of Shafer. To view this bird, travel north on Redwing Avenue to where the paved walking/biking trail crosses the road. There is a parking lot near this trail. Walk west on the trail for about 100 yards to the old driveway to the south and look for the bird in the thicket to the west.
On the 11th, Peter Nichols found a Tufted Titmouse singing in the picnic area at the dead-end parking lot at Afton State Park in Washington County.
Also on the 11th, Julian Sellers found a Kentucky Warbler singing in Battle Creek Park in St. Paul. The bird was about 300 yards west of the Battle Creek Community Recreation Center.
Julie Brophy had a singing Mourning Warbler in her Carver County yard on the 16th which is a little south of their normal summer range in the state.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. View photographs of recent sightings at the MOU website. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
