Explore Minnesota Birding Update - July 17, 2015
This is your monthly Explore Minnesota Birding Update -- happy birding!
July phenology notes
July is an excellent time to walk or canoe along a shoreline to view great blue herons, Eastern phoebes, hooded mergansers, and kingfishers.
This is also a great time to view flocks of American white pelicans. Some of the best areas to view these birds are along the Minnesota River at the Minnesota River dam in Granite Falls, the spillway on Marsh Lake near Appleton, and the dam near Watson. Pelicans may be clumsy on land, but they are graceful in flight and lots of fun to watch as they scoop for fish.
Cool tool
A new video series called Inside Birding has been developed to help novice birders learn about bird identification by recognizing birds by their size, shape, color pattern, behavior and habitat.
Ways to help our feathered friends
The St. Paul Audubon Society has pulled together a list of tips on how we can help birds stay alive and thrive. Check out 8 Ways to Help Birds and learn tips such as how to help birds "see" your windows better, and how to create a mini wildlife refuge in your own backyard!
Upcoming birding events
Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely will offer Birding at Bear Head on July 18 & 25, with guided walks to listen and look for a variety of bird species.
Fort Snelling State Park in St. Paul will present Birding for Beginners on July 19. Join the naturalist on a birding hike and learn the basic techniques of bird identification.
Check out the Bird Banding Demonstration at Whitewater State Park, located east of Rochester, on July 19 when participants will have an opportunity to handle and release birds.
And birders will want to begin planning for the very popular Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah held August 15 in the town of Henderson. This event celebrates the ruby-throated hummingbird with banding demonstrations, tours, speakers, children's activities, and a Hummingbird Mall!
Unusual bird sightings
A tropical kingbird was last seen July 9 at Murphy-Hanrahan Park Reserve in Savage, located just south of Minneapolis. View this bird and other unusual recent sightings at the Recently Seen Rare Birds page on the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union website.
