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Festival Of Birds in Detroit Lakes Minnesota
Set the alarm. Grab the binoculars. Put on good walking shoes.You don't want to waste any time in birders' paradise - Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. More than 250 species of birds live in Becker County. Why? Because the Detroit Lakes area is in the heart of a transition zone of tall grass prairie, northern hardwood and coniferous ecosystems. Serious birders flock here each spring for the annual Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds.
The tenth annual Festival of Birds in 2007 was a record-setting event all around! The highlight was special guest David Sibley and the sighting of a record 190 species of birds.
Birders on the 2007 Agassiz Refuge trip saw 25 of the 29 shorebird species, including a flock of over 90 Hudsonian Godwits. Birds seen at Agassiz, that were added as new sightings during the festival were the Eared Grebe, Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher and Bonaparte's Gull. A record 135 species were tallied at Agassiz Refuge. Birders taking the 2007 fieldtrip to the Rothsay Prairie saw a variety of prairie sparrows, Greater Prairie Chicken, and migrating Godwits and Sandpipers. The highlight was an uncommon sighting of a Red Knot. A Sunday fieldtrip to the Ulen Felton prairies in 2007 included looks at the Chestnut-Collared Longspur, Grasshopper Sparrow and Lark Sparrow. Fieldtrip goers to Itasca State Park spotted a dozen warblers and watched for the Black-backed Woodpecker, which was sighted in 2006.
The 2008 festival is scheduled for May 15-18 with special guest author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul.
Weidensaul's eloquent message on wildlife and the environment is one you'll want to be sure to hear! The Pulitzer Prize finalist delivers his keynote address on Saturday, May 17, 2008 entitled Return to Wild America: a Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul. Weidensaul writes for the Smithsonian, Audubon, Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife. He is the author of more than two dozen books on natural history, including Living on the Wind; and Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding. Al Batt is certain to entertain everyone at the Saturday evening Native Harvest meal. Weidensaul is one of the field trip leaders to a new birding site, Glendalough State Park on Saturday. Another new site is Red Lake WMA/Beltrami Forest, in search of our theme bird, the Connecticut Warbler and seven other species to add to the festival checklist for the first time. The logo features the Connecticut Warbler from Kathy Adams Clark. Plus, two insightful evening presentations on changes in forests and prairies!
Those who registered by April 25 were included in a drawing for a free pair of 8 x 42 Denali binoculars from Eagle Optics
Any time of year, we welcome you to check out several sites along the Pine to Prairie Birding Trail that are near Detroit Lakes. Download the Bird Checklist of 275 species along the trail below.
Watch for the rare Piping Plover at Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Listen for the call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. Catch a glimpse of brilliant orange Baltimore Orioles in the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District. For a true nature adventure, head to the Helliksen Prairie Waterfowl Production Area and scan the prairie for Greater Prairie Chickens and Sandhill Cranes. Slip on boots and explore the wet meadows of Waubun Wildlife Management Area seeking out the Yellow Rail.
Take a break with a simple picnic lunch at Dunton Locks County Park while you watch great blue herons fish for their lunch.
Everywhere you go in Detroit Lakes' bird paradise, you're guaranteed to see birds to check off your bird list. Best of all, you'll hear the winsome call of the loon, Minnesota's state bird.
We welcome you to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Happy birding!
Register here under a secure server by Noon, Monday, May 12.
You may download the 2008 program below.
To view a specie checklist, download the pdf below.
2008 Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds ProgramDownload (1.11 MB) |
Specie ChecklistDownload (41.71 KB) |
