Birding in North Dakota
and Minnesota in the USA
and Minnesota in the USA
| Birding in North Dakota and Boreal Forest in Minnesota |
| Day 1: Arrival Fly (or drive) to Fargo and arrive at any point that day. Most flights will be in between 11 AM and 3 PM. Based upon arrivals that day, we will develop plans for some Fargo area birding. Days 2 to 4: Arrowhead National Wildlife Refuge, Horsehead Lake, Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Alkaline Lake From Jamestown: Arrowhead National Wildlife Refuge, Horsehead Lake, Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Alkaline Lake Centered in Jamestown , we will be visiting the Prairie Potholes region which holds some of the highest density of wetlands in the nation as well as remnant areas of tall grass prairie. After short drives to one or two of the various sites each day, we will bird and take short walks as we explore these areas. Arrowhead National Wildlife Refuge, Horsehead Lake, Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Alkaline Lake will give us great opportunities to see and hear the special birds of the area . Several of the birds we hope to see include Sharp- tailed Grouse, Yellow Rail , Upland Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Piping Plover, Sedge Wren, Sprague's Pipit , Baird's Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Short-eared Owl and Chestnut- collared Longspur. Day 5: Bemidji, Minnesota, Itasca State Park and More In the morning we will bird as we drive to Bemidji, Minnesota. This drive is about 240 miles and about 4 hours of drive time. This will be a good start to birding in the boreal forest region, so it is well worth the trip. On the way to Bemidji, we will visit Itasca State Park (in Minnesota) which has prime pine forest and one of best places for Black-backed Woodpecker and several key warblers (Bay-breasted, Cape May, Magnolia and more). Ruffed Grouse is possible here. Another key spot (Alice by local name), offering a good try for Connecticut Warbler, will be worth a stop. That afternoon, we will explore area around Lake Bemidji and we will take a second look for some of the warblers (which we may have missed earlier in the day). We hope to find 20 nesting warblers species in this area. Hopefully, we will add Red-throated Grebe, and we will have a chance for hearing Yellow Rail (seeing it takes some real luck). Day 6: Big Bog State Recreation Area and Baudette, Minnesota An early start towards Big Bog Recreation Area will be worthwhile. Everyone will enjoy this area and the 1.5 mile long board walk through wetlands and tamarack bog (including some hardwoods). More excellent warbler birding opportunities should develop here, and we will also look for Northern Hawk Owl, Palm Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow- bellied Flycatcher and much more. Before getting on to Baudette, we will stop at Beltrami Island State Forest to explore some quality Boreal Forest and we should find Sandhill Cranes, Boreal Chickadee, Connecticut Warbler, Canada Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, and other boreal specialities. We will also have a chance at finding Great Gray Owl and Spruce Grouse. Late in the day, we will get to Baudette, Minnesota for dinner and lodging. This is one of two good spots for owling (either tonight and maybe the next night). Depending upon what seen and what has been seen recently, the trip leader will determine and offer owling plans for the evening. We will be hoping for Great Gray Owl and other nocturnal specialities. Day 7: Roseau, Minnesota: Key Additional Sites Include Lake Hays State Park, Roseau Wildlife Management Area and Lost River State Park We are going to start early and go through a different part of Beltrami Island State Forest. On the way, we will stop at Lake Hayes State Park which could produce Black-billed Cuckoo , Wood Thrush and Golden- winged Warbler and Purple Finch. Both of these locations will help us to maximize our opportunities to see Boreal forest specialities. By mid-afternoon, we will arrive at Roseau, Minnesota. We will take a short drive from here to Lost River State Park for another try at Yellow Rail and Short-eared Owl. This will be the best site for Great Gray Owl (and maybe worth a later return). This location will be a very good opportunity to see a number of new species. These areas will give us access to several key habitats, including conifer forest, deciduous forests, boreal forest, sedge meadows, willow and alder thickets, marshes and meadows. Species of note include Spruce Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Northern Hawk Owl, Great Gray Owl, Boreal Owl, Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Alder Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. Pine and Evening Grosbeak are also present. We should be rounding out our list of 20 species of nesting warblers, including Golden-winged, Cape May, Blackburnian, Pine, Bay-breasted, Connecticut and Mourning. Roseau Wildlife Management Area is on the way back to Roseau and may be worth a stop in the late afternoon or in the morning. Dinner will be at about 6 PM in Roseau, and some participants may chose a bit more owling. Day 8: Birding at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge or Twin Lakes Wildlife Management Area and Other Local Spots on Way Back to Fargo and Flights Home in Late PM We will enjoy a morning birding stop at Lost River State Park before final packing. We will spend some time on the way back to Fargo for several key birding sites, such as Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge. Agassiz is a big lake with expansive marshes. Or, depending upon best way to maximize good birding, we may consider a visit to Twin Lakes Wildlife Management Area (as alternative to Agassiz NWR). After wrapping up at one of the two wildlife refuges, we will have a good three hour drive to the airport. So by about 2 PM, the birding day will wrap up for a final push towards home by car and then plane. Departure: Everyone should book the flights home after 7 PM. If you do not book the 7 PM flight, you can always plan a flight back the next day with slight additional charges for another night in Fargo (about $35.00). |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker (above and including the banner photo). |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| For more information or to register for this trip, call Charles or Alison at 888-203-7464 or Charles directly at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com. |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Photo by Bill Schmoker |
| Detailed Itinerary |