Follow Migration - Part 4 - Frontenac Warbler Walk

Early in the spring I was contacted by Josh Wallestad about guiding an outing at Frontenac State Park for the MOU's newly resurrected field trip program. The idea being to provide a fun warbler effort coupled with allowing me to continue my State Park Big Year with minimal interruption.

I was game and we landed upon May 12th which would give trip attendees the option of doing that walk or heading west for Garrett Wee's two day shorebird extravaganza around the Cottonwood area.

My second visit as I used a disconnected portion of the park for an effort to find the Tufted Duck without luck. I did get Common Redpoll that day though with friend Peter Nichols.

Bright and early at 7AM we started meeting at the parks last parking lot that overlooks Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River. It was going to be a great day I could tell as I picked up Northern Parula and Cape May Warbler while standing next to my car and getting ready. Richard Gotz an excellent photographer was already in the area taking pictures. A few minutes later we spotted Red-headed Woodpecker working around the parking lot as well.

One of 2 Red-headed Woodpeckers seen in the day use area at the very top of the park.

As I drove into the park I even noted Henslow's Sparrow in the road adjacent grasslands. Frontenac was definitely ready to rock and people started to roll into the parking lot eventually giving us about a dozen participants ready to find some birds.

The cooperative Northern Parula that was present all morning and seen/heard again after our 4 hour walking effort.

Several birds were singing loudly as we worked a path down to some overlooks picking up Magnolia Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo along the way. We soon also had Chestnut-sided and Black-throated Green Warbler as well having a nice steady stream of birds, but not so overwhelming of numbers that we couldn't get on most of the birds we found.

We eventually worked our way back to the lot and then began walking the paved path all the way down to the campground area finding a more sparse selection of birds with a breeze coming up the ridge line and penetrating into the woodlands. We did pick up some additional warblers and eventually got the group a listen on Henslow's Sparrow and looks at several other warblers. We walked the road back to the parking lot slowly picking up excellent looks at another Black-throated Green Warbler and even a nice Lark Sparrow in a large burn patch that had been done.

All total we had 66 species in the morning session and most birders continued on with me as we relocated to the Sandy Point parking area and decided to get ourselves down to river level and see what might be happening in that space. It turned out this was a great idea as we ran into several parties noting it was in near fallout conditions a ways down the trail. Encouraged we moved along as a good clip picking up a few birds along the way when we came upon a moist area that had recently been under water. As we picked our way along additional words from others prodded us to make it to the wood bridge as it would be worth our effort.

Sure enough was we arrived a Prothonotary Warbler was feeding just feet from the bridge and at times we within inches of where we stood. This bird was joined by dozens of others swarming the ground for an insect bloom that was in progress. We had point blank looks at many birds and eventually saw a Blackburnian Warbler standing next to a Prothonotary Warbler. It was a such a crazy hot spot we just hung out for over an hour watching it all happen and snagging pictures the entire time.

Ultra close range Yellow Warbler at the Sandy Point super spot.

Star of the day, 1 of 2 super cooperative Prothonotary Warblers that worked the Sandy Point bug bloom location the entire time we were present.

A bit distant, but a Prothonotary Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler looking into the same pool of water.

American Redstart also working the ground for bugs at Sandy Point.

Chestnut-sided Warbler given the close-up of a lifetime also.

It was an amazing end to a great 6 hour effort of birding and guide work. The slower pace of the day was nice also as I knew I was about to really drop the hammer to keep on pace for 20 State Park visits in about 10 days time. Golden-winged and Wilson's Warbler both gave us some nice looks on the way out of Sandy Point area as we wrapped up an outstanding day of birding.

Follow Migration - Part 3 - Split Rock Creek & Camden

Split Rock Creek

After I finished an epic 10 mile hike at Blue Mounds and chewed up 6 total hours of my day I tried to wedge in 2 more parks before having to head home and get ready for a morning guide effort at Frontenac State Park for the MOU.

I snagged a quick lunch and headed to Split Rock Creek State Park.

I quickly found the winds had raised a lot during this time and I was facing 15 to 20 mph cross winds in the park that was heavily suppressing bird activity.

Split Rock Creek had a real county park type of vibe to me as it is not a large space and the majority of the key feature is likely the lake that the park borders. My understanding is that in the depths of summer this is one of the few bodies of water in the county and it provides an oasis for birds and errant migrants so it retains a moderately high bird quality level for the relative habitat and natural space that is available.

Stone bridge just on the edge of the park forming a stream from the dam above that you can walk across at Split Rock Creek State Park.

The spillway and walkway that you can traverse with a little extra trail in a wooded patch on the edge of the lake.

I hiked the hiking club trail and generally just moved along at a good clip in the high winds finding some nice migrant birds, but nothing earth shattering to be honest. The trails were not really challenging to any great degree, but I can see the park being a prime stop on a south-western circuit. A sort of, well I'm in the area, type of bird stop where you can look the place over pretty quick and see what is present.

The Great: Having a body of water in an agriculture dessert can be key. This park space provides that for the birder looking to find rarities on the western edge of the state. I can see keeping this on my short list for stops when I'm hitting other key spots in this part of the state.

The Meh: A limited dry land habitat spread does limit the fun of hiking this park. I covered a good portion of the park in a short period of time and found some dogs on the neighbor property were pervasive barkers along with a campground taking up another huge chunk of space. I don't think it would be possible to ever feel alone or even at peace in a park like this, though again I have a leaning towards total solitude. I'm sure the park is a great summer escape for families and those looking to do some fishing in the area.

The Verdict: As noted, this is a birder stop in the summer for sure. I'm not sure the other seasons would provide a ton of value, but it will stay on my list for stops when I visit Blue Mounds and want to check for rarities.

Camden

I waffled back and forth on getting another park wedged in before heading home. When I plotted my route home I realized it literally drove past the entrance to Camden State Park so I figured a stop was definitely going to happen to ensure I get a visit in before the year gets to far along.

I allocated only about an hour of time though as I knew I had to guide for 4 or so hours the next day and then start an even bigger circuit of parks after that. I stopped in the office for directions and thankfully did as I soon found the entrance bridge is closed for construction and effectively blocking access to the majority of trails in the park. On top of that another park entrance just down the road to another area with trails was also not open for the season yet. In fact this massive park appeared to be down to 1 official parking area with trail access, meaning if you wanted to do the hiking club trail you would be doubling or tripling the distance.

I eventually settled upon a route that would cover some river lowlands area and then some upper prairie edges as well. I put up 40 species in about 1:30 of time in the park in the worst park of the day for birding. This was 4 more than I put up at Split Rock Creek and the most exciting was a cooperative Broad-winged Hawk while driving down the road to the parking lot.

Took this photo from drivers seat turned to look out the rear passenger window. The hawk had just crossed the road and perched in a tree ignoring the car being present. Best shot I've gotten of a Broad-winged Hawk.

My hike was filled with nice elevation changes and I immediately felt like I was in the wild so to speak so it was a great vibe. Even the railroad tracks running through a portion near me did not annoy as it felt like they ran through the wilderness beyond the frontier or something. I picked up expected birds with continued good Thrush activity all day long.

Based on what I saw Camden is a hikers park for sure. Assuming you are in for some serious trail time the bridge being out doesn't mean much as you can just hike to the other trails and explore them, likely with very few people present. I saw just 1 other person the entire time and that was a Trout fisherman when I got done with the hike.

This was a surprise upper prairie tract I found after traversing the river bottoms and ravine trails to the top. It was very quiet and open without neighboring properties pressing tight on the edges that I could see.

I did not really detect any serious warbler activity, but considering what side of the state I was on that is not a surprise. You definitely start to get a vibe that super waves of warblers are an eastern corridor type of thing that follows the big rivers more than you might initially realize.

The Great: Based on what I saw this park as the hiking goods in many ways. I'm juiced to come back at some point with a full day available and just hike the entire park like I do today with Afton State Park. I don't know about rarities, but it would be fun to find out what might be hiding in this diverse park location.

The Meh: Having closed areas, bridges out with no pedestrian way to directly cross, and apparently even a back entrance closed off is not a way to run a state park. I understand limited resources and the need to upkeep serious infrastructure up to date, but this was kind of crazy for a park this size in May. I almost got the vibe the woman working the office didn't know what to tell me as far as getting in an using the park facilities.

The Verdict: Come to this park when it is fully open and I think you will have more than enough to do for an entire weekend if need be. It is a hikers park from what I can tell and I want to come back and use it as a base of operations for birding. As far as this year goes, I'm not likely to make another stop though as the bulk of migration will be done and I don't know that it is known for any local specialty birds.

Follow Migration - Part 2 - Blue Mounds

It is going to be hard not to oversell Blue Mounds State Park.

I likely arrived way to early in the season for the key species of the park (Blue Grosbeak) and it did not matter. I picked up so many excellent species and had so much fun hiking this place that I allowed myself to push the day schedule so I could stay for 6 hours and hike a total of 10 miles.

Staying the night in Luverne meant that I could get out super early and be at the park ready to go when the birds were most active. It had stormed all night and was threatening rain or at least mist all day. None of that was able to drag me down though as I geared up at the main parking lot looking to do some combination of the lower and upper cliff line trails. I eventually decided to stay lower as I saw the swamp and grassland areas on the lower trail. As I walked the first small section of trail that led to the lower cliff line trail I picked up several nice Thrush species like Swainson's, Gray-Cheeked, and Veery. The last 2 were year birds for me and I figured it was definitely on for an outstanding day.

As I entered the grasslands I saw a bird bump up to a perch on the brush line and quickly spotted a LeConte's Sparrow. I was amazed as I fumbled and failed to get a picture of the bird. Shortly after I heard Henslow's Sparrow calling from the grasses and soon heard LeConte's begin calling as well, the first time I've actually heard this species sing.

A video recording of a Henslow's Sparrow calling from the grass. It is the soft hiccup type call given at regular intervals, but easy to overlook.

In total I counted 5 LeConte's and 7 Henslow's over about a 1/2 mile stretch of trail space. I actively tried to listen for Nelson's as the trail took me close to the much wetter swamp areas, but did not hear any potentials.

The Sparrow game was on point at Blue Mounds likely bolstered by the recent storms and perhaps a recent rainy pattern as I found the majority of the park trails very wet and my shoes 6 hours later looked like I had just walked in a river instead of open grassland trails.

My counts of Lincoln's Sparrow reached epic levels as I eventually was eBird flagged and asked by reviewer Bruce Fall to provide some detailed context for the numbers as I ticked 36 of them on my long duration hike. This turns out to be the state record for Lincoln's Sparrow in a single location. No doubt my 10 miles of trail time helped, but the fact is that I had 20 Harris's and 26 White-throated as well during a time that White-throated would normally be starting to dwindle a bit. In total I recorded 14 species of sparrow plus 1 old world in House Sparrow.

Harris's Sparrow with muddy bill as it had just popped off the ground into this bush while I hiked past the campground area to an a prairie that edges a farm.

On the surface Blue Mounds appear to be a massive grassland and buffalo enclosure, but just beyond that view lies the cliff line itself which is a wonderful rocky outcropping that presents some amazing views and eye candy for the park.

Longer view of the cliff line from the prairie space at Blue Mounds.

With many fun rocky spaces this tree was determined to live out it's life deep in the rocks.

When I finally decided to catch higher ground I also picked up sight of a soggy Swainson's Hawk sitting in a tree. I worked my way of the rocky face using a goat path type trail that even has a small stream running down it from all the rain that had been falling. Turkey Vultures ripped along the cliff face as well picking up the updrafts and wind currents. At the top I found the trails even wetter as the rocky terrain didn't allow much absorption, but it was worth the wet feet as I found the top side of the old quarry and some amazing views of the landscape. I spent some time appreciating the view from a couple angles and soon pressed on towards the trail that would edge the buffalo fencing the rest of the way back.

The Quarry is a must visit location showing some amazing views from above while hiking the upper cliff line trail.

Half way back I bumped an American Bittern from the trail edge as it lifted and circled looking for more open space to hunt for food. It is amazing to me how many spaces you can actually get that bird and how much more I find them now compared to my first 5 years of heavy birding in Minnesota. Shortly after I had a Wilson's Snipe fly a circuit around me as well, coming from an unknown location. It was a magical place as it seemed every corner revealed something new and exciting. I used to really not understand or appreciate prairie spaces, but have changed so much in the last few years that I often prefer them as the diversity of what you can find in them is much broader often then a deep close woodland.

The Western Meadowlarks were deeply entrenched in this space as well as they were spread out around the entire upper prairie space as well as Red-Winged Blackbirds that more and more seem like one of the best users of diverse spaces in the blackbird family.

As I came back to the car I swapped out shoes and socks and setup for another effort, looking to add the small woodland and campground area to my visit. I had some much luck in the main park I just had to keep it going. This proved valuable as I picked up some decent warblers in the woods, but also added 3 fly over Black Terns of all things, Red-headed Woodpeckers in 2 locations, and then a small flock of American Pipet bouncing around the entrance road burn area along with a nice mix of White-crowned Sparrows, Harris's Sparrows, and even a Lark Sparrow.

One of the American Pipet that was working a burn area over when I was nearly finished with my 6 hours of park time on this windy and overcast day that threated rain the entire time.

Man, what a trip. It was cold, windy, and misty the entire 6 hours, but it was an absolute blast as I spent the entire time alone with the exception of a park worker checking bathrooms and various other features. I even picked up an odd pair of Common Merganser hanging out on the over flowing river with a first of year Common Nighthawk hunting overhead. For the second day I wrapped up a park with an Owl sighting as a pair of Great-horned Owl moved positions in the tree line near the entrance station.

The Great: Though elevation changes will be limited, this place can keep you hiking and birding for a long time. I almost wanted to do it all over again just to see what else popped up in the same spaces I just visited. I get the feeling that Blue Mounds is under birded and it does get many birding visits. It just felt like I was seconds away from a super rarity of some kind like a Rock Wren. I will return this summer as I want to find a Blue Grosbeak for my year list and simply use it as an excuse to hike the entire park again.

The Meh: The ultra wet trails were a bummer and having the wrong shoes on really caused me some grief early on in the hike. I can imagine this place being turbo hot in the summer as cover is limited in most of the park.

The Verdict: This is an easy A+ really. I don't know what the summer birding is like, but I must return to this park and see what it has to offer. I have to imagine the fall is also amazing as migrants drop into the oasis on the trip south. Everything I saw was well maintained and you can tell it is a jewel in the state park system. It may not be my favorite hiking park due to limited elevation, but wow was it a fun place to visit and spend 6 hours. I can see why many of my birding friends listed it as their favorite state park. You are just seconds away from finding something crazy.

Follow Migration - Part 1 - Kilen Woods

On Thursday May 10th I finished a day of work and quickly set out on the road heading to the south-west corner of the state with my prime target being the nearly mythical Blue Mounds State Park. I first needed to hit a closer park and then find my hotel in Luverne so I'd be ready for Blue Mounds in the morning. I ended with Kilen Woods being my target though probably should have picked the closer and much less rainy Sakatah. I watched the weather closely and hoped for the best. As I rolled into the park it was a weak rain that I was determined not to keep me from exploring another park.

This 200 acre location is pretty small by most measures, but I found some nice elevation on the route I picked which brought me down towards the  Des Moines river. The river bottom area was lush and certainly had potential for a nice migrant mix, though it was very wet in some area and I was forced to go around or side-step some spaces. In a small stream/ravine I kicked up a Mourning Warbler, which will melt away any worries about rain pretty quickly. The small park does pack in some really nice habitat via ravines and river bottom type areas along with some nice prairie space.

I pulled in a couple other migrant warblers (Magnolia and Wilson's) while also hitting upon several Harris's Sparrows hanging out in the bushes near the campground road. While in the rolling prairie locations I picked up Bobolink making their robotic noises and even as I dodged rain drops over the majority of the small hike I was impressed by what was available in the space.

Some of the rolling landscape just up from the river bottom areas of the park.

As I made my way back into the parking lot that is absolutely infested with Chipping Sparrows I saw a large set of window move position in the woods, picking up sight of a Barred Owl beginning the hunt for the night.

The Great: Fun trails spaces are really helped as some quality birds and those trails do have some decent elevation change so they do provide a nice variety for such a small park space.

The Meh: With just 5 miles of trails and 200 acres I can see getting bored with this park pretty quickly. It was quiet as I did not come across another person the entire time I was at the park, though that was likely a function of the weather. From a hikers standpoint this is not the park you are looking for if you need something robust and long. From a birders standpoint this kind of oasis is key in a county space that is loaded with farms and tilled fields.

The Verdict: Birder visits combo'd with other locations in a given day would be the best use of this park. I can see hitting this park again in the future as the setup location for other park efforts. I'm sure this park is a massive county hot spot that do a lot of work for your personal lists, but I'm not likely to get a follow-up visit this year even if I target Blue Mounds a second time.

Mega Trip - Content Soon

I just finished a 10 day span where I led 2 different guided efforts and visited 20 State Parks while hiking 70 miles in those parks. I have many stories to share and new parks to review from the effort so I'll be getting some writing time soon to put it all together. Below is a short synopsis of what my vacation entailed and what is to be expected.

Day 1: Kilen Woods (After work trip where I dodged rain drops and had some fun.)
Day 2: Blue Mounds (10 miles and 6 hours of awesome.), Split Rock Creek (Wind blown), Camden (Bridge out, alternative effort.)
Day 3: Frontenac Warbler Walk (Guiding effort for MOU sponsored event with Prothonotary awesomeness.)
Day 4: Lake Maria (Random humans), Charles Lindbergh (Pine Warbler agreement.), Crow Wing & Mille Lacs Kathio (Ice Palace)
Day 5: Banning & Moose Lake Redux (Flex day birding adds new trails and good fun.)
Day 5: Duluth bonus birding adds Whimbrel life birds.
Day 6: Gooseberry & Split Rock Lighthouse (Super hikes and waterfalls galore.)
Day 7: Tettegouche & George Crosby Manitou (An unfulfilled hunt, but amazing day.)
Day 8: Judge Magney, Grand Portage, and Cascade River (Waterfall overload.)
Day 9: Temperence River & Jay Cooke (Raven Cooperation and A hunt fulfilled.)
Day 10: Grey Cloud - Big Watch III (Missed it by that much.)

During this span I hiked 76 miles, visited 20 state parks, 2 SNAs, and a waste treatment facility. Yes, it was a glamorous affair. I climbed or descended around 2,000 stairs while visiting nearly a dozen waterfalls and seeing over 170 species of birds.

I looked upon Canada for the first time and generally tried to take myself to my physical limits without getting into trouble deep on a trail somewhere. By the end I had outrun migration to a degree and realized that several days were still needed before some warblers would be on territory in these most northern reaches, while others were in place and staking claims to their piece of the boreal forest.

Interstate & Wild River "Recovery Day"

After a beastly 4 park outing the day before I slept in a bit (7AM) and waited for my wife to get up so we could grab breakfast and hang out for a bit. After a couple hours upright I finally felt solid enough to consider an outing of some kind and figured I would make the obligatory stop at Interstate State Park and then head on to Wild River for another visit.

My trip to Interstate went as I expected. It was loaded with park goers and the draw was fishing, hanging out, and generally being noisy while enjoying the rapids section of the river.

The scenery is outstanding at this park and is a nice quick visit or place to hang out and get some fresh air provided you like spending time out with a crowd. Again this is the type of space that provides a ton of value as they run river boat tours, it had rock climbing areas by permit, and caters to a city well setup for a tourist trap as the park space is right in the city of Taylors Falls and is across the river from Wisconsin's much larger parcel by the same name. This one two punch is a probably a great combo and excellent place for the locals and camping visitors to have a lot of fun, hit a rootbeer stand down the road and take in some shopping.

The rapids area of the river makes for a nice view.

Several rock ledges and spaces cover the park.

A lone pine making a living out of the rock face.

From birding perspectives the space has some good swallow potential and I picked up a surprise Louisiana Waterthrush singing actively. Though it was hard to tell with sound reverb, the bird may have been in Wisconsin.

In total I was present long enough for a sign selfie and some river pics with nice rock formations.

The Great: Cool views of the river and nice hard angled rock features make this space run to explore and likely provides thrill seekers some rafting fun while offering rock climbers some opportunity to scale some fun features.

The Meh: As noted this will be an active location with a lot of humans in the mix. I didn't do any hiking or exploring at the camp area and alternate entrance so that might over a bit more solitude, but even the trail that bridges to the two segments is pretty much a rocky hike along or above a busy road.

The Verdict: Maybe I'll try an early morning effort to snag some park birds in the future, but really this space is not my cup of tea.  The park offers about 3 miles of total hiking, but a lot of that links human heavy spaces and I don't see it being something I'll spend much time investigating. I'm sure the park does provide what it is intended to and that is a good thing. I'd like my wife to see the river and rocks as we hiked the Wisconsin side early in our relationship and enjoyed that space when we were younger.


I did make quick for Wild River and produced a wide ranging hike that had me cross several habitat types with the most exciting being the hidden short grass prairie just north of the horse camp. This provided me state park year birds in Lark Sparrow and Grasshopper Sparrow so I was very happy to pick those up on a 5 mile loop hike.

One of the Lark Sparrows I spotted on my hike.

Around the same time I had Red-breasted Nuthatch calling from the pines near the parking area for the horse camp as well. Even with my late start I cleared 47 species of birds and spent a lot of time in open hot prairie spaces that haven't really gotten hopping yet for activity.

While near the river I picked up some good pictures of Northern Map Turtle that gave me much better understanding of them than the limited pics I had from Afton State Park a couple weeks back.

Northern Map Turtle showing the head pattern with round yellow spot behind the eye.

Global Big Day - Great River Bluffs - The View

After a stop for a Subway sandwich I was on my way to a 4th park on the day looking to see what the bluffs had to offer when I'm at the top instead of in a valley or forest.

At the entrance with high angle of light and about 6 miles of hiking under my belt so far.

The view from the entrance sign pull-off.

The park was certainly scenic as I rolled into the dirt road of the park eventually coming to a parking area that seemed to have trailhead for the hiking club trail. I didn't want to really hoof a major effort and this path seemed to limit elevation gain/loss in favor of a nice ridge and wooded hike out to a scenic viewpoint. I figured by the time I finished it would be at 12 hours of birding and 9 miles hiked often in 83 degree heat.

I found active White-throated Sparrows and several species of Warbler as I made my way along the quiet trail coming into contact with some mushroom hunters and a small family enjoying a hike as well. I picked up first of year birds like Golden-winged Warbler and though I had them earlier in the day a number of Rose-breasted Grosbeak that cooperated for some pictures as well.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak was one of many in the area making noise and feeding. This one wasn't to sure or impressed with my paparazzi attitude.

The trail found brief open looks the valley and river eventually coming to an overlook of the Mississippi River that provided some pleasant views as I eventually spotted some Turkey Vultures using a steep hillside as a perch and take off point for soaring on thermals.

Scenic view at the end of the Hiking Club trail.

On my return I picked up a couple of Kik calls from a likely Coopers Hawk and found him moments later as I rounded a corner and the bird took off. The reason for the calls was soon found in a headless Red Squirrel the Cooper's had taken out. I hoped after I moved past the bird was able to finish up it's meal. Back at the car I drove in further to check out a pair of overlooks that were just a quick .1 miles to each from the lot. This space actually provided good warbler efforts with tree tops being below my view line and seeing Orange-crowned and several other species fueling on insects.

Another river view after a short hike to another of several available overlooks.

By this time I had contemplated a stop for a massive stair climb at John Latsch, but I thought better of that with 9 miles behind me already on the day.

The Great: Some fun trail spaces, though limited to about 6.5 miles total with many being an out and back to a view point. Of course the view points are the easy draw for a space like this and it accomplishes that very well. This could very well provide some awesome sky watching potential at the right times of the year.

The Meh: I'm not sure of any key target birds you'd look for at this park and habitat diversity is certainly a limitation for the serious birder. With the trails limited to 6.5 miles a person could bet bored with them over multiple visits, but again not every park needs to be all things to provide value. This natural space and view of a great river is preserved and available for use to explore.

The Verdict: I can see quick stops in the future as I look to expand my park list or county list. It is probably the type of place I'm more likely to bring my wife for a short reasonable hike to see some nice scenery and perhaps pick up a few bird species as well.

Global Big Day - Beaver Creek Valley - Redemption

I exited Forestville with a positive mind set looking for the adventure I craved. I knew I had a good snack with me in the cooler so I skipped the idea of hitting a lunch stop in favor of getting to this park and seeing what might be moving around in the valley.

Thinking that Louisiana Waterthrush on the sign would be nice.

When I arrived the park seemed quiet enough, though I quickly found a massive scout troop from Holmen, WI was setup in the main open space learning emergency response details and preparing for a hike. I moved past that them and had details in hand from the park ranger/interpreter on potential trail spaces for the coveted Louisiana Waterthrush. Being the bird was on the entrance sign I had high hopes.

I found the Big Spring trail that basically parallels the stream and the dirt campground road. Certainly not a space that puts you out in the middle of nowhere as camp sites and bathrooms are seen along with beefed up creek crossings for vehicles. The ton was much different that I would attribute to the less tourist nature of the space, meaning you likely would have come to this place to avoid historic tours and caves. This seemed like a space for solitude, hiking, and nature time and it proved that way as everyone present was generally quiet.

I quickly picked up some warbler activity on the spring cooridor, which peaked near the mouth of the spring when I picked up the distinct song of a male Cerulean Warbler. This tough to find bird was bouncing about in the tree tops just up the ridge as I struggled for a picture, just getting one before it moved along.

The long view of a singing male Cerulean Warbler.

At this same location I picked up the chip note of a Louisiana Waterthrush, but had trouble locking down a visual and eventually returned to my car for a lunch snack.

As I ate at a picnic table a Yellow Warbler claimed territory and a House Wren chattered constantly telling everyone it might now own the playground equipment. The scouts had dispersed a bit by this time and I picked another creek trail that looped out a longer ways away from the main park body. The scouts were present in many spaces, but were respectful and seemed to be enjoying the space.

I had word of a stream crossing being out, but decided to stay on that section anyway in hopes of sticking close to the stream for Waterthrush sightings. I soon had the unmistakable run-on song of a Winter Wren fill the area. I found the little bird bouncing about the deadfall and underbrush. I'm starting to get a feeling based on prior reports in the southern part of the state that Winter Wren is trying to establish in these southern valley/canyon spaces well south of their typical range as I would expect this bird to be well north by now.

I eventually came to the end of the trail and picked up chip notes and visual of a Louisiana Waterthrush working the stream edge. An excellent few birds in this park to add to my park list and help provide a great location for challenging species.

So good I put up 2 pictures of this awesome Louisiana Waterthrush. Such a fun bird to find in small creek/streams that run over rocks and provide space for them to pick bugs and such from the water.

I ran into a scout leader trying to get to the trails end so he could setup as an "injured" hiker for scout rescue and directed him on the path needed to avoid the bridge out situation. On my own return to the parking lot I ran into the crew looking for him and they asked if I had seen a hiker, etc... I put them in the direction he was likely to be assuming this would be how a real world scenario might play out. Hiker goes missing, volunteers look for the hiker, and ask others along the way what I might have seen prior to their arrival.

I wrapped up my visit with a few more State Park first of year birds like Yellow-throated Vireo and Warbling Vireo. It was a short visit with limited trail efforts, but I enjoyed all of my time and was excited to add a couple warblers to my state park year list that I had hoped for this southern section of the state.

American Redstart working the trees and singing away.

A Red Admiral butterfly.

The Great: Another off grid location where cell signal is not going to penetrate. The spring fed stream was really nice and provided some crystal clear waters for some excellent warbler territory. I got the feeling that some elevation hiking was available to me with some switchback trails, though this day I was not able to put that into practice wanting to get to a 4th park on the day.

The Meh: The park bottom area with camping and general parking does feel a bit cramped and I imagine on busy days it might really feel cramped. I think the loop trails and ridge trails might alleviate this, but I can see it being hard to feel very lost much of the time. Seems the brand of visitor to a park like this though may be tilted a bit towards those that enjoy hiking and solitude more than some other spaces.

The Verdict: I like this park for the unique species findable and the potential for other fun valley bottom or elevation hikes. I can see a return trip in coming years though I suspect I picked up the couple of really key birds for this location already. Definitely worth a visit and a couple hours of hiking and the valley bottom seemed it could hold a lower temperature than high elevation open spaces so perhaps a nice respite from the heat.

Global Big Day - Forestville - Bound to Happen

It was bound to happen that I find a park I did not enjoy visiting for some reason or another. Forestville is pretty much the first I can say I did not really enjoy my entire visit.

Me ready for a second park on the day that would end up being 4 total parks.

Now a few good reasons for this point to the simple fact that it just wasn't the type of park designed around my primary interests for a State Park.

I could tell from the outset that this park is super busy and serious family/tourist destination in the State Park system as I rolled into the entrance station 4 cars were lined up at 10AM. I got out hoping to snag a paper map and maybe some advice on trails to target. I quickly found 8 or more humans in the lobby about the size of a phone booth and quickly exited figuring I'd look up a map online. Not so much as the cell coverage had zeroed out by this point and I was off the grid.

I then found plan C in pulling over on a road shoulder when I saw a trail junction that had a trail map. I was thwarted in this also when I found 50% of the sign washed out from UV damage and the lines that did exist were heavily faded versions of themselves over white. Later on a hike I found 2 or 3 more signs that were in the same state making it feel like a person might never truly know if they were on the correct path.

Heavy fade or maybe just not a great color scheme as the maps all appeared to be light colors over white making it tough to know for certain what the situation was at any given point.

I soon found a parking area that appeared to border a nice stream and had some bathrooms. I soon found this was a reserve pavilion and food prep was in process directly adjacent to the bathrooms for someone's passing of life celebration and it seemed rude to rumble through and use the facilities. I also found that no trail maps or signage existed seeming to indicate this was not the trail head I was looking for. I turned around and looked at the entrance station again, with another 4 cars of people present checking-in, etc...

Not going to lie I found the whole bit frustrating and annoying, all the while telling myself the park was popular and this was a good sign of a solid place to visit. I made the plan to quick drive the side road and found 3 camp ground areas with a trail head hidden near an amphitheater that had the hiking club sign prominent. An RV had decided to park over 90% of the parking lot, waiting for their spot to come available and I got the last of 2 remaining spots that weren't covered length wise by the RV.

I geared up and started my hike. I soon found the hiking club trail gave me an excellent tour of the Cabins, then the neighbor properties with a burning pit going, the tent and RV campgrounds, and then eventually the entrance road and entrance station building. I was very surprised that during the entire hike I never felt alone, and never felt like I was on an adventure. I found some nice wild flowers, but from a bird standpoint it was pretty rough and I'm certain I saw more humans than birds during this time.

Dutchmen's Breeches in upper left, Virginia Bluebells in lower left, and then Bellwort on the right. All of these were found in great numbers and you could definitely say the forest had a nice carpet of flowers laid down.

After the hike I figured I'd look further into the park and see what the signage for Old/Historic Forestville was advertising. The final lot turned out to be the parking for the fee based history center run old town museum, etc...  I briefly crossed the now footbridge to take a peak and came back since I wasn't in a history tour mode on global big day and would prefer to do so with my wife.

Interesting that you must have a State Park pass and then purchase admission to the attraction. Not a big deal if you have a park pass as a normal thing, but a visit to just the historic site wouldn't go well if you needed a $35 pass plus the $8 fee.

The convert to foot traffic only bridge getting to the old town.

I found a prairie paddock and trails arcing off the parking lot and decided I'd try those out as well before leaving. Unfortunately the entire area had a controlled burn very recently (no green shoots coming up) so bird activity was even lower than in the main park trail I had just finished. It is at this time I have to say that a number of trails arc out much further in the park, but I didn't want to get on those as I had already found 3 high water spots that appeared to show preference for horse access as opposed to true hiking intent. I decided now was the time to move and cut my time losses for the day.

The Great: This park along with the adjacent Mystery Cave property likely have a ton of great activities for families looking to get off the grid and away from the city. Plenty of camping, historical sites, fishing, and related adventures and I saw many people doing just that so it was nice to see.

The Meh: This is one of those parks that is not in any way what I need when I go out hiking and birding. It is also possible this place has just crazy good birding at certain times, but I've learned if I bird and never feel alone or in the midst of an adventure then I don't have fun. I hold out hope that a couple distant trails exist that would provide me what I crave, but I'm not sure I'd find out unless I force myself to make another trip.

The Verdict: Got a family looking to get away and do fun things? Then this park is right up your alley. Want to be alone and in the solitude of nature, good luck as it is a well used location and likely to be busy at many times of the year, which is good for the park system.

Global Big Day - Lake Louise

Given the early edge of warbler migration and some stalling in the metro area I wanted to go south and get a good bump in migrant activity and see if I could churn out a few parks for the eBird global big day.

It took all I could muster not to stop on the way in Rochester for a random look at a Great-tailed Grackle, but I ultimately kept my path and arrived at Lake Louise by 7:30AM. I had a good feeling as I spotted a Eurasian Collared-Dove just as I was making the final turn and realized the bird was over park land and would be a year add for me.

Ready to start another full day of birding in the State Parks.

I wasn't sure what I was looking at for option and ended up driving towards the horse camp and general campground (still not open for the year) as they seemed to border a river and prairie space with mixed woodlands. As I crossed a bridge I heard the R2-D2 of birds and quickly spotted my first Bobolink of the year for a second year bird without leaving the car.

Driving past a recent prairie burn it was easy to spot a number of sparrows moving about the dirt entrance road and I soon found a campground visitor parking lot that allowed me to get out and look at some hiking options.

A nice looking Savannah Sparrow hanging out just off the river.

As I geared up a Rose-breasted Grosbeak began singing from a nearby tree and then a Baltimore Oriole landed in the tree right above me. Shortly after a Gray Catbird gave a few plaintive calls. I knew I had hit the right direction to start the day as the south already appeared to have a fun contingent of migrant birds in place.

I snagged a trail that moved towards the Upper Iowa River and seemed skirt the prairie at the same time. A few birds moved about and I spotted a couple waterfowl (American Coot & Blue-winged Teal) paddling about in the some flooded backwater areas. Eventually I spotted a few Solitary Sandpiper along with a Spotted Sandpiper for some bonus shorebirds. My original intent was thwarted as I realized the trail crossing from the river was a no go with the high water.

What appears to be a normal path on most days was a bit less than traversable this day.

This accidental rerouting worked in my favor as I rolled with it and followed the trail that eventually took me to a nice open woodland near the western edge of the park and I soon heard what initially sounded like an odd-voiced Red-Bellied Woodpecker, only to find I had stumbled upon a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers talking back and forth in the woods. This was a great surprise as I had not done any advance research showing they have some history in the park as being present.

My first of year Red-headed Woodpecker at Lake Louise.

As I continued through the wooded area arching back towards the parking area I happened upon a few other year birds with a quiet Blue-headed Vireo as well as a Black-throated Green Warbler moving about the understory. As I finished the hike I took a quick drive and look at the hiking club trail off of Lake Louise and the swim beach, but didn't stay long as the woods were quiet and I was looking forward to getting to more parks on the day. I wrapped up with 58 species on the morning effort and was very happy with what I found.

A view of the damn at the end of Lake Louise.

The Great: The park seemed to provide ample hiking opportunity, though total solitude wasn't always a thing as nearby farms and road traffic was audible a number of times. The hiking variety was very nice though elevation was limited so it won't likely be a strenuous effort most of the time. To be fair though several miles of trail are still left to be explored. A paved trail (Shooting Star State Trail) runs through the park and provides some nice access as well.

The Meh: I can see the swim beach area off of Lake Louise and the spillway area being a big summer draw so it is possible the park won't be the greatest summer birding destination, but in the early spring the park was a dead zone for humans so that was nice.

The Verdict:  I can see coming back in the future for a quick stop and grabbing some additional trail time to snag more park/county tics for a life list. Doesn't really have any amazing views, but not every park needs that to serve a purpose. This is a nice oasis in farm country and having Red-headed Woodpeckers potentially nesting in the park is a huge bonus.

William "OMG" Brien - Night Moves

So my plan was to skip dinner, or at least have a snack while birding so I could go from roughly 3:45PM to about 9:00PM at William O'Brien State Park and pull in some expected early evening bird song that I miss by birding so regularly at Afton State Park.

As I arrived my plan was to start with the river trail loop in the lower portion of the park. I immediately found some excellent sparrow action in the mowed portions of open space near the parking areas. (White-throated, Song, Swamp, Lincoln's, Chipping)

A Lincoln's Sparrow found in the mowed open spaces off the parking lot and near the currently flooded boat launch parking. This migrant sparrow can be found in many habitat locations with a thicket of cover always being nearby.

With the boat launch area flooded out I quickly moved on towards the main loop trail and found it much quieter than I thought it would be at this point. I had a few warblers moving about (Yellow-rumped, Palm), but nothing further for a long stretch of trail. Over the river with the banks just barely holding the river back I could hear and see a pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallows moving about quickly feeding and watched them as they soon flew into a prospective nest cavity in the river bank. I would imagine this potential nest sight only remaining viable if the river rises no further than a few inches.

I picked up the sounds of the expected area woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Pileated) eventually coming to a turn that would put me off the river for a while. At the turn is a small marshy area off the river where a stream dumps into the St. Croix river. I stopped for a bit and I picked up sight of a Common Yellowthroat and then a Northern Waterthrush bobbing about in the brushy tangle.

The small stream moving along this segment showed a nice collection of Marsh Marigold that seem to thrive on eternally moist areas like.

Marsh Marigold blooming along the bubbling brook on the river trail.

I always hope for a Louisiana Waterthrush to setup shop in this stream corridor, but wonder if it is just a bit narrow and small for their liking? I continued on picking up a couple more pictures of wildflowers believing I was seeing 2 varieties of Hepatica (Round-lobed and Sharp-lobed) while then also finding Skunk Cabbage in bloom near the head waters of the stream as it comes off of Lake Louise. These were my first good looks of the cool looking flower horns they produce, though I wasn't in position to get close enough to find out if they indeed smell skunky.

Skunk Cabbage is pretty cool in bloom. This muddy forest location drains off the lake and is the start of a spring feed as well I think for the small brook that runs to the river.

Round-lobed Hepatica and Sharp-lobed Hepatica found in the woodlands while hiking the river loop trail near Lake Louise.

I almost forgot how much I enjoy adding wildflowers to my hikes and walks, especially when the birding is slow or producing difficult looks for pictures. As I rounded Lake Louise I found a pair of female/juvenile Red-breasted Merganser lounging in the waters while a Belted Kingfisher rattled off a few volleys of calls and made a dive attempt at a meal. Just below the Kingfisher perch a single Great Blue Heron was fishing from shore as well. This time of year can be very fun at William O'Brien as I only saw maybe 6 to 8 people on this loop trail area and it is often very busy with fishing, boat launches, picnics, and camping. As I wrapped up the loop I snagged a look at a Black Squirrel chastising me for being in its territory and a first of year Swainson's Thrush working the dirt trail along the edge of the woods.

I then moved up my car to the upper park area and stopped in the dirt recreation area (used to be volleyball and maybe softball setup) that really seems like more of a brush collection pile more than anything as a single Killdeer met me claiming the open space as his own. My plan was to hike out past one marsh area and into the woods and prairie sections beyond the railroad tracks. My later evening plan was to skirt the marshes and listen for several key birds I needed for my State Park big year. I never made it past the railroad tracks to be honest. As I made the walk under tunnel/bridge of the railroad a Winter Wren popped up to give me a look as it foraged. I was about to hit the tunnel when I started to hear my number 1 target bird from the marsh. American Bittern was letting loose a volley of gurgling water bombs. I really don't know how else to describe them using my own words. The large marsh bird uses it's full neck and body to belt out a liquid galonk several times in a row and it is often the only hint you have of the bird being present since they are world champion hide and seek players in the avian world.

I changed my path to skirt the entire swamp area passing on the forest/prairie effort for the time being. Soon I had a Wilson's Snipe winnowing overhead and I was well into the audio soundscape that is a quality marsh habitat. For good measure a chorus of stone dropping (sound of their call is like 2 stones banging together) Sedge Wren started their calls staking out territory. The moist trail that bisects 2 large tracts had pulled in many Lincoln's Sparrow along with Swamp Sparrows. I soon found a single female Bufflehead floating on the open pool of water as I listened to a second American Bittern fire off a volley of calls. Soon an Orange-Crowned Warbler made it's way down the scrub line on the edge of the trail. This whole section was amazing to listen to and I rarely picked up my binoculars just taking in the layered sounds of birds going about their business on the now heavily cloudy day. It was just 6PM by this time, but I had my prime target bird so I forged a new route to work the entire marsh loop and wrap around for a look/listen at the group camp entrance road swamp that presents more cattail based marsh. That is an important distinction as the massive marsh area I was in is more grass and sedge space giving it a different group of potential birds. I was hoping to also snag Sora and Virginia Rail this evening so I hiked onward. I picked up another Orange-Crowned Warbler and soon several Ring-necked Pheasant staking a claim to the higher dry edges of the marsh areas. I rounded a bend for another hidden pond area and quickly spotted a North American Beaver moving about the pond. (William O'Brien is a strong hold for this mammal and you can find signs of them in many water locations.) At this pond I ran into a couple Sandhill Crane picking out food in the marsh and making little noise, which is surprising to me. They didn't seem to pay me much mind and did their thing while I did mine.

A quiet feeding pair of Sandhill Crane.

As I made my way to the noted cattail marsh I realized I was hearing American Bittern the entire hike basically, but couldn't lock down how many individuals I was actually able to note. I went with 3 knowing their song can carry a great distance, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was closer to 6 or 7 even for the mile or so loop. At the target marsh I quickly was treated to another pair of Sandhill Crane and then a couple chattering Sora nearby. Soon after I stopped to listen closer, a Virginia Rail started going off within seconds making it another easy target bird without much waiting. Again the audio soundscape of this entire hike in the upper park area was amazing. Being able to skirt prairie, forest, and marsh gives a sort of maximum library of birds claiming territory and advertising their availability. What a great way to spend an evening after a full day of work.

By this time I wrapped up my loop and drove to the visitor center lot and got out my lunch bucket looking to have a snack before I headed out for an open space and listen for American Woodcock. I sat at a bench just off the lot munching on a Hillshire meat, cheese, cracker pack and listening to the chorus of Chipping Sparrow nearby. I stopped mid-bite as I realized one didn't sound right and was actually more musical than mechanical. I knew immediately I was hearing Pine Warbler. I left my lunch sitting on the bench and scrambled to the edge of the pine stand next to me and had a Pine Warbler quickly pop into view as it made the rounds and sang a few times. Shortly after another one chastised the first bird and they melted back into the pine woods calling all the way. This was a great non-targeted bird that might just use this space for nesting as this part of the county is the very southern end of their range and the pine stand seems robust enough to support them. I loved the direct education on hearing Pine Warbler and Chipping Sparrow at the same time as they can often be tough when heard alone to know for sure which one you have. (Especially if you are rusty on Pine Warbler like I was.)

Man, I wish I could get a good picture of a Pine Warbler. They are little beasts sometimes.

My short dinner complete I hiked out along Blue Hill and took the cross trail to a middle prairie segment to listen to the birds give a last effort at song for the night while others started up for the first time. White-throated Sparrows tried out some full song as a nearby Eastern Towhee warmed up and eventually put in a few rounds of 'Drink-Your-Tea'. The other direction had a House Wren run out a few bars of material and a Song Sparrow made sure all could hear him as well. A Belted Kingfisher made a final fishing effort at the hidden pond I had visited earlier and I could still pick up American Bittern off in the sedge marsh.

The sunset showed a great brilliance before nightfall and I waited patiently for the American Woodcock to start up.

A nice sunset at William O'Brien waiting for the American Woodcock display to start.

At 8:22PM the first Peent call came from the woods, followed by multiple others waking up for some night dancing. I started my hike out knowing I'd get plenty of time with the Woodcock as I counted a total of 10 birds and saw 2 of them in aerial display from the still light sky. I got to my car about 8:39PM amazed at picking up all my target species for the day/evening effort. I had hoped maybe an Eastern Whip-poor-will would start a call, but I might have closed out a bit early for that to happen and the park is large enough it might take several efforts to track down one even if present in the park. William O'Brien presented an outstanding audio education and a nice beginners palate of early spring wild flowers. My last 2 segments were nearly alone as I saw only 2 other people during this time likely out enjoying the solitude just like I was.