Birdwatching Trek: Bass Ponds Trailhead

Join refuge naturalist Craig Mandel for a spring bird walk. For these spring walks, the birds observed will change as the season unfolds. With Waterfowl on the March and April walks. Followed by Sparrows and Warblers on the walks in May. We will get to know the birds that migrate through the refuge each spring and those that stay to nest on the refuge. Bring along your binoculars, favorite field guide and dress appropriately for the weather. Registration required:

Date and Time: Saturday, April 5th from 8:00-10:30 am.

Location: Bass Ponds Trailhead – 2501 86th St E, Bloomington, MN

Registration Information: Registration is required for this program and is available on the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuges website. To register, go to the events page and click on the program date you would like to register for and click on the SignUp link. Please indicate in your registration if you would like to receive a birding summary and species list from the walk. This program is capped at 25 participants.

Activity Level: Easy-active, we will walk slowly and make frequent stops.

Meet Us: Meet near the Upper Bass Ponds Trailhead parking lot. Please consider carpooling with others in your party due to limited parking.

What to Bring: If you have them, bring along binoculars and a favorite field guide. This program is held entirely outdoors, please dress appropriately for the weather. A cancellation notice will be sent via email to registered participants in the event of severe weather.

Accessibility: A portable restroom is available, near the lower parking area. There is a steep hill, that we will walk down to the lower parking lot. Once there the walk takes place on mostly flat ground on paved trails, wooden boardwalks, and natural surface paths. Depending on seasonal trail conditions, natural surface paths may not be suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. Very few benches or rest areas exist along the route. For access to the lower parking lot, please contact the Refuge Visitor Center at 952-854-5900.

Program Leader: This program is led by Volunteer Naturalist Craig Mandel. Craig has been leading bird walks on the refuge for more than two decades. For questions about these walks, please contact Craig at 952-240-7647.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to these events for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, close captioning, or other accommodation needs at least ten business days before the event to Oscar Hernandez at oscar_hernandez@fws.gov.

Event date and time
April 5, 2025 8:00 am – April 5, 2025 10:30 am (CST)