The 2025 Salt Lake Birding Weekend, now in its 48th year, will be held May 2-4, starting at Lac qui Parle Wildlife Area Headquarters, near Watson, MN. This year, the birders will be shuttled to several locations, including Salt Lake, to view migrating birds. There will be three coach buses with bathrooms for birders to have comfortable access to the remote locations to see the birds. This event has some exciting new opportunities this year, along with new partnerships. The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter, University of MN Extension Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the Montevideo Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have all come together to make this a great outdoor experience for all participants.
In a typical year, about 150 people come together to count birds, enjoy fellowship and learn from each other. What will you see? Several species of grebes, Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, Trumpeter and Tundra Swans, Ross’s and Cackling geese, all things duck, Short-eared Owl, harriers and American Kestrels, to name a few from past years.
In 2024, 130 species were identified; in 2023, 139 species were identified, so it is an excellent place to get some of those birds on your life list checked off.
There will be three buses taking participants to various locations, possibilities will include: Marsh Lake Dam, nearby Wildlife Management areas, and Waterfowl Productions Areas that will have been scouted earlier in the week for birds.
Visit the following link and register to join us: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F48A9AC2FA5FFCE9-49529567-salt#/
Please only register yourself and those in your group you know are coming. You will be required to make a comment in a text field, asking for the name of any other attendees you’re registering for on their behalf, and whether you want to be assigned the same bus as them or any other attendees.
We also have a website created for the event, including great info about Salt Lake itself and historic information, about lodging/camping list, as well as the registration link and event schedule. Please visit the site here: https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/salt-lake-birding-weekend/home