Dates: December 27-31, 2006.
Leader: Mike Hendrickson

Duluth, Minnesota in late December can only be described as cold--no, very cold. There will be snow on the ground and days are short with a low sun. The area could be considered drab except there are several hard to find bird species lurking about to give a real sense of excitement to the scene. For example, by late December there is, usually, a staked out Northern Hawk Owl somewhere within a reasonable driving distance. By providing enough time to range away from Duluth we should find this nomadic species of the north. One can find Gyrfalcon practically every winter hunting from the huge grain elevators around the harbor on frozen Lake Superior. One must speculate if the Chamber of Commerce imports large numbers of Rock Pigeons to attract this largest of our falcons to attract touring birders, in turn.

Drives through the Boreal Forest, accessing the Hawk Owl should produce Spruce Grouse as well as they come out of the woods to gather gravel along the road-bed for their gizzards. When found, this species often provides remarkable looks as they are so convinced of the efficacy of their camouflage that they tend to ignore their observers.

Also during the course of our wanderings we will likely find such other northern species as Great Gray Owl, Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, Boreal Chickadee, and Black-backed Woodpecker. Another 6 boreal species present reasonable odds for sightings and there is even some chance in invasion years of seeing Boreal Owl.

The trip is led by Mike Hendrickson who has birded the Minnesota area since he was nine and who had the great fortune to get early tutoring from Kim Eckert. Minnesota's premier birder. Mike has a small landscaping company, two young kids, and is active in his church as a volunteer.

The cost of the Northern hawk Owl & Gyrfalcon trip is $845.00 which includes hotel (double occupancy---single occupancy $200.00 additional), local transportation, fees, and leadership. Meals and incidentals are not included. The trip is limited to 6 birders. A deposit of $200.00 holds a space on this trip with refunds of $150.00 for withdrawals prior to October 15. The balance will be due November 15. Join us in this search for a difficult nomad.

WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN, BOTH PRAIRIE-CHICKENS

Dates: 4/8/07-4/14/07, 4/16/07-4/22/07
Leader: Mike Hendrickson

Eastern Colorado is a place of great contrasts in mid-April; winter still dominates the high mountains while the Great Plains will be into spring. Our target birds reflect these same patterns.
The trip begins in Denver with a foray into the high passes for White-tailed Ptarmigan in their “winter whites”, weather permitting. The famous Guanella Pass is our first stop followed by Loveland basin where all 3 Rosy-Finches are often found if the feeders are in use.

Early the next morning we visit some rangeland in northwest Colorado where the Division of Wildlife has easements on leks of both Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Sage Grouse. There are also Blue Grouse in the northwest and we will clearly try for them.

Our next stop is Gunnison which is a long drive away punctuated by some interesting short birding opportunities. The next morning we visit a lek of Gunnison Sage Grouse, a recent split.

The rest of the day will be spent driving as we head east toward short-grass prairie. A very early start the next morning takes us to the famed Campo lek of Lesser Prairie-Chicken. We can then debate whether the Indians of the Plains were taught to dance by this endangered species or by the Sharp-tailed Grouse. We will then bird our way north in the Great Plains until we reach the ranch of a landowner who takes great pride in having several Greater Prairie-Chicken leks. The views of the target species of this day are usually outstanding, being within a few feet of the birds

On our last full day we drive through Pawnee National Grassland in search of the last three targets- McCown’s Longspur, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Mountain Plover. If we are successful early, we will visit a shore-bird location where there are many unusual records.

Returning to the Denver area in preparation for your departure, we will still have the option of an additional try for Ptarmigan, if needed.

The trip is led by Mike Hendrickson and another birder with vast Colorado experience. Mike leads our trip for Hawk Owl, Snowy Owl, and Gyrfalcon which has been successful in finding all of the target species. He also led the Colorado Chickens trip in 2005 with outstanding results.

The Colorado Weekend costs $1595 including fees, room (double occupancy; single occupancy is $240 extra if booked with deposit), local transportation, and leadership.(No meals are included.) We will book up to 11 birders with the hope of having only 8 birders after cancellations. A deposit of $200 is required to hold a space. The balance will be due February 1 with refunds of $50.00 for cancellations prior to January 15.

MANITOBA SECOND SPRING

Dates: June 7-17, 2007
Leader: Mike Hendrickson

Springtime, with its invigorating air, rejuvenating outburst of foliage, and colorful birds in full aria, has a major drawback--it ends too quickly in the swelling heat of summer. The enchanted prairie province of Manitoba offers the birder a chance for a repeat performance of spring.

The trip, from Winnipeg, breaks into four very different segments and this diversity contributes to its popularity. The last segment is a visit by air to famed Churchill on the shores of ice- clogged Hudson Bay. Here we will search for breeding Ross' Gull and Little Gull on the inland lakes and ponds. Common and Hoary Redpolls, and many sparrow species, are seen along the road to the pump house which is up river several miles from town. Willow Ptarmigan and Spruce Grouse can sometimes be found at Twin Lakes Road past the Canadian rocket range. The tundra, where the cooling influence of Hudson Bay prevents tree growth, will yield looks at the stunning Smith's Longspur in breeding plumage. We will also bird at the river mouth where Parasitic Jaegers take food from Arctic Terns and good views can be had of Thayer's Gull. We will make use of the great amount of daylight to get our Churchill birds in as few days as possible so that we will have time for the prairies

The first segment takes us to the southwest corner of the province and a visit to the prairies which go west from here to the Rockies and south to Mexico. We will find the elusive and shy Baird's Sparrow by tracking his song through the fields and witness the eerie display flights of Lark Bunting and Sprague's Pipit. The little woodlots which dot the prairie should give us good looks at Black-Billed Cuckoos and Sharp-Tailed Grouse can be seen nearby.

A short drive to Riding Mountain National Park starts the second segment of the trip. Riding Mountain is a forested ridge complex which rises suddenly, in isolation, out of the Great Plain. The cool woodland serves as an oasis for such hard to find species as Connecticut Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo, and White-Winged Crossbill. With luck and skillful drumming, we may get both 3-Toed Woodpeckers species. The area is frequented by resident Great Gray Owls. This is some of our most exciting birding and will produce a large variety passerine species on territory.

Driving from Riding Mountain to Winnipeg takes us across the southern edge of the huge lakes which dominate the center of the province--Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba. This third segment provides a chance for Snowy Plover and familiar water species such as grebes and ducks in full breeding color. Overall, we should see about 60% of the species on the Manitoba checklist.

The Manitoba Second Spring costs $2695 from Winnipeg and includes room (double occupancy), local transportation (including airfare round trip to Churchill), and leadership. A deposit of $200 is needed to reserve a space with the balance due on May 1 with refund of deposit, less $50, for cancellation prior to April 15. The trip accommodates 7 birders.