Rock - Pipestone - Nobles MBW
May 15-16-17, 2025
The Junior Tour Leader Report
"My name is J. E. Quinn, and I think I should start with a confession:
I find the existence of the report you hold in your hands somewhat absurd.”
(Writer’s note: There are several clues to encourage additional exploration.)
Pre-MBW birding
On the trip down Frank put up with my budding county obsession with a stop in Faribault County (0-19 species) including a random stop at a wetland where the shorebirds were within feet of the car. Something we would experience again during the MBW. And Martin County (0-33) which included Bay-breasted Warbler in Cedar Creek Park, Martin County. That park is in the damn book. mbwbirds.com/abgtm.html (Note: In order of importance, reading the A Birder's Guide to Minnesota is second only to reading his emails.)
Day 1 (Thursday, May 15): Rock County – The Revenant
Rock County takes its name from the Rock River which “comes from a prominent rocky outcrop about 175 feet high (designated "The Rock" on Joseph Nicollet's 1843 map of the area) of reddish-gray Sioux Quartzite, about 3 miles (5 km) north of Luverne.[4] The outcrop of quartzite is contained in Minnesota's Blue Mounds State Park.)” (1)
6:30 AM - We met at Blue Mounds State Park, one of Kim’s “favorite locations.” After he graduated from St. John’s University he took a teaching position near Sioux Falls, SD. He would drive over frequently to enjoy the area. Any other biographical information about Kim (or his partner Barb) will be left to People Magazine and TMZ. Although a good biographer could capture plenty of gritty stories and salacious secrets.
We were lucky to have excellent adult and aspiring-adult supervision with Kim and Craig as leaders and Don, Brian, Michelle, Jerry, Jeff, Roy and Rick helping the hyperactive children aspiring to identify Philadelphia Vireo from call alone. What qualifies an adult birder? This should be in the bylaws. On it. We were also blessed with good photographers, including Chris, an up-and-coming birder who along with Emily (Mark and Brenda’ daughter) reduced our average age by a generation. Let’s go birding.
We spread out in groups around the front entrance and campground for a couple of hours. Finding places out of the wind led to better birding but it was a challenge. Eastern Wood-Pewee, both orioles, Yellow-throated and Warbling vireos, Ovenbird, Blackburnian, Blackpoll, and Wilson’s Warbler and the expected birds were found. Don called out a Mourning Warbler and we chased it for several minutes with everyone getting binocular and camera views. Someone confirmed a Philadelphia Vireo. On the walk back to the front gate I confirmed the Spotted Sandpipers near the dam Michelle had seen earlier and the orchestra of twice-repeated phrases of the Brown Thrasher. I love breeding season.
We regrouped, confirmed it was cold, windy and allowed the occasional sucker hole of sunshine between rain showers lead to false optimism. Some drove down to walk the known Blue Grosbeak location at the trailhead. I walked that way from the campground flushing a pair of pheasants, finding both orioles again, multiple Wilson’s and enjoying the walk. Merlin heard Blue Grosbeak and Veery down near the trailhead parking lot construction zone. I was able to see the Veery but spent 20 unsuccessful minutes trying to locate the grosbeak. With regular updates of warblers coming from back at the campground I hustled back. A mini wave at the base of the walk-in area was occurring. Canada and Golden-winged Warbler were highlights but I observed 13 warbler varieties altogether with excellent views compared to earlier in the day.
45-50 species was a good start to any day. Picking a favorite is nigh impossible when presented with Blackburnian or Chestnut-sided Warbler. It’s like choosing between Kim or Craig as your favorite leader.
We ate lunch at the picnic shelter enjoying the warmth of good company.
2 PM - As we drove to the Interpretive Center and former home of Frederick Manfred (sadly closed and boarded up) a lone Dickcissel was perched up nicely for those monthly county listers as it was early for the season. Bobolinks were also singing. A spring favorite. Exiting the cars into a 40 MPH+ wind gusts we wondered what opportunity we might have to see anything.
I’ve said before that birding with a group has several benefits. In this case I probably would have abandoned the effort and gone back to the cars. Not wanting to appear weak and wishy-washy, off I went with group. We found the trail off the top of the ridge to be tolerable. Craig was able to tick off his daily chickadee and the Agitator 5000 pulled in a Blackburnian Warbler close enough to see the brilliant orange and black with the naked eye. I love spring migration. A Field Sparrow also cooperated to increase our trip list.
I stopped for a minute to read the plaque about the 6’ 9” tall writer Frederick Manfred whose home became part of Blue Mound State Park. I know my boss sometimes rolls his eyes as I descend into the rabbit holes and side trips in my birding report. But it is a fascinating life story. (3) (4) Often my takeaway from these observations is how fortunate we are that visionary individuals have advocated, donated, preserved, or sponsored much of the natural area we enjoy in Minnesota today. Including our own Mr. Eckert. But that is another story. Back to birding.
We tried to drive down to the gravel pits but would recommend a non-workday trip for better access. Too many semitrucks. Bald Eagle, Black Tern, and swallows were present.
After some evaluation we headed for River Road Campground. It is a privately owned campground, but the public Ashby Bike Trail (5) runs behind the campground. We got out and walked a section out of the wind. However, the best birding was from the road over the pond with Belted Kingfisher and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker being the best day birds.
Leadership moment: It’s 4:45 PM on a blustery rainy cold day. Your team has been up since around 5:30 AM. Kim says “were headed for Hills Waste Treatment Plant”. I am highly skeptical that any bird would be hanging out at a sewage pond in this wind. There are probably white caps blowing foul smelling spray and bare cold rocks. And wouldn’t a nice hot meal and a cold beer be a deserved reward at this time of day? You get the picture.
Welp, I am again in awe of Kim’s obduracy. The shorebirds were hunkered down out of the wind except the Hudsonian Godwit which blew into the next county as soon as we exited the cars. But the rest of the birds flushed and returned, flushed and returned. There was food and safety available. And nowhere else to go. I watched White-rumped Sandpipers from my car window so close that my binoculars felt like a scope. I was able to observe the individual black dots streaking the breast and the wings extending beyond the tail. I could compare them side by side with Pectoral and Semipalmated. More than a dozen Wilson’s Phalarope were spinning my brain with amazement. Dunlin were in breeding plumage, their black bellies making for easy identification. Yellow-headed Blackbirds were on the far bank. What could be a better way to cap the day? When Kim shouted Blue Grosbeak calling over the radio, I wasn’t sure which way to turn. Where would a bird like that be in a waste treatment plant? At the news that Don had seen it behind him and across the road, we all swiveled to the small brushy area outside the plant. There he was perched up singing his heart out. We rushed to get scopes dialed in, but even regular binoculars made identification easy. The indigo blue with rusty wing patches were all we required. We watched until he flew over the field and out of view. Then we let a collective sigh and headed home.
Val was driving his fancy new BMW all electric with me, Sara, and Ellen as passengers. Val is a good birder who without the constraints of a leader on a mission might stop at every available bird. Lucky for us he spotted the Swainson’s Hawk soaring over the road. We screeched to a stop while it remained overhead for several minutes. Then we stopped for Red-headed Woodpecker. Then we stopped to admire the 300+ Franklin’s Gull murmuration. Then I threatened Val within an inch of his life and we made it back to our cars with only a couple of slowdowns for passing birds.
I did find out Val and Sara both originated from New Jersey. And that Sara has an insatiable curiosity about many things – including State Fair Seed Art. And why are there so many nutcrackers in Luverne? Did you know there are now more nutcrackers than people living in Luverne (5). Like county listing an interest turns into an obsession. The next thing you know, your life is out of control. First an MOU dot, then just 50 birds, then all green, then… obsession. Did I mention that Rock is a “corner county” and MOU keeps track of how many cumulative birds you’ve seen in Rock, Kittson, Cook, Houston. Please notice mine are all green… I may need professional help.
Val dropped us off back at the Interpretive Center. I sat for a moment admiring the Blue Mound Escarpment in the setting sun, then rescued Frank from the hotel and joined others for a hot meal and a cold beer at the Mexican restaurant. There I learned Michelle is the former president of the MOU (www.moumn.org) and a long-time birder and historian. I fell into bed knowing Pipestone County would be another interesting day. And optimistic that the weather would not hinder our efforts to find birds.
Day 2 (Friday, May 16): Pipestone Co. – “I’ve never had such a good look at…”
We met at the Three Maidens Historical Marker. Native people believe that the larger boulder fragments shelter the spirits of maidens and act as a spiritual access point to the quarries. We didn’t find much shelter from the wind and rain. And our quarry would be hard to find.
As always, I am deeply grateful that Kim honored my efforts by crowning me reigning JTL and providing an inspiring book. Someday, I now believe I could become vice-president of MBW. The sacrifices necessary may be beyond my abilities.
We spread out exploring the surrounding pond, parkland, and woods. Don found a Northern Waterthrush. Several Green Herons flew up from the pond. I flushed a Western Meadowlark that refused to fly until I nearly stepped on her. In an instant the wind blew her into the next county. Jerry had a possible fly-by Blue Grosbeak, but we failed to relocate it. The rest of us battled wind and rain to find a few additional birds including Clay-colored Sparrow. We eked out 24+ species. Not bad considering.
The Pipestone Quarry headquarters was not open when we arrived, so we ventured down the quarry path looking for places out of the wind. I can feel the sacredness of the Pipestone National Monument in any weather. Our conditions were not great with the wind howling and the rain stinging my cheeks. We hiked back to the waterfall and Nicollet marker. The Common Nighthawk fighting the wind was interesting. Some found a Northern Waterthrush and White-crowned Sparrow above the falls.
I reflected on the first peoples coming to this area 10,000 years ago, the first stone quarried in 900AD, the Dakota people arriving in 1600, and the fact that Nicollet didn’t arrive until 1838. Joseph Nicollet, a French immigrant, astronomer, and cartographer, of course, has a county, street, and various other mentions in Minnesota. The other names carved in the rock also played important roles in Minnesota history. (7) I used to live on Fremont Ave. You must travel to Black Hills, South Dakota to visit Quinn.
We slogged our way back to the visitor center to warm up and immerse ourselves in something besides birding. I purchased a smudge bowl carved by a Native Artist, Pam Tellinghuisen. Because it spoke to me. That’s the way it works.
Frank and I went back to the Three Maidens to see if anything else showed while others found Sedge Wren and Bobolinks in the prairie along the way.
Old Woodlawn Cemetery was our next attempt to find shelter from the wind. The Wild Turkeys were cooperative. I think all of us were happy to admire the rich red head offset by the black and white body and wings of a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers while not having to stray too far from a warm car.
After lunch, where some of us toughed it out at the local park while others enjoyed a hot meal inside, our fearless leaders consulted on the next best destination.
Pipestone WTP yielded 100+ Wilson Phalaropes with a highlight of several breeding plumage female, Red-necked Phalaropes mixed in. The smaller size and dark back are the visual clues to pick them out, but the sumac red on the back of the neck is something to savor. Eared Grebes were a good county bird. The breeding plumage Sanderling was interesting too as most of my experience has been with grey & white plumage. Having shorebirds so close for so long allowed all of us to practice our identification skills. Val has a passion for shorebirds so having him in the car was great too. Several times one of us would say “I’ve never had such a good look at…” fill in the bird’s name – Stilt Sandpiper, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Baird’s too. My devotion to current leadership wavered when Barb called out the American Pipit. But time to move on from the buffeting winds.
Split Rock Creek State Park was productive for American White Pelicans and cormorants. And a few people saw White-crowned Sparrow, but we didn’t stay long. I was able to check off birding another state park from that list. There are 64 in case you wanted to know. (8)
Little did we know we would witness history as Kim pulled into the new waste treatment facility in Trosky. (11) Kim had visited 403 Sewage Ponds in Minnesota with the original compilation beginning in May 2009. (12) This was number 404. The ponds were too new to have any birds. Next year. Some participants then had to head for a commitment in Sioux Falls, so we said goodbye to Mark, Brenda, Emily, and Chris.
On our way to Edgerton, Rick spotted the Western Cattle-Egrets while in the fourth or fifth car in the group. Some serious questioning of birding skills occurred. An excellent bird for Pipestone County. We enjoyed watching as they flew around the marsh and landed in view.
The wind made it almost impossible to hear as it roared in the trees at Rock River Campground, but Frank, Jerry, and Ellen found a few warblers and I spotted a Belted Kingfisher along the stream. A historically productive spot under different conditions.
We enjoyed American Avocets and other shorebirds and ducks at Edgerton WTP, with more “I’ve never had such a good look at…” comments about Savannah Sparrow and 7 or 8 Sanderlings in various stages of plumage.
I ticked off my county Horned Lark on the way back to my truck.
After a long day, I accepted Frank’s generosity to eat dinner from his cooler supplies in the shelter of the maidens before driving back to Luverne. I slept like a rock.
Day 3 (Saturday, May 17): Nobles County – Now That’s a Chautauqua
Those of us staying in Luverne left early for Worthington and Nobles County. The weather was not much improved. The sun peaked through at the horizon before it disappeared into overcast skies. The wind had abated slightly.
Chautauqua County Park was our meeting place with the expectation that Brian, the local expert, would lead us to several of the hot spots in the area. We milled around the park waiting for others to arrive. I learned that Don’s grandmother had lived across the street at the corner of Winifred St & Lake Ave. And that she wove rugs in the upstairs room. It was a stucco exterior then. It’s a nice connection to a place I wouldn’t otherwise visit. My mom had woven rugs around the house made by her mom for many years. Now this rabbit hole is of Braid-in Rag Rugs is a stretch because I am unsure if that’s the tradition Don’s grandmother was using. Perhaps on another trip.
I believe it was Craig who heard or saw warblers in the conifers by the parking lot. I pulled out the JTL Activator 2500 and started the mobbing tape, complete with commercials. For me the highlights were Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, which I identified all by myself, Northern Parula, Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, and Black-throated Green. Jeff and a few others heard the screech- owl reply to the tape. Several of us saw the Cooper’s Hawk at a distance. Frank exited the excitement to visit the restroom. He eagerly announced a Scarlet Tanager. We all rushed over. In minutes, someone noticed the other tanager. Soon we had Scarlet and Summer in the same tree. They toggled between branches and feeding on the ground. As we looked around other birds, warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, even one sandpiper were feeding on insects on the ground. It was a fallout. Finally, I made a second loop around the park, adding ducks and shorebirds to my list. I ended up with 36 species. Unbelievable. Brian said he had never seen anything like it in that park. Do you know about the Chautauqua Movement. (9) “”Chautauqua” was a cultural and social movement that started in upstate New York in the 1870s and flourished until the mid-1920s. During this time, hundreds of touring chautauquas presented lectures, dance, music, drama, and other forms of “cultural enrichment””. Who knew I would be so thoroughly entertained.
Brian led us to Puppy Park in hopes of finding an Indigo Bunting for Jeff’s county list but the wind noise and direction was not conducive. We added Gray-cheeked Thrush and Lincoln Sparrow to our trip and county lists. I ended up with 21 species. Again, lots of regulars but better than no birds.
Brian led us to Quine Avenue not far from Worthington. There were multiple wet meadows, water holes, etc. with a wide variety of birds but the grass and distance did not provide for good viewing.
The first couple of cars went over the rise towards Peterson WMA. I think it was Jeff, Jerry or Roy who spotted the ibises first. The Bald Eagles were flushing multiple species, including Western Cattle-Egret, as they hunted across the marsh. Some of us marched out through the long grass for better looks. At some point Craig counted 19 White-faced Ibis. We all scanned, and I called out Glossy multiple times only to be dissuaded by a Proper Adult Supervisor. Finally, the master himself walked the distance. We all knew it had to be there, but only until you see the blue skin above and below the eye but not around it that you can confidently confirm it’s a Glossy. Kim found the Glossy buried in the cattails and grass. We all nodded our heads in agreement and dutifully entered “seen with MBW” in our eBird checklist. In too short of time, I won’t have that expert to demand my JTL birding skills improve. It will be a hard set of walking poles to live without.
Photos and Videos for Glossy Ibis, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
We returned to our cars, Brian, Frank, and I watched the tanagers, warblers, kingbirds and others on the groundat Chautauqua again for a few minutes, then Frank and I headed for home. Frank asked me what my estimate was of species seen. I estimated 125. He said 150. Kim texted later to say the total count was 160 species over 2-1/2 days. Now that is a Chautauqua.
References:
The first sentence in the introduction to Hillbilly Elegy. It’s an inside joke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_River_(Big_Sioux_River_tributary)
Manfred, Frederick – Minnesota Authors on the Map
Whitney: How 'Revenant' left Frederick Manfred behind
Three Maidens Historical Marker, The Three Maidens (U.S. National Park Service)
The Men of Nicollet Rock (U.S. National Park Service)
Find a state park by location | Minnesota DNR
What is a Chautauqua | New Old Time Chautauqua
River Road Campground and public bike trails:. e2ed6f_5dffb9ee5bce4622b5c877bf0206f4ea.pdf
Trosky - Exploring America's Highways: Minnesota Trip Trivia - Michael Heim - Google Books:
https://books.google.com/books/about/Exploring_America_s_Highways.html?id=qpdxhqewliAC
MBW Sewage Pond List; mbwbirds.com/sewage-ponds.html