Wilkin County, April 2023 (Darcy Pinotti photo)
Minnesota Birding Weekends (MBW) has once again scheduled another season of unique, modestly priced birding trips within Minnesota – our 39th year! After all these years, we have had a total of more than 450 MBWeekends, 9,000+ registrations, and a composite list of 372 species seen in Minnesota.
MBWeekend fees continue to be as modest as they always have been, and this season all fees will again be only $20/day (e.g., a standard Saturday-Sunday MBWeekend is $40).
Included in the MBWs listed below, there will also be some "MBWednesdays" scheduled in 2024. These informal one-day trips do not involve any registration, no lodging is needed by most participants, and they have no MBW fee.
ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED FOR COVID
(OR HAVE RECENTLY TESTED NEGATIVE)
BEFORE THE TIME OF THE MBW ARE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER.
MARCH 2024 - JANUARY 2025 SCHEDULE
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
and MBWEDNESDAYS
• March 28 - 29, 2024 – Traverse & Grant Counties •
CLICK HERE for summary of this MBW
• April 12 - 13 - 14 – Lyon & Lincoln Counties •
CLICK HERE for summary of this MBW
• April 25 - 26, 2024 – Minnesota River Valley / Mankato •
• April 27 - 28, 2024 – Minnesota River Valley / New Ulm •
CLICK HERE for summary of these MBWs
• May 10, 2024 – Murray County pre-MBW •
• May 11 - 12, 2024 – Cottonwood County MBW •
CLICK HERE for summary of this MBW
• May 23 - 24, 2024 – Big Stone County •
• May 25 - 26 - 27, 2024 – Lac Qui Parle County •
CLICK HERE for summary of these MBWs
• June 6 - 7, 2024 – Northern Lake County •
• June 8 - 9, 2024 – Northern St. Louis County •
CLICK HERE for summary of these MBWs
• June 20, 2024 – Norman County pre-MBW •
• June 21 - 22 - 23, 2024 – Clay County MBW •
CLICK HERE for summary of this MBW
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• July 10, 2024 – Chisago County MBWednesday •
• July 24, 2024 – McLeod County MBWednesday •
• August 7, 2024 – Le Sueur County MBWednesday •
• August 21, 2024 – Isanti County MBWednesday •
- Base: North Branch July 10, Aug. 21; Glencoe July 24; New Prague Aug. 7
- Limit 11 participants
- MBW fee $0
- STATUS as of June 28: Chisago – 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 5 on Waiting List
McLeod – 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
Le Sueur – 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 on Waiting List
Isanti – 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 2 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summary of the Summer 2022 MBWednesdays
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• August 29 - 30, 2024 – Roseau County •
- Base Roseau nights of Aug. 28 - 29
- Limit 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of June 28: 7 Confirmed, 11 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 - Sept. 2, 2024 – Lake of the Woods County •
- Base Baudette Aug. 30 - Aug. 31 - Sept. 1
- Limit 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $60
- STATUS as of June 28: 13 Confirmed, 5 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• Sept. 11 - Sept. 25 - Oct. 9 - Oct. 23, 2024 – MBWednesdays •
- Base Duluth
- Limit 11 participants
- MBW fee $0
- STATUS : No registrations accepted until August 2024
CLICK HERE for summaries of the 2022 & 2023 Duluth MBWednesdays
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• September 26, 2024 – Jackson County •
• September 27, 2024 – Nobles County •
• September 28, 2024 – Rock County •
• September 29, 2024 – Pipestone County •
~ Note: OK to register for more than one day in same email ~
- Base Worthington Sept. 25, Sept. 26; Luverne Sept. 27, Sept. 28
- Limit: 11 participants each day
- MBW fee $20 each day
- STATUS as of June 28: Jackson ~ 10 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List
Nobles ~ 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
Rock ~ 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
Pipestone ~ 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 17 - 18, 2024 – Yellow Medicine County •
- Base Granite Falls nights of Oct. 16 - 17
- Limit 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of June 28: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 19 - 20, 2024 – Minnesota River Valley / Redwood Falls •
- Base Redwood Falls nights of Oct. 18 - 19
- Limit 11 participants
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of June 28: 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 2 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 31 - November 1, 2024 – North Shore I •
- Base Tofte nights of Oct. 30 - 31
- Limit 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of June 28: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 2 - 3, 2024 – North Shore II •
- Base Tofte nights of Nov. 1 - 2
- Limit 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of June 28: 12 Confirmed, 6 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• January 9 - 10, 2025 – Duluth MBW •
• January 11, 2025 – Duluth post-MBW •
~ Note: OK to register for main and post- MBWs in same email ~
- Base Duluth nights of Jan. 8 - 9 - 10
- Limit: 18 participants both main and post- MBWs
- MBW fee $20 each day
- STATUS as of June 28: main MBW ~ 11 Confirmed, 7 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
post-MBW ~ 8 Confirmed, 10 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
Our registration procedure for the 2023-24 MBWeekends
and MBWednesdays continues as in recent years ...
• ALL MBW REGISTRATIONS ARE BY EMAIL: include the MBWeekend, your
name, and email address (include no MBW fees with registrations).
• ONLY ONE REGISTRATION MAY BE SENT PER DAY: i.e., registration for a
second MBW cannot be sent until the following day. (A pre-MBW can be
included with the registration for its associated MBW.)
• A REGISTRATION EMAIL MAY INCLUDE ONLY ONE PERSON (except that
a spouse or other person at the same residence can also be included).
• PLEASE NOTE: On some MBWeekends, another MBW or extra leader or a
higher participants limit may be possible to confirm additional persons.
• ALSO NOTE: By clicking on the link in the listing for any MBWeekend,
you will find species lists and other information which will indicate where
we might go and what we might see on the MBW in 2024.
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
MARCH 2024 - JANUARY 2025
~ Our 39th Season ~
MBWEDNESDAYS ~ Summer 2024 Schedule
In 2022, a new type of MBW was introduced: MBWednesdays. (Like the words "Weekends" and 'Weeks", Wednesday starts with W!) These informal, one-day MBWs had no MBW fee, and no lodging was needed for most participants. This is to announce they ere returning in 2024, and here's how they will work…
- There are four of them scheduled this summer, all in counties with meeting places which are an hour or less from Mpls-St Paul, and each will begin about 6:00 am*. Accordingly, many of you will be able to get up early on Wednesday morning and drive to the meeting place without having to arrange for lodging on Tuesday night. Each will end about 5:00 pm*, in time to return home early that evening (again, with no need for lodging).
* Notes: Since sunrise gets later as summer progresses, the meeting times will be
adjusted accordingly. And if it is a hot day with 90-degree temperatures in the
forecast, all or part of the afternooon (or the entire MBW) might be canceled.
– Here’s the schedule:
• Wednesday, July 10 - Chisago County; meet in North Branch
• Wednesday, July 24 - McLeod County; meet in Glencoe
• Wednesday, August 7 - Le Sueur County; meet in New Prague
• Wednesday, August 21 - Isanti County; meet in North Branch
– Again, there will be no fee for these MBWednesdays. Otherwise, they will operate as a single-day MBWeekend: i.e., car-pooling will be arranged in advance; GMRS/FRS radios will be used; and bring something for lunch (or forage in a convenience store en route).
– MBWednesday registrations will open Monday, June 17 (any time of day OK). As with MBWeekends, there's a limit of one registration email per day. (Emails only, please; no phone calls or texts.) If you wish to register for multiple MBWednesdays, your second registration will have to wait until June 18 or later, a third registration not until June 19, etc. A registration can include only one person, except a spouse or other family member at the same residence can be included.
Each MBWednesday will be limited to 1 leader (KRE) with a maximum of 11 participants in 3 vehicles. Those who are confirmed will be acknowledged ASAP, and the exact meeting time and place and other information will be sent about 2 weeks before the MBW.