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Minnesota Birding Weekends (MBW) has once again scheduled another season of unique, modestly priced birding trips within Minnesota – our 40th year! After all these years, we have had a total of more than 470 MBWeekends, 9,000+ registrations, and a composite list
of 370 species seen in Minnesota.
MBWeekend fees continue to be as modest as they always have been...and this year they are even less. To celebrate this End of an Era, all MBWs will be free of charge – i.e., the MBW
fee will be $0!
Included in the MBWs listed below, there will again be some "MBWednesdays" scheduled in 2024. These informal one-day trips do not involve any need for lodging for most participants,
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APRIL 2025 - JANUARY 2026 SCHEDULE
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
PLEASE NOTE:
As most of you are aware, there will be no actual MBW fees on any of the Minnesota Birding Weekends during this 40th and final season. However, Craig and I will continue to have travel expenses during these MBWs, and there are other annual administrative costs as well: e.g., $120 for this MBWbirds website, and a $850 premium for MBW’s general liability insurance. Countless hours in planning, operating, and leading these MBWs are also involved. Accordingly, some of you, especially those who have been coming to MBWs for years (or even a few decades!), would perhaps like to offer donations or gratuities or whatever you wish to call them. Whether you think of these as contributions to help cover our expenses, or to express appreciation for whatever MBWs may have added to your birding experience and enjoyment, Craig and I are happy and grateful to have been a part of it all. –KRE
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• April 11 - 12 - 13, 2025 – Yellow Medicine County •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• April 25 - 26 - 27, 2025 – Polk County •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• May 15 - 16 - 17, 2025 – Rock - Pipestone - Nobles Counties •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• May 24 - 25 - 26, 2025 – Northwestern Minnesota •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• June 4 - 5 - 6, 2025 – Houston County •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
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By clicking on the links for any of the following MBWs,
you will find past species lists and other information which will indicate
the areas we may cover on the 2025 MBW and which birds might be seen.
• Summer 2025 MBWednesdays •
June 25 – Washington County (Base William O'Brien State Park)
July 9 – Dakota County (Base Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve)
July 23 – Scott County (Base Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve)
August 6 – Carver County (Base Carver Park Reserve)
August 20 – Anoka County (Base Carlos Avery WMA headquarters)
- Lodging at/near Base location not needed for Twin Cities residents
- Limit: 11 participants in 3 vehicles on MBWednesdays with 1 leader
14 participants in 4 vehicles on MBWednesdays with 2 leaders
- STATUS as of June 24: Washington – 7 Confirmed, 4 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
Dakota – 10 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List
Scott – 14 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 3 on Waiting List
Carver – 13 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List
Anoka – 13 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of similar MBWednesdays in previous years
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• August 30 - 31 - Sep. 1, 2025 – Early Fall Duluth •
- Base: Duluth, nights of Aug. 29 - 30 - 31
- Limit: 22 participants in 6 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 22 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• September 19 - 20 - 21, 2025 – Jackson - Martin - Faribault Counties •
- Base: Fairmont, nights of Sept. 18 - 19 - 20
- Limit: 22 participants in 6 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 22 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 7 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 9 - 10, 2025 – Wilkin & Otter Tail Counties •
- Base: Fergus Falls, nights of Oct. 8 - 9
- Limit: 18 participants in 5 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 3 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• October 11 - 12, 2025 – Traverse & Grant Counties •
- Base: Fergus Falls, nights of Oct. 10 - 11
- Limit: 18 participants in 5 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 5 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 3 - 4, 2025 – Tofte North Shore I •
- Base: Tofte AmericInn, nights of Nov. 2 - 3
- Limit: 14 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 14 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 5 - 6, 2025 – Tofte North Shore II •
- Base: Tofte AmericInn, nights of Nov. 4 - 5
- Limit: 14 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 14 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 2 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• November 21 - 22, 2025 – Lower Mississippi River Valley •
- Base: Winona, nights of Nov. 20 - 21
-- Limit: 15 participants in 4 vehicles
- STATUS as of June 24: 15 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
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• January 9 - 10 - 11, 2026 – DULUTH MBW & 40th MBW REUNION •
- Base: Duluth, nights of Jan. 8 - 9 - 10
- No Limit on number of participants
- STATUS: Registrations not necessary at this time; all interested will be confirmed
CLICK HERE for summaries of this and similar MBWs in previous years
MINNESOTA BIRDING WEEKENDS
APRIL 2025 - JANUARY 2026
~ OUR 40th and FINAL SEASON ~
Our registration procedure for the 2025-26 MBWeekends
(and MBWednesdays) continues as in recent years ...
• ALL MBW REGISTRATIONS ARE BY EMAIL and sent to eckertkr@gmail.com.
Please include: the name of the MBW: your name(s), and your email address.
(Registrations recived by U.S.mail, telephone, or text cannot be accepted.)
• ONLY ONE REGISTRATION MAY BE SENT PER DAY: i.e., a registration for an
additional MBW cannot be sent until the following day.
• A REGISTRATION EMAIL MAY INCLUDE ONLY ONE PERSON. (Exception: a
spouse or other familily member at the same residence can also be included.)
• ALSO NOTE...
- Again, there will be no MBW fees in this final year of MBWeekends.
- Unless stated otherwise, MBWs normally begin at dawn on each day and end
in the early afternoon on the MBW's last day, and most are based in the same
city each night. (MBWednesdays begin about 6 a.m. and end about 5 p.m.)
- Participants make their own lodging reservations, and can make their own
arrangements to carpool from home to the base city, or to share lodging. Birding
during all MBWeekends is by carpooled caravans, which is arranged in
advance, with the maximum number of vehicles stated with each MBW listing.
Participants will be able to bring their own food along for lunches (usually
picnics), or to stop en route that morning to pick something up; breakfasts and
dinners are on your own (with group dinners sometimes possible at restaurants).
- An MBW's meeting time and place, lodging options, participants list, carpooling
information, etc, are sent by email to those registered, usually about 3-4 weeks
before the MBW.
- Before registering for any MBW, see that MBW's listing above for its status to
see if it is filled or has any vacancies. Note that registering for a MBW after it is
filled could still be considered since cancellations often occur to create vacancies.
- Adjustments in the schedule are possible, and any changes will be published
here in future updates of this website.
- Most MBWeekends include one or more weekdays, so check the MBW's
dates and days of the week before registering. If an entire MBWeekend does not
fit into your personal calendar, it may be possible to register for just part of that
MBW – please indicate this with your registration.
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Minnesota Birding Weekends / Weeks (MBW) is covered by general liability insurance, and I am confident that our new season will again be without incident or accident, just as our first 39 years have been. (And note that our policy includes coverage for false advertising: so, if we fail to see some bird included in a MBW's description, you can now sue me for up to a million dollars!) In addition, though, MBW participants are asked to agree to the following – unfortunately, legal formalities such as this have become one of life’s simple pleasures…
MBW PARTICIPANTS' ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RISK AND RELEASE:
All those who register for a Minnesota Birding Weekend / Week (MBW) recognize that there is a small risk associated with MBWs, certify that they are capable of participating in them, and assume full responsibility in the event of personal injury, loss, or damage to personal property during a MBW. In consideration of having their registrations confirmed for a MBW, all those attending will hold Minnesota Birding Weekends / Weeks and its leaders harmless for any injury, loss, or damage involving any of the participants during the MBW. Further, those volunteering to drive a vehicle during a MBW recognize and agree that they are covered by their personal automobile insurance.
Kathrynne Baumtrog ~ Southwest Minn. MBW, May 2022 ~ Roy Zimmerman photo
Black Guillemot, Taconite Harbor ~ North Shore MBW, November 2009 ~ KRE photo