March 2011 Archives

Thirty-one Years of Warbler Days          

This years date is:   Friday May 13th, 2011

Breakfast: Perkins in Hastings, MN  one block south of the 61 and 55 intersection.

Time: 5:00a.m.

Dear Friends,

Reading about natural history at the Natural History Network site, I found these two very interesting paragraphs;

Natural history--a practice of intentional, focused attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world--is the oldest continuous human endeavor. For our human ancestors, attentiveness to nature was an essential matter of survival - knowing where and when food plants were available, when migratory animals would present themselves, and where the best stone and fibers for making tools could be found.

The practice of natural history is in decline - there has never been a moment in history when natural history was practiced less than today. Mindful awareness of our living world has been replaced by a myopic focus on the human world and a sedentary submerging in electronic media. The humility, insight, and sense of the world's interconnectedness once provided by natural history have been lost, leading to a widespread state of "nature deficit disorder." Nature study has been eliminated from school programs, college catalogs, and popular culture. This loss has fostered both social and environmental calamities. Survival was enhanced by paying attention and telling what we saw to others.

 We will have time to talk about what we can do with this data collection excursion that gives us so much enjoyment.

http://www.naturalhistorynetwork.org/ and looking at the National Phenology site, http://www.usanpn.org/

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE SEATED FOR BREAKFAST, AND I WILL BE ABLE TO ALERT PERKINS ABOUTH THE NUMBER OF BIRDERS THAT WILL BE DESCENDING UPON THEM.  

If you don't want to rise and shine, find us along the route that is noted below.  No need to RSVP.

We will leave Perkins at approximately 6:00 a.m. and travel South on Highway 61.  You can stay on 61 and follow signage toward Red Wing, MN or you can take the Meisville bypass and turn left out of Hastings on 312 which will intersect H.61.   Turn left onto 61 from the bypass and follow the signage to Welch Village Ski area.  The right turn will be onto county 7. There will be a brown sign for the Welch Village Ski Area, and there is a country church on the corner.    We will follow County 7 into Welch, across the bridge and eventually stop a few miles down the road for some upland warbler viewing, the only place that we will be viewing some of the warblers from above.   Pass through Vasa, MN  and intersect with Highway 19 that connects Red Wing with Cannon Falls.   Turn Right onto H.19 and go downhill and across a small bridge (over Bell's Creek.)  Turn Left onto White Rock Trail  go to the bottom of the hill and turn left into the parking lot. We will bird in this historic MN. birding site for most of the morning letting the bird diversity dictate our departure.

We will then head back up the White Rock Trail, turn right on H. 19 and go into Red Wing, MN.  It has been our custom to grab something in the fast food venue, and take it out to the first road before the entrance to Frontenac State Park for a picnic.   Take Highway 61 South and follow the signage to Frontenac State Park.  You will be turning left off from Highway 61 on County 2, we will be on the last gravel road to the left ( Hill Ave Trail ) before the Frontenac State Park entrance.

After lunch we turn around and turn left on County 2 Blvd go in front of the entrance to Frontenac State Park.  We are now entering Old Frontenac and will turn right on Van Blarcum Ave.  Keep on Van Blarcum until you see the Cemetary on your right.  Turn right out of the Cemetary until you intersect with Wood Ave turn right on Wood and it will intersect with County 2 Blvd.  Turn right  in less then a mile you will pass Villa Maria Retreat Center.  Cross the bridge on Sand Creek and safely park.   Last stop is in the Sandy Point parking lot, an old wayside on old 61.  From this access point we can walk the Sandy Point trails.  This can be a wet space so boots of the dry variety might be helpful.  I will check the river levels before we go down, so if you are interested in this section of the trip give me a call or email.

 If you go.  

1. Let David know if you are going to eat breakfast with us at Perkins in Hastings  email:  sdastin@comcast.net   Phone: 763-529-4342

2. Invite your friends.  This trip is for ANYONE wanting to see warblers, chat about the world, and eat what you love to eat. There is no cost except for your food and gas. 

Everyone is welcome!  Call or email for more information.