ECOTOUR: Spring Birding on the Northern Great Plains
| When: May 23, 2012 01:00 PM to May 30, 2012 05:00 PM |
| Contact: |
Steve Engel
971-222-6119
|
May 23 - 30, 2012 with Steve Engel - FULL - Waitlist in effect
FULL - Waitlist in Effect
Spring Birding on the Northern Great Plains
Sign-up now! Call Steve Engel for details on this late May trip to the Red River valley and Grasslands of North Dakota in search of migrant warblers & shorebirds as well as exploring the Prairie Coteau for local breeding birds such as Baird’s and Nelson’s Sparrows, Sprague’s Pipit, Ferruginous Hawk and Swainson’s Hawk, to name a few. We'll also spend two days exploring the Badlands of western North Dakota.
Trip Dates: May 23 - 30, 2012
Fee: $1475/person members $1775/person non-members
(Fee is based on double-occupancy)
Deposit: $700 required to reserve your place
Group size: limited to 14
Leader: Steve Engel
Contact Steve at: 971-222-6119 or sengel@audubonportland.org
Tentative Itinerary:
Day 1
Wednesday, May 23 – ~1:00 pm, group arrives Fargo, check-in to hotel. Bird walk along Red River.
Overnight Fargo
Day 2
Thursday, May 24 – Birding with focus on spring migrants moving through the Red River Valley. Up to 25 species of warbler have been seen in a single day at this time of year in 2011. Local guide will assist us in observing the migration activity throughout the day today.
Overnight Fargo
Day 3
Friday, May 25 – We visit a Nature Conservancy tall grass prairie preserve in Minnesota with hopes of observing Greater Prairie Chickens on a lek and other breeding prairie birds. After lunch we make our way to Jamestown, ND., one hundred miles west of Fargo.
Overnight Jamestown
Day 4
Saturday, May 26 – Birding the prairie pothole region, also known as the prairie coteau. An area of ponds and lakes and marshes among rolling hills of grassland and agricultural fields. We’ll search for Nelson’s and Baird’s Sparrows, Sprague’s Pipit, raptors, waders and waterfowl.
Overnight Jamestown
Day 5
Sunday, May 27 – We pass through the prairie pothole region taking time to search out birds we might have missed yesterday and arrive at the capitol city of Bismarck, ND., one hundred miles to the west.
Overnight Bismarck
Day 6
Monday, May 28 – We’ll bird along the shores of the Missouri River before breakfast. The river here is above the pool of the Oahe dam in South Dakota and well below the Garrison dam and represents the only free-flowing section of the river in the state. Endangered Least Tern and Piping Plover may be nesting and flocks of migrating shorebirds are possible. Rest of the morning available to visit the North Dakota Heritage Center on the capitol grounds. After lunch we explore our way to Medora, ND., one hundred and thirty miles to the west.
Overnight Medora
Day 7
Tuesday, May 29 – We wake up at the entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Grasslands. After breakfast we visit the visitor center and then drive into the park to explore the fascinating badlands topography and search for Bison, Prairie Dogs, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Indigo Bunting and more.
Overnight Medora
Day 8
Wednesday, May 30 – We have until through lunch to continue our exploration of the badlands and then we head for Bismarck and our departing flight at ~ 5pm.Dinner options in terminal.
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