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
• 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 •
CLICK HERE for summary of these MBWednesdays
• August 29 - 30, 2024 – Roseau County •
• Aug. 31 - Sept. 1 - Sept. 2, 2024 – Lake of the Woods County •
CLICK HERE for summaries of these MBWs
• September 26, 2024 – Jackson County •
• September 27, 2024 – Nobles County •
• September 28, 2024 – Rock County •
• September 29, 2024 – Pipestone County •
(These one-day MBWs were canceled due to health issues)
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• Sept. 18 - Oct. 9 - Oct. 23, 2024 – Duluth MBWednesdays •
~ Note: these dates have been revised from those previously published ~
- Base Duluth
- Limit 11 participants each day
- MBW fee $0
- STATUS as of Oct. 4: Sept. 18 ~ completed as scheduled
Oct. 9 ~ 6 Confirmed, 5 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
Oct. 23 ~ 7 Confirmed, 4 Vacancies, 0 on Waiting List
CLICK HERE for summaries of the 2022 & 2023 Duluth MBWednesdays
(The summary of the 2024 MBWednesdays will be published here on Oct. 25)
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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 Oct. 4: 18 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 1 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 18 participants with 2 leaders
- MBW fee $40
- STATUS as of Oct. 4: 17 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 0 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 Oct. 4: 15 Confirmed, 3 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 Oct. 4: 15 Confirmed, 3 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: 11 participants both main and post- MBWs
- MBW fee $20 each day
- STATUS as of Oct. 4: main MBW ~ 11 Confirmed, 0 Vacancies, 2 on Waiting List
post-MBW ~ 10 Confirmed, 1 Vacancy, 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- or post-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 ~
FALL DULUTH MBWEDNESDAYS
As in 2022 and 2023, these informal Fall MBWednesdays will have no MBW fee, and all will be based in Duluth to focus on the Duluth & adjacent North Shore area – easily the best place in Minnesota to find rarities during fall migration. Here’s the remaining schedule:
• October 9, 2024 •
• October 23, 2024 •
• Note the primary meeting time will be relatively late – at 8:30 am. Most participants will then have the option to drive to Duluth from home early Wednesday morning with no need for lodging on Tuesday night – it is about a 2.5-hour drive from the Twin Cities. (For those who can make it, there will also be an optional meeting time at sunrise – around 7:30 am. Each Wednesday will end about 5:00 pm (sometimes sooner), in time to return home early that evening (again, with no need for lodging).
• Each MBWednesday will meet in Duluth, and the exact meeting place along with other information will be sent to those confirmed about a week in advance of the MBW.
• As mentioned above, there will be no fee for these MBWednesdays. Otherwise, they will operate like a MBWeekend: i.e., limited to one leader with a maximum of 11 participants in 3 vehicles; carpooling will be arranged in advance; two-way radios will be in use to keep everyone in touch; and participants will bring lunch from home (or forage for something at a convenience store or elsewhere during the day).
• Registrations for these MBWednesdays opened on August 26. As on the MBWeekends, there is a limit of one e-mailed registration per day; email registrations only, please (no phone calls or texts). If you wish to register for multiple MBWednesdays, your second registration will have to wait until the next day. Also, a registration may include only one person (except a spouse or other family member at the same address can be included).