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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 nearly 500 MBWeekends, 9,000+ registrations, and a composite list
of 371 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 again were some "MBWednesdays" scheduled in 2025. These informal one-day trips did 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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Except for the Polk & Fergus Falls MBWs and Washington MBWednesday,
the summaries of the completed MBWs include John Quinn's JTL Reports.
These unique narratives often stray off-topic into unexpected territory,
but they are well worth taking the time to read. As John says about them:
“I have a mind like a meandering creek in a heavily wooded ravine.”
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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
• Summer 2025 MBWednesdays •
CLICK HERE for the summary of these MBWednesdays
• August 30 - 31 - Sept. 1, 2025 – Early Fall Duluth •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• September 19 - 20 - 21, 2025 – Jackson - Martin - Faribault Counties •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
• October 9 - 10, 2025 – Wilkin & Otter Tail Counties •
• October 11 - 12, 2025 – Traverse & Grant Counties •
CLICK HERE for summary of these completed MBWs
• November 3 - 4, 2025 – Tofte North Shore I •
• November 5 - 6, 2025 – Tofte North Shore II •
CLICK HERE for the summary of these completed MBWs
• November 21 - 22, 2025 – Lower Mississippi River Valley •
CLICK HERE for the summary of this completed MBW
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• January 9 - 10 - 11, 2026 – DULUTH MBW & 40th MBW REUNION •
- Base: Duluth, nights of Jan. 8 - 9 - 10
- Limit: 60 on Friday evening dinner/program; 90 on Saturday evening dinner/program;
no current limit on Friday afternoon, Saturday, or Sunday morning field trips
- STATUS: 60 registered for Friday, 0 vacancies, 0 on waiting list
82 registered for Saturday, 8 vacancies, 0 on waiting list
NOTE: Limited to participants on previous MBWeekends or MBWWeeks;
for more Information on the field trips or the dinners/informal programs,
contact eckertkr@gmail.com
CLICK HERE for summaries of these Duluth field trips in previous winters
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.
* * *
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
Grand Marais Harbor ~ KRE photo
