I've been helping Audubon with their Great River Birding Trail website. We just go the Minnesota Page up. Lots of great folks are working on this, adding great birding sites and photos. If you are visiting states along the Mississippi River and you are looking for places to go birding, check it out. Some states are still under construction, but this is going to be a fun an useful tool for traveling birders...wonder if I should send a few thousand emails to potential birders?

Some people have sent emails asking for locations to watch birds in Minnesota in winter. For bald eagles, I suggested Black Dog Rd in Burnsville and Colville Park Marina in Red Wing.

For trumpeter swans, I recommended Swan Park in Monticello. If you don't want to go on your own, I'm co leading a trip to there on February 23 with Stan Tekiela. We'll also check out birds at some of the other local parks. Call Staring Lake Outdoor Center 952-949-8479 for more info.

I also mentioned that Sax Zim Bog is fun for winter owls and you can go on your own, go to the Sax Zim Bog Bird Fest, or go with Stan and me for the day on February 2. Call Staring Lake Outdoor Center 952-949-8479 for more info.

If anyone wants to share their favorite Minnesota winter birding spots, feel free to share in the comments.

And if you're not interested in Minnesota birds, Stan and I are leading a weekend trip to Nebraska March 6 - 9. We'll see a million snow geese, a few thousand sandhill cranes, watch some prairie chickens dance, laugh at a few prairie dogs and enjoy the song of western meadowlarks. Again, call Staring Lake Outdoor Center 952-949-8479 for more info.