[mou] Favorite Birding Location

[Mark Otnes]

I guess for me the criteria for an enjoyable birding location are 
remoteness, uniqueness, and diversity.  I also prefer an area with 
relatively light birding coverage as you can then explore and make your own 
discoveries.

My favorite Minnesota area (although I don’t make it up there much anymore) 
is Roseau County.  It’s remote, diverse, and good birding the year around.  
My favorite local and time is the Highway 310 bog in the winter.  On a good 
day virtually all of the boreal species can be found there.

My favorite area close to home (a 2-hour driving radius) is roughly from 
Rothsay WMA south to Hartford Beach State Park (South Dakota), then west 
through the Bitter Lake/Waubay Lake area, then northwest to the Sand 
Lake/Hecla area, then finally east-northeast back to Rothsay.

If I had to pick an area to live in the tri-state area based solely on 
birding criteria it would be Pierre, South Dakota.  The birding is 
outstanding the year around.  The avian biomass in winter is incredible 
consisting of clouds of longspurs and horned larks, raptors of all sorts all 
over the place, huge concentrations of waterfowl, and all sorts of odd gulls 
drifting around.  The cedar draws hold northern saw-whet and long-eared 
owls, along with waxwings, robins, and solitaires.  In migration things only 
get better with all kinds of odd vagrants showing up to supplement a large 
cast of regular species.  In the summer there is plenty of diversity with 
discoveries to be made.  Birders Ricky Olson and Kenny Miller see 260 to 270 
species every year within a 60-mile radius of Pierre.  So, that’s my dream 
pick – Pierre, South Dakota.

Mark Otnes
Fargo ND
701-241-4194

markotnes@msn.com






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