Remember, the river level is still over the road starting at about 1/3 mile
east of New Albin. This is where we made our observations on Wednesday.
Despite the steadily receding river, it could be another 7 to 10 days or more,
before the road is open to vehicles all the way to the boat landing.
When open to driving all the way, the forested area (furtherest east) is a
really good destination to hear and see Prothonotary Warblers from a vehicle.
Ric
Ric Zarwell
Email: ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx>
Phone: 563-419-4991
On May 18, 2023, at 12:27 PM, DIANE VAGTS <vagtsdpiano@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Great to hear we can get back out there again - and what a delightful
adventure you had! Thanks for sharing.
On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 11:48 AM Ric Zarwell <conservationricz@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:conservationricz@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Thanks for your good questions Pat:
Like most all birding/wildlife adventures early mornings and late evenings
are usually the best. [ As a type 1 diabetic I need regular meals and
insulin This sometimes prevents me from getting outside as early as I would
like. ] I failed to say this in my initial email ~ but our observations on
Wednesday were made around 1 PM, so mid-day can sometimes be good also.
Generally, my rule of thumb is the hotter mid-day temperatures are, the more
I value searching as early or as late as possible. . . .
Entering New Albin on State Highway 26 you will see a beautiful Community
Center on the northwest side of the highway. Opposite the Community Center
turn southeasterly, cross railroad tracks, go to Stop Sign on Main Street.
Make a slight right turn and immediately take the street beside the New Albin
Savings Bank which continues southeasterly. Continue straight through town.
Go down a gentle slope and you are on the Army Road ( labeled Elm Street
North East on my Google map ). This road goes eastward across the
Mississippi River floodplain, and in my opinion, it offers the best, least
noisy, floodplain birding available by vehicle, anywhere along the
Mississippi R. for perhaps a hundred miles.
This route is called "Army Road” because it was built by the Army Reserves
sometime in the ‘60s, to provide access to a boat landing. This was long
after I was hiking the entire area to enjoy wildlife and gradually making
conservation my life’s passion.
Enjoy!
Ric
Ric Zarwell
Email: ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx>
Phone: 563-419-4991
On May 18, 2023, at 10:58 AM, Patricia Baumler <mailgma39@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:mailgma39@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Thank you, Ric. My sister is coming from northern MN next week and we plan
to visit our aunt
in Lansing, & I would like to drive up to New Albin to see the birds you are
seeing. Is there a
particular time of day that is more apt to have more birds, or are they
there most anytime?
Do we pick up Army Road in New Albin or north or south of New Albin?
Thank you.
Pat Baumler
On Thu, May 18, 2023 at 7:11 AM Charles Wittman <whsprngs@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:whsprngs@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
WOW, glad to know it’s drying up and the birding is great! Thanks for the
update!! Happy birding!!! Cathy
Sent from my iPad
Cathy mostly, sometimes Charles
On May 18, 2023, at 12:44 AM, Ric Zarwell <conservationricz@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:conservationricz@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
The Army Road east of New Albin was covered with water east of Poole
Slough on May 17. But driving the first approximately 1/3 mile was easy
and mud-free after the recent flooding as I took Betty and my Blue Heeler
Tanzie on a short ride. Our first nice find was a Virginia Rail that
responded to my Sibley v2 recording and walked up to approx. 14-15 feet
from our vehicle. From inside, Tanzie really honed in on both the
vocalizations and the sighting, as she often does.
Where we had to turn around, a pair of Sandhill Cranes marched out onto the
road and gave us constant loud warnings for several minutes, and two Lesser
Yellowlegs and a mixed flock of Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated
Sandpipers ( feeding in the middle of the road in shallow water ) didn’t
seem to mind our presence. At least 5 other pairs of Sandhill Cranes flew
past, and soon a Great Crested Flycatcher sounded off with its distinctive
vocalization, got into a conversation with my Sibley app., and we soon
sighted it nearby. Five Great Blue Herons perched together nearby in one
tall dead tree. After we turned around and headed back westward two Black
Terns circled overhead as if choosing between marshes to visit. Beautiful
day. Nice experience. Spirits of wife, man and dog uplifted.
Ric Zarwell
Email: ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:ConservationRicZ@xxxxxxxxx>
Phone: 563-419-4991
