Welcome the start of the spring migration at the 36th annual Salt Lake Birding Weekend, on April 30, 2011. Volunteers will guide birders to Salt Lake, Big Stone Refuge and the lakes, wetlands, and native prairies of Lac qui Parle and southern Big Stone counties.

Last year, 80 participants recorded 141 species, including Short-eared Owl, Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Virginia Rail, Hudsonian Godwit, Cattle Egret, White-faced Ibis, American Avocet, and Smith's Longspur. Some highlights included a flock of 30 American Golden-Plovers, a flyover at Salt Lake of 6 American Pipits, winnowing Wilson's Snipe, and the courtship displays of Marbled Godwits and Horned Grebes.

On Saturday April 30, meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Marietta American Legion, located one block west of the intersection of County Road 7 and State Highway 40. This is 11 miles west of Madison. Coffee, sweet rolls, and milk are available. Guided car caravans will leave between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. At noon, stop back at the Legion for lunch and to compare notes.

A Saturday evening chicken dinner, for $10, will be served at 7:30 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Hall on US Highway 75 in Madison. Reservations are necessary for dinner, please contact Lillian Johnson at 320-598-3535 or farmcity@frontiernet.net. After dinner there will be a short program and then the species count for the day will be recorded. Sunday birding is on your own or stop by Prairie Marsh Farm for directions to local sites.

Local lodging is available at Lou’s Lodge in Madison 320-598-7518, the Vali Vu Motel in Ortonville 320-839-2558, Prairie Waters Inn in Appleton 320-289-2500, and the Country Inn by Carlson in Montevideo 320-269-8000. Free Camping is available at Prairie Marsh Farm, 1770 – 151st Ave, Marietta, located 7 miles west of US Highway 75 and 1.5 miles south of US Highway 212. Contact Ken Larson for more information.