A book describing birding opportunities in all of Minnesota's state parks has just been released. It's very well done, a must-have for birders who visit our 75 state parks and recreation areas. Minnesota birder and author Robert B. Janssen, who brought more than 70 years of Minnesota bird-watching experience to the job, spent over five years visiting and surveying sites covered here. Additional sources were used as well, including records kept for years by state park managers and visitors.
The work began in 1997 on a small scale, and advanced to include multiple seasonal visits to parks and recreation areas. The book is 6x9 inches, soft cover, 222 pages with index, contains excellent maps of each location, and is illustrated throughout with color photos (disclosure: photos I took are used in the book).
Each park is described by location, size, habitat, number and name of species seen in the park, seasonal summaries, and a detailed account of parks areas recommended for best birding. Over 300 of the 315 species regularly occurring in Minnesota were found in this project. Unexpected species were found as well.
The maps deserve particular mention. They are detailed and easy to read. Amy Beyer of the Department of Natural Resources creative services unit did an excellent job with the maps.
The book is published by the Minnesota DNR. Price is $19.95. You will find it for sale at the larger state parks, those with retail sales. You also can purchase it at Minnesota's Book Store, 650 Olive St., St. Paul, 651-297-3000, www.minnesotasbookstore.com. It is available at Buteo Books, one of the best supplied birding-book sources in the world (sales arm for the American Birding Association), www.buteobooks.com. Amazon Books is expected to have it. With luck, it will be available later this year at Barnes & Noble bookstores.
Wherever you find it, this book will be a very useful guide to not only the birds but also the beauty and variety of our parks. There is not another state with such a detailed and complete guide to birding in its parks. We are fortunate to have this.
For information helpful for planning trips to the parks see mndnr.gov/parksandtrails. You will find maps, facility details, office hours, and lists of programs and events. Much more information on Minnesota birds can be found at moumn.org, web home of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union, the state's bird club.
