Fifty-nine birders from the Detroit Lakes Birding Festival visit Agassiz NWR, on May 18. - FWS photo

Fifty-nine birders attending the Detroit Lakes Birding Festival visted Agassiz NWR, May 18. - FWS photo by Gary Tischer

Gary Tischer, Wildlife Refuge Specialist at Agassiz NWR, guided 59 birders, including four expert bird guides, around the refuge, May 18. 

Highlight species included 24 shorebird species including Black-bellied Plover, Golden Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, American Pipit, Hudsonian Godwit and American Avocet.  Some warblers were also highlight species. 

A new refuge bird species observed was the Red-bellied Woodpecker.  A total of  135 bird species were observed by these birders.  This was the first year the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Birding Festival committee selected Agassiz NWR as one of the birding sites. 

It was the first birding site that filled to bus load capacity during the registration period.  They selected Agassiz NWR to increase attendance at their birding festival.  They had 270 birders attend the Birding Festival.