It's dusk on the west end of Long Meadow Lake.
At the end of a faded boardwalk that stretches into the rushes and wild rice, Craig Mandel sets his scope on a pair of nesting bald eagles across the lake, then turns to the trumpeter swans. That's a downy woodpecker, he says, pointing to a speck in the distant sky. "You can tell by the undulating flight."
And that rustle in the grasses, says Mandel, a volunteer guide for the Minnesota Valley Audubon Chapter -- that's a green-winged teal. Waterfowl like the area, he says, because they can feast on insects and wild celery.
The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a popular place for birds as well as humans who like to watch them. "It's just such a beautiful, peaceful spot," says Mandel.
About 50 people show up on a Saturday afternoon at the trailhead by the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge with binoculars, scopes and birding manuals. The group includes seasoned birders, third-graders working on their Webelos badges, and some newbies like Marlene Dollive of Edina, who got into birding when she moved here six months ago.
"It seemed like a wonderful thing to do in Minnesota," she says. "It's such a tremendous migratory stop."
Now on her sixth birding expedition, she pulls out her iPhone and shows off what inspired her birding interest -- pictures of great horned owls that took up residence in her suburban backyard in Chicago. "I don't have pictures of my kids," she says. "I have pictures of my owls."
As the weather changes, so does the featured entertainment.
October is the peak season for waterfowl migration -- wood ducks, green-eyed teal, mallards.
"There are all kinds of birds," says Audubon guide Steve Weston. "All year long."
"This is the time of year when strange birds show up, the time of year when birds that are totally unexpected will show up in the city," he says. "My wife calls them 'tourists.' " (The hot topic on regional birding discussion boards: The sighting of rare Parasitic Jaegers, birds that like to steal food from gulls.)
In about a month, says Weston, you'll be able to see "hundreds of thousands" of tundra swans flying down the Mississippi River. In November, the chapter runs field trips to La Crosse to view the huge populations of canvas-backed ducks. In January and February, the birders make trips to Red Wing and Wabasha to see the eagles that congregate on the open water.
"Birds are gorgeous," says Nick Tangen of Minneapolis, who loves the challenging and detail-oriented aspects of birding. He likes to visit the refuge all winter because the water stays open. "There's always good birding," he says.
Karol Gresser of Burnsville, who carries a bag covered with birding patches from places like Kenya and the San Fernando Valley, agrees. A birder since 1965, she's been a longtime fan of the spot due to the low vegetation, the tall trees and the water.
Birders keep track of their sightings, with life-lists on sites like eBird, and they volunteer with the Christmas Bird count -- all record-keeping that helps researchers. "It's a real good way to see how changes have affected populations," Gresser says.
Mandel leads about 40 walks a year, rain or shine. "I try to focus on the kids," he says.
To Gresser, this is key.
"If you do get a passion about something," she says, "you will take care of it."
Liz Rolfsmeier is a Minneapolis freelance writer.
