Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail

Watonwan River Region


Overview
Despite the fact that Watonwan, Brown and Cottonwood counties are located in one of the most intensely farmed regions in Minnesota, there are still numerous sites that offer excellent birding. Due to the foresight of the many Minnesotans interested in preserving natural areas, a number of wildlife management areas and county parks are scattered throughout this region. Lake Hanska County Park has wooded areas that attract both migrants and summer residents such as vireos, flycatchers and woodpeckers. Surrounded by marshes and wetlands, Lake Hanska and nearby Wood Lake Wildlife Management Area are concentration points for waterfowl, especially geese. White-fronted, Snow and Ross’s Goose, a rare sighting in Minnesota, can be found here, mainly in the spring. Lake Hanska County Park is also a great place to spot both spring and fall songbird migrants. Sulem Lake, with its extensive cattail marshes, is another well-known spot for birders with Least Bittern, rails, terns and migrating waterfowl found on the lake. The nearby Regehr Wildlife Management Area is a good destination for the same types of birds plus shorebirds in low water years. Mountain County Park in the City of Mountain Lake is known to local birders as a good place for migrants, especially warblers. Eagles Nest Park is another excellent area for migrant thrushes, warblers, vireos, flycatchers, sparrows and other woodland birds. Long-eared Owl have been seen in this park and a Worm-eating Warbler, rarely seen in Minnesota, was recorded there as part of a large warbler wave that passed through the park.
Site Description Directions to Site

FEDJI LAKE PUBLIC WATER ACCESS
Watonwan County.
Habitat: woods, thickets, some marsh, and lake.
Amenities: T, B.
Contact: 507-831-2918.
Web Site Available.

BERGDAHL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Watonwan County (180.8 acres)
Habitat: some trees, grasslands, wetlands, and marsh.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-831-2917.
Web Site Available.

 From the center of Madelia, take Hwy. 15 north approximately 2.0 miles to the first right turn after its intersection with Co. Rd. 3. Turn right onto a gravel road and travel east for approximately 1.0 mile. Just past the point where the road turns north, you will see another gravel road on your right. Turn right here and travel a short distance to a parking area on the north end of Fedji Lake. On the west end of the parking area, an old road will take you into the woods. Retrace your steps to the intersection of the two gravel roads and turn right. Travel north a short distance and you will see the Bergdahl Wildlife Management Area on your right. There is no parking area.

LAKE HANSKA COUNTY PARK Brown County (1,844 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: T, R, C, P, B.
Contact: 507-439-6411.
Web Site Available.

Retrace your steps to Hwy. 15 and turn right. Travel north on Hwy. 15 a short distance to Co. Rd. 6. Turn left on Co. Rd. 6 and travel west and north approximately 6.0 miles to its intersection with Co. Rd. 11. Turn right on Co. Rd. 11 and travel north a little ways to the park. The first two park entrances on your left provide good parking and trails through the woodlands along the lake. The first parking area on your right has a short trail in a more open area. Retrace your steps to the intersection of Co. Rd. 11 and Co. Rd. 6. Turn right on Co. Rd. 6 and travel west a short distance to a parking area on your right for the boat launch on the south end of the lake.

MULLIGAN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Brown and Watonwan Counties (634 acres).
Habitat: grasslands and wetlands.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-637-4076 (Brown County) or 507-831-2917 (Watonwan County).
Web Site Available.

WOOD LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA AND PUBLIC WATER ACCESS
Brown and Watonwan Counties.
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, marsh and lake.
Amenities: B.
Notes: Most of the wildlife management area is at the northwest end of the lake.
Contact: 507-637-4076 (Brown County), 507-831-2917 (Watonwan County) or 507-831-2918 (PWA).
Web Site Available (WMA).

 Continue west on Co. Rd. 6 for approximately 4.0 miles to its intersection with Hwy. 4 on the west edge of the City of Godahl. Turn left on Hwy. 4 and travel south for almost 2.0 miles to Co. Rd. 1. (Note: There is good riparian habitat along Watonwan River at this intersection.) Turn right on Co. Rd. 1 and travel west approximately 5.0 miles to Co. Rd. 18. Turn right on Co. Rd. 18 and travel north 1.0 mile to its intersection with a gravel road. (Note: Continue north another mile to Mulligan Wildlife Management Area on both sides of the road.) Turn left on this gravel road and travel west 1.0 mile to a parking area on your left for the boat launch at Wood Lake. More of this wildlife management area abuts the northwest corner of the lake.
DELFT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Cottonwood County (374.4 acres).
Habitat: some trees, grasslands, wetlands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: B.
Contact: 507-831-2917.
Web Site Available.
 Retrace your steps to Co. Rd. 18. Turn right on Co. Rd. 18 and travel south 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 1. Turn right onto Co. Rd. 1 and travel west 3.0 miles to Co. Rd. 5. (Note: There is good riparian habitat along this stretch of road.) Turn left on Co. Rd. 5 and travel south approximately 6.0 miles to Co. Rd. 3. Turn right on Co. Rd. 3 and travel west approximately 13.0 miles to Co. Rd. 2. Turn left on Co. Rd. 2 and travel south 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 50. Turn right on Co. Rd. 50 and travel a short distance west to the wildlife management area. There is also a good vantage point for Bat Lake on the road that follows the west shore of the lake.

MOUNTAIN COUNTY PARK Cottonwood County (24 acres).
Habitat: grasslands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-831-2060.
Web Site Available.

 Retrace your steps to Co. Rd. 3 and travel east 9.0 miles to Co. Rd. 8. Turn right on Co. Rd. 8 and travel south a little over 3.0 miles to Hwy. 60, east of the City of Mountain Lake. Crossing Hwy. 60, continue south for approximately 2.0 miles to a gravel road on your right. Turn right here and follow it a short distance to the park. There is a road that goes all the way around the “mountain” in the park. Be sure to check out the top of the “mountain” for migrants.
REGEHR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Cottonwood County (64.2 acres).
Habitat: grasslands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-831-2917
Web Site Available. 		Retrace your steps to the turnoff for Mountain County Park and turn left. Travel 1.0 mile to an intersection with another gravel road. Turn right and travel a short way to the wildlife management area. The gravel road that turns south at the west end of the wildlife management area will give you more views of the water from the south side of the lake.
SULEM LAKE PUBLIC WATER ACCESS
Watonwan County.
Habitat: grasslands, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: B.
Contact: 507-831-2918.
Web Site Available.		 Return to the north side of the lake and continue east another 2 miles to Co. Rd. 2. Turn right on Co. Rd. 2 and travel south about 0.5 miles to Co. Rd. 133. Turn right on Co. Rd. 133 and travel a short distance to a parking lot for the boat launch on the south side of Sulem Lake.

TURTLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA
Watonwan County.
Habitat: grasslands, wetlands, and some trees.
Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-831-2917.
Web Site Available.

LONG LAKE COUNTY PARK AND PUBLIC WATER ACCESS Watonwan County (5.13 acres).
Habitat: woods, marsh, and lake.
Amenities: R, P, B.
Contact: 507-375-3393 (Watonwan County) or 507-831-2918 (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).
Web Site Available (PWA).

KANSAS LAKE COUNTY PARK Watonwan County (18.91 acres).
Habitat: lake.
Amenities: R, B.
Notes: Only worth checking for migrating waterfowl.
Contact: 507-375-3393 (Watonwan County).
Web Site: None

 Retrace your steps to Co. Rd. 2. Turn right on Co. Rd. 2 and travel south slightly over 1.0 mile to Co. Rd. 10. Turn left on Co. Rd. 10 and travel east 7.0 miles to Hwy. 4. (Note: A gravel road crosses Co. Rd. 10 1.0 mile east of Co. Rd. 2. You can turn left here and travel north 1.0 mile to Mud Lake or turn right and travel an even shorter distance to School Lake.) Just before you reach Hwy. 4, Turtle Wildlife Management Area will be on your left. Turn left onto Hwy. 4 and then almost immediately turn right into the parking area for the Long Lake PWA. A gravel road at the west end of this parking area will lead you to the picnic and beach area at the west end of the lake. Return to Hwy. 4 and turn right. Travel north on Hwy. 4 about 2.0 miles to Co. Rd. 119. (Note: If you would like to scope another lake for migrating waterfowl, turn left on Co. Rd. 119 and travel west approximately 1.5 miles to Co. Rd. 131. Turn left on Co. Rd. 131 and drive a short distance to a parking area for the boat launch on Kansas Lake.)
ROSENDALE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA Watonwan County.
Habitat: grasslands, wetlands, and marsh. Amenities: None.
Contact: 507-831-2917.
Web Site Available.		 From the intersection of Hwy. 4 and Co. Rd. 119, travel east on Co. Rd. 119 about 4.0 miles to Co. Rd. 27. Turn left on Co. Rd. 27 and travel north approximately 2.0 miles. Just before you reach Hwy. 30/60, you should see a gravel road. Turn right on the gravel road and travel east about 1.5 miles. The wildlife management area lies on both sides of the road.
EAGLES NEST COUNTY PARK Watonwan County (80 acres).
Habitat: woods, thickets, grasslands, and riparian.
Amenities: T, R, C, P.
Contact: 507-375-3393.
Web Site: None		 Continue east a short distance to Co. Rd. 12. Turn left on Co. Rd. 12 and travel a short ways north to Hwy. 30/60. Turn right on Hwy. 30/60 and travel east on this “freeway” for about 4.0 miles to Co. Rd. 118. (Note: There is a rest area on your left a little before the turn. It can be a good place to check for migrants.) Turn left onto Co. Rd. 118 and travel north a short distance to the park entrance. To return to the starting point of this loop, retrace your steps to Hwy. 30/60. Turn left to go to Madelia, which is about 9 miles from this point.

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