Prairie Coteau Loop

The Prairie Coteau Loop of the Minnesota River Birding Trail includes Lincoln and Lyon Counties; covering a prairie landscape highlighted with diverse wetlands and wooded rivers. This versatile loop can be split in two fro a weekend adventure, can be the source of a “Big Day”, or you could spend an entire day combing Camden State Park itself. Spotted Towhee, Short-eared Owl, shorebirds, and grassland sparrows are likely during the right time of year.

The Prairie Coteau Loop includes the following locations, linked to this website:

• Camden State Park
• Black Rush Lake WPA
• Garvin County Park
• Twin Lakes County Park
• Tyler WMA
• Lake Benton
• Memorial Cemetery
• Hole-in-the-Mountain-Prairie
• Hole-in-the-Mountain-Park
• Norwegian Creek County Park
• Chen Bay WMA
• Curtis-Herschberger WMA
• Ash Lake WMA
• Anderson Lake WMA
• Ivanhoe WMA
• Gislason Lake NWR
• Sioux Prairie WMA
• Coon Creek WMA

 

 

The links listed below include a Guide to the Loop, and the Birds of Prairie Coteau Loop.

• Printable Map
• Bird List of the Prairie Coteau Loop
• Printable Guide

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

The Nature Conservancy manages this beautiful native prairie tract called Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie.

DIRECTIONS: From the City of Lake Benton, you can drive south of the town on Highway 75 about 2 miles to Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie on the West side of the road.

This Nature Conservancy tract in the rolling valley atop the Prairie Coteau gives one with an imagination what the pioneers of this area were able to behold. If you want more of this type of land conserved or restored, a contribution to the Nature Conservancy is money well spent. Spring migration in this area can bring raptor after raptor, and seems an ideal place to hope for a Ferruginous Hawk. Or perhaps in the fall it would be more likely to search for Smith’s Longspur in the shorter grass areas. And while we’re dreaming, why not dream of the return of a Burrowing Owl. Most likely the Bobolink and Western Meadowlark will keep you company, but keep your eyes peeled for a drifting Lark Bunting or Chestnut-collared Longspur.

Sioux Prairie Wildlife Management Area

Sioux Prairie Wildlife Management Area is another reminder of what life was like long ago. You may first want to scan the Gislason Lake area in Lincoln County for water birds, herons, and egrets, or listen for rails and wrens. Tundra Swans use this lake during migration while mergansers congregate in the spring when the lake is starting to open up.

DIRECTIONS: From Highway 19 at the Lincoln-Lyon County Line

Two sections of the Sioux Prairie Wildlife Management Area are accessible. The first is 0.25 miles East of the Lincoln-Lyon County line, and is accessible from Minnesota Highway 19. To access the back portion of this unit, the best directions to take are to turn South on the Lincoln-Lyon County line for 1 mile, then either park at or take the minimum maintenance road (260th Street) East into Lyon County for 1/2 mile. WMA land is on both the North and South sides of 260th Street.

The Sioux Prairie Wildlife Management Area consists of mostly grassland with one small open wetland North of 260th street, and several smaller wetlands in the northern part, with a major creek, rolling grassland hills with occasional scrub-brush complexes, and large deciduous woodland on the East side of the south unit. Upland Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Willow Flycatcher nest here along with Mallard and Wood Duck, and possibly Northern Harrier or Swainson’s Hawk.

In migration this would be a suitable location to look for Eastern Meadowlark, Cattle Egret, Alder Flycatcher, or a stray Lark Bunting along with the more expected American Pipit, Brewer’s and Rusty Blackbird, LeConte’s or Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for that wandering Ferugginous Hawk. The wetlands will most likely not hold much in migration, but are easily scanned for ducks or possibly Eared Grebe.

The woodland is an easy walk following the maintenance trail through the prairie grasses and flowers, (which blossom in summer) and might be worth the effort in spring or fall with a Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawk, Canada, or Wilson’s Warbler, or Gray-cheeked or Swainson’s Thrush. The woodlands and scrub provide good cover in winter for Ring-necked Pheasant and Gray Partridge, though the site is not very accessible after significant snow events.