April and May are some of the best times to see songbird migration.  Stopping at a boat landing and taking time to scan the treetops can reward a visitor with many species of warblers.  Following the Great River Road on both sides of the river, you will discover one of the many walking trails or decks with spotting scopes to help you view wildlife, but it is always best to bring your own binoculars.

In the floodplain forest  great blue herons, great egrets and double-crested cormorants nest in rookeries.  Look for groups of American white pelicans feeding in formation or soaring over the refuge.  The sora rail, the laughter of the marsh, is the most common marsh bird. Seldom seen, but often heard, in the early morning or late evening.  Eleven species of frogs and toads sing, chirp, and croak from April to August. Listen for them in the evenings at the marsh.

Fall colors are the backdrop for thousands of waterfowl migrating back to their wintering grounds. Migrating tundra swans grace the refuge through freeze-up. During peak fall migration in late October, hundreds of thousands of canvasbacks, common mergansers, goldeneyes, mallards, shovelers, blue-winged teal, and coots gather on the refuge.

GPS Coordinates for:
Brownsville Overlook: 43 39.121 N 91 16.488 W (Brownsville, MN)
Hwy 26 Overlook: 43 37.955 N 91 16.436 W  (Brownsville, MN)

Tundra Swan Facts

Tracks in snow remind you that winter is alive with activity.  A track made by otter sliding on the ice or a deer path across the ice are often discovered on a winter outing.     Hundreds of wintering bald eagles congregate near open water snatching fish with their talons and soaring to to the treetops to eat their prey.

Bald Eagle Facts

Historical Fall Waterfowl Flights