Rainy River Trip Report
OFO’s 2026 Rainy River trip took place on June 5 and 6. The weather was far
from rainy, with perfectly sunny, warm, slightly breezy conditions. Nine
birders participated, led by Angie and Ken Williams, with much assistance
from Phil Waggett.
The weekend’s birding included a variety of locations and habitats: some
roadside birding along agricultural land and also along a stretch of boreal
forest; a short hike on a trail that went through a mixed forest and ended
at Lake of the Woods; the sewage lagoons at Rainy River and Emo; a small
riverside park; and the town of Rainy River itself.
Some of the “target birds” that were seen include: Sharp-tailed Grouse,
Sedge Wren, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Black-billed
Magpie, and Western Meadowlark. Everyone was eager to find Connecticut
Warblers and, although we didn’t manage to see them, we did hear a couple
singing on territory. A pair of Marbled Godwits were a big hit, as they
flew out from a grassland, calling vigorously. American White Pelicans flew
overhead frequently, but nobody ever got tired of watching them. An
Olive-sided Flycatcher gave great views. Another highlight were
Golden-winged Warblers.
The birders from southern Ontario enjoyed sightings of Black-backed
Woodpecker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Lincoln’s Sparrow and Spruce
Grouse. The northern birders were treated to Great Crested Flycatcher,
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Baltimore Oriole, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
As always, there were unexpected surprises: 21 Wilson’s Phalaropes and a
half dozen White-rumped Sandpipers at the Rainy River Lagoons; a pair of
Canvasbacks at the Emo lagoons; a small flock of Northern Rough-winged
Swallows using burrows in a sandbank. And there are always some misses: a
Boreal Chickadee that was singing at a known location earlier in the week;
an American Avocet that was at the Emo lagoons on June 4, but not seen
later; Eastern Whip-poor-wills that should have been singing at a park
recommended by a local enthusiast, but they weren’t. Oh well, there’s
always next year.
All in all, we listed 121 species of birds during our two days together.
The eBird trip report can be found here:
https://ebird.org/tripreport/532787. It was a wonderful weekend of birding
and hanging out with new friends! I hope this annual trip will take place
for many more years.
Angie Williams