As we searched for birds, the youngest members of our group, John and Chris Hockema, imitated the buzzy song of a Blue-winged Warbler, identified by its bright yellow crown, throat and breast, black eyeline and blue-gray wings. Chris located an answering bird, but said it looked different; it had a black throat and black patches on both cheeks. Doc knew immediately it was a Lawrence’s Warbler, the rare hybrid of a Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warbler, and one of the rarest birds he’d ever seen. He told us that it was his birthday and the sighting was a perfect gift.

That day, May 14, 1988, Stewartville physician, Alden Risser, was leading the Fillmore County Birders of southeast Minnesota through his favorite birdwatching place, Shattuck Creek in the Big Woods south of Lanesboro. He had warned us this would be a rigorous hike through woods, over rocks and across streams. Only eight of our original 20 hikers lasted the entire trip. By the end of the day, we had seen 74 species of birds.

Read the rest of the Nancy's column in our April issue...