Birding Big Day

Ready, set, bird! Planning is underway for the Annual Deep Portage Birding Day in Cass County. Each year, volunteers and staff members set out to record 100 or more bird species in a single day without leaving the county lines. The Cass County Big Day contributes to citizen science as our data is submitted to the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology via eBird and will help with tracking global migration patterns. This year the event will begin at Deep Portage at sunrise on Saturday May 20, 2023 and will conclude that evening while listening for nocturnal bird songs before midnight.

This is also the second year in a row that the event is being held as a fundraiser to support Deep Portage. Last year the team tallied 128 species, generating a grand total of nearly $3000! Highlights from last year included an extensive variety of warblers around Bass Pond, Ruddy Turnstones and a Sanderling on the beaches at Leech Lake, meadowlarks and magpies in southern Cass County, and an unbelievable showing of the woodcock sky dance at dusk.

Cass County has proven to be a formidable location for such a birding challenge, but we need YOUR help to make the day even more successful than last year! In the coming weeks, we will begin accepting pledge submissions from Deep Portage supporters. Examples of previous pledges include

simple general contributions, a dollar amount per species, and/or a set dollar amount for accomplishing a goal during the event chosen by the donor. Live updates will be made throughout the day on our social media channels. Stay tuned for more information on how to submit your pledge for the 2023 Big Day on May 20!