May and June highlights in ITasca State Park – Park Rapids Enterprise

Connie Cox, naturalist from ITasca State Park, said that the park was alive in May and June with bird song and wildflowers.

Some of the highlights for visitors are as follows:

• Singing birds return. There are 20 types of Trällern who go through the park, some remain for summer. One of the most colorful is the yellow -cut Trällerer. Listen to the ovenbird with its call, which sounds like “teacher teacher”. Song and swamp sparrows are also back, together with dark-eyed Juncos, scarlet tanagers and indigo stoves.
• The best times for bird watching are shortly before sunrise until 11 a.m. and in the early evening when birds feed before they are beaten for the night. Immediately after sunset, visitors can hear the big blue Heron croak and ducks come to rest for the evening.
• Ducks and geese can already nest, and soon young ducks and gosling will be outside on the water.
• The Mississippi Headwater area is a popular place to observe water birds. On cold morning, insects are more active and float over the water surface. Pay attention to birds that are “Hawking” and fly with an open mouth to catch insects.
• Another bird that can be found in the region of the head area is the northern Parula.

“It sounds like the cartoon character Elmer Fudd,” said Cox. “This sits on the top of the spruce trees and is a beautiful blue, green and yellow with red hint of red in the feathers. You have to use binoculars to see it, but you can hear it from a long distance.”

• Like the Schoolcraft Trail, pine forests are particularly good for bird observations. Dr. Roberts Trail has a moor, pine and oak and a lake. This variety of forest types addresses different types of birds that are looking for nesting habitat.

“One of my favorites is the winter wand,” said Cox. “You love this swampy area in the cabin of the old timer. It is a tiny brown bird with a cock that is just up. His reputation is like the flute call of the god pan, very melodic.”

• The pikeperch fishing is popular in May until the first week of June, mainly at ITosca. Elk Lake at Wilderness Drive is a leading Muskie Lake. Fishing licenses are available in the park.

Every resident of Minnesota can fishing every lake in a state park without a fishing license. For more information, see the DNR website. Lake Ozawindib, Elk Lake, Mary Lake and Lake Itasca belong in Ittasca State Park.

• Spring flower flowers in May and June are abundant. May is when the large -flowered trillium blooms. These large white flowers are visible on the main park Drive from the preaching grove to the Vista peace tube to the campsite office. The Brower Trail is the best place to look at.

  

  Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

• Cycling on the bike path or along the Wilderness Drive is another way to see both wild flowers and birds.

“It is a nice way to cover more soil and at the same time enjoy the beauty of the park,” said Cox.

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