March field trip: Looking forward to spring, mark your calendars for a birding field trip at 9:00 a.m. on March 19 to Veterans Memorial Park and Old Shakopee Mill Pond, at 1801 County Rd 101, Shakopee, MN 55379 (see the attached map). We expect to see various species of migrating waterfowl there, not just the usual mallards and Canada geese, because this will be one of the few areas with open water in the Twin Cities. In addition, the Mill Pond and surrounding area make this a good location to see and photograph waterfowl at close range. When you drive in, hang a left and go down near the end of the road where you can see the pond near the parking lot. Depending on how much we see, we might also visit the nearby Blue Lake in the Wilkie Unit of the Minnesota River Wildlife Refuge (see the attached description and map). A future email will provide additional details. Email birding@betshalom.org for more info.