Wildlife

Posted on March 5, 2026 by Carol and Bill

 

Hi canine lovers.  Its Milo!

Dad and I spend quite a bit of time watching the river. In doing so, we see a fair amount of wildlife, besides the expected eagles.  Today I  want to share some of the pictures Dad has taken.  Most are right from his easy chair in front of the window.  Some get my dander up and I bark and growl and carry on.  Others…so what?

 

Of course this is a fox.     Grand looking fella.  He gets barks and growls.

This  would be a Cedar Waxing.    They  inundate and harvest the Mulberries in our  Mulberry tree when they ripen.  They also clean out our flowering cranberry tree in the spring of what ever is left after winter.

Next we have the unwanted Coyote.  They are a rare sight and we have only seem the one.  It was in a hurry across the ice and into the grassy area next to it and scampered across the RR track, up our hill and across the highway, never to be seen again.  I dearly wanted out and to give chase, but Dad thought not a good idea.  He got BARKS, GROWLS, and much carrying on!!

Then there are deer.  Rare to see on the RR track, but on occasion.  Now, if that coyote had been on a different schedule, it would have been interesting.  The deer get barks and growls too, but not as noisily as the coyote!

 

 

This splendid dude is a Red Tailed Hawk.  Mostly white belly fakes one out, but the tail from the back is for sure red.  We see them fairly often perched in the tree line along the old railroad bed across the inlet from us.  They certainly are patient birds.  Looks mean and hungry!  He just gets a …so what.

 

Well, you are probably bored by now, and my creative tank in almost empty.  So will go take a nap, maybe get a treat too.  More wildlife on another day.

As ever,

Milo

comments whatever to: therivernest@gmail.com or billnvac@gmail,com

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Posted on March 1, 2026 by Carol and Bill
Hey Milo fans. Happy March 1st!!
Bright sun and 19 degrees. March coming in lambish!
Dad and I were sitting in the window chairs, watching this otter with a big fish. He struggled, but finally got it swallowed. Fun to watch.
Wish I had a big steak!
Shouts out to Bill and Lois, who came back to visit Thursday night and brought me a bag of treats. WOW! They have been here several times, and we really enjoy their visits.
Have a good March everyone.
Love, Milo

See the blogs at TheRiverNest.com/blog

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Milo back to blogging

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Carol and Bill

Milo here with my best buddy “ole Doc Dunn”  If you have followed me on Facebook, I am glad you found me here.  This is my home at the River Nest B&B.  Bill (Dad) and Carol (Mom) rescued me 5 1/2 years ago.  I have been meeting and greeting people at the B&B ever since.  I am somewhat famous cause of the the posts Dad has put on FB for me the past few years.  We get several repeat guests, and most are happy to give me a belly rub as soon as they get in the door.  Some even bring me a treat!

I love it here.   (As you can see).  I get fed real well; there are a lot of left overs.

I have my own couch plus a dog bed in front of the fireplace, and a big yard to cruise with squirrels and a couple wild cats to harass.

 

 

 

One of my bennies is that I get to help with the dishes.  (Yes, we sterilize with the dishwasher!)                                             

I think Dad will keep trying to post on this our River Nest blog page and keep you updated.  I will do my best to give him good material!

Love,

Milo            (Feel free to comment @ therivernest@gmail.com)

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New Hire At The River Nest B&B

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Carol and Bill

 

Hi. I am Milo, the newest member on staff at The River Nest. I think I am in entertainment, cause I can’t cook or clean worth a darn. I just started today. I hail from Oklahoma. I was caught running the streets and was incarcerated. Some nice people from Minnesota rescued me. Now Carol and Bill have adopted me. I am about 6 months old and my lineage is questionable. You know, Oklahoma….could even have some Brahma in me. Who knows? Training is going fine so far. I have done all my toilet business outside and picked out a chair already. I taught Bill I can stand up and reach raw chicken on the counter with no trouble. Now we are going to watch Midsummer Murders and snuggle a little. Hope I like the show. English!?!? I’ll try just for these nice people. More later. Milo.

 

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The Best Lodging in Southern Minnesota – The River Nest Bed and Breakfast

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Carol and Bill

Are you looking for a place to stay near Wabasha? The River Nest is one of the best bed and breakfasts in Minnesota because of the gorgeous view of the Mississippi River and great eagle watching right across the way from their nests…hence we call ourselves The River Nest! This romantic getaway is perfect for anniversary stays, couple weekend getaways and solo entrepreneur weekend retreats! The River Nest Bed and Breakfast is located on the Mississippi River, where you can find some of Minnesota’s best eagle watching – you can view the eagles from the home of Bill and Carol with their awesome scopes and Bills “Eagle Eye” (He knows all the locals nests.), and you can even tour the National Eagle Center during your stay! Then visit one of the local wineries or take a trip to Lake Pepin before you enjoy a relaxing night in the Jacuzzi. This southern Minnesota bed and breakfast is great for bird watchers (We have all kinds of migratory birds, herons and eagles), wine lovers and any couple that could use a relaxing weekend away. What else can you do when you stay at The River Nest B&B? Stop by Lark Toys in Kellogg, Minnesota, eat at the Harbor View Café in Pepin, Wisconsin,  or walk down the street to Reads Landing Brewing Company for craft beer and delightful dining. If you’re looking for a bed and breakfast in Southern Minnesota, The River Nest is the best place to stay. Did we mention the pre-breakfast coffee and rolls, then a breakfast for a king and queen after? Carol delivers a breakfast that will keep you wanting to come back and leave you with memories of what a great weekend you had on the river.

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The River Nest B&B is alive and well

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Carol and Bill

The River Nest B&B IS Alive and Well!

January 30, 2013

Oh, dear.

A potential guest e-mailed inquiring whether we are still in business atThe River Nest Bed and Breakfast.  Yes, yes we are!

It seems that when Bill became a Facebook aficionado, I quit blogging!  No more, I’m back!  Of course, if you prefer Facebook, he is The River Nest Bed and Breakfast.  That’s as much as I know about it!

We’ve had a marvelous year with the B&B.  Of course, our guests are the best ever!  Thank you!  Thank you! to all who have visited and re-visited us this year.

What’s happening now?  Snow.  The eagles are back, and a new feature has appeared: ice fishing shacks in our cove.

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They began to appear last week and have been a daily show.

Bill has a new “job.”  He volunteers at The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, and one of his duties is to count eagles in our Reads Landing area.  Last week his count was 159 bald and juvenile eagles in about a one-mile stretch.

As always, we’ve been playing with the camera:

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Bill calls this picture “Breakfast.”

What else is happening?

Barry Hill keeps bringing talent to Wabasha at his Moonshine Showcase.  Next to be featured is Martin Zellar with Ben Kyle, Saturday, February 2.  Check out his link to the menu of all the performers this year.

The Reads Landing Brewing Co. has turned out to be a great place to sample kraft beers and delicious food.  Our guests have praised the  the beer (Yes, they are producing their own as well as featuring others’.), the food, the service, the atmosphere ….  In good weather, guests have especially appreciated the simple walking distance to a terrific meal.  They’re having a special Valentine’s Dinner for Two party February 13.  Bill and I are going!

February will also feature Wabasha‘s own Grumpy Old Men festival.  My favorite event is the Grumpy Old Men plunge into the Mississippi River!  No, I don’t jump.  This year I’ll be corralling the grandkids while their mom and her sister jump.  Ah, youth!

News about us here at The River Nest B&B?  We’ve been busy.   Business took right off this year with more guests than ever before in January, and we’ve been booking guests for the February events as well as the Soar With the Eagles happenings in March.  Most weekends still have a suite open.

I’ve discovered bread flour!  It makes the caramel rolls rise higher and taste better; and the flour company promises me it has more protein than regular flour.  So I guess that makes them guilt-free, huh?

Whew!  This got long-winded!  That’s probably why I procrastinate so much.

Be well.  Bill and I look forward to hosting you.

Carol

Bill and Carol Dunn, Innkeepers

The River Nest Bed and Breakfast

651-560-4077

TheRiverNest@gmail.com

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Fall, Splendid Fall, at The River Nest B&B

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Carol and Bill

It’s here! It’s here! Southest Minnesota’s most exquisite time of the year!

Whereas most people think of this as autumn or fall, here at The River Nest Bed and Breakfast we call it Septoberfest season. Check out the link to find schedules of events throughout September and October, including contests, parades, musical events, art shows, Papa’s Barn Boutique, parish festivals, great German menus at our local restaurants, and–of course–special programs at The National Eagle Center. It’s a great month-and-a-half of family friendly celebrations!

Here at The River Nest we’re hosting four Sunday afternoon open houses on September 19 and October 3, 10, and 24. Come and see our suites, then visit over coffee and Grandma Tillie’s Apple Kuchen as you enjoy our river view.

Plenty of apple treats will be on our menus this year. Our Haralson tree went berzerk!

We’ve had to rest the overloaded branches on sawhorses.

The barge traffic is still heavy, but the eagles are beginning their return. Along with birds, we’ve had butterfly migration this month. Luckily, these butterflies waited for me to get the camera and even posed for me!

As you can see, Bill’s flowers are thriving too.

It’s time for me (Carol) to pick more apples and pull out that recipe for Apple Kuchen! We hope to see you during Septoberfest!

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Catching Up

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Carol and Bill

Good grief! It’s been since January! No wonder one of our guests mentioned that our blog “needs a bit of updating”!

Life is good at The River Nest! With summer comes boat traffic: barges, the channel dredge, campers on the sand bars, fisherpeople and cruisers. Always something of interest is moving on the river.

Eagles are still around too. The blue heron have joined them as have all our summer birds. Bill is still filling the feeders for cardinals, bluejays, goldfinch, orioles, hummingbirds, red wing blackbirds, and an array of woodpeckers. The woodpecker below (Bill could tell you what kind. He’s our bird expert.) enjoys the homemade peanut butter feeder. We have a mulberry tree which drew a flock of cedar waxwings for a couple days in early July.

We have a new attraction in the area: Danzinger Vineyards. Generally we recommend our guests visit Buena Vista Park on the bluff above Alma, Wisconsin. In June they came back telling about the wonderful vineyard. So Bill and I decided to “scope it out.” It’s a beautiful facility with amazing views of the Mississippi valley. The wines are good too!

Bill and I finally went on a cruise with Dan Miller at Big River Adventures. Now we really recommend it! We toured backwaters, saw eagle nests and the chicks (Is that what they’re called?), blue heron, a mix of river birds, and some “cow” lilies. Dan promises to call us for the boom of the river flowers. It was great to see how much the river has “cleaned up” as we looked down into clear water and watched the fish swimming. The Mississippi is no longer a sewage dump!

Bill is now a full partner in the bed and breakfast business. In December he had back surgery, expecting a four-month recovery and return to his work as a large animal vet. In February we learned that the four-month recovery was for the bone graft, and Bill will never return to his vet work. Luckily, spring came early and Bill got involved in “re-landscaping” our property. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when one can spread a job over several days and take regular breaks! Our son built a rock garden and Bill filled it with perennials (I’m still learning how to insert and crop pictures. This one didn’t do what I told it to do!).

We’ve had an interesting experience helping friends get started in the bed and breakfast business. At a county zoning meeting I had the opportunity to speak in their behalf. One neighbor was concerned about heavy traffic and drunken parties. I was able to assure him that neither would happen. “In fact,” I said, “if you ever want to meet a fine string of people, open a bed and breakfast!” One of the commissioners was quick to agree with me!

Okay, I’ve definitely made up for seven months’ absence, maybe several paragraphs ago. Be sure to visit the Wabasha-Kellogg Chamber of Commerce site for details on upcoming events.

We look forward to sharing our River Nest with you!

Carol Dunn, Innkeeper
651-560-4077

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First River Nest Blog Entry

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Carol and Bill

Greetings, World!

We’re starting this blog today to get the word out about us and our location.

We’re the Dunns at The River Nest Bed and Breakfast, a new home with two separate visitor suites overlooking the Mississippi River at Reads Landing, Minnesota.  Each three-room suite has a full private bath, queen bedroom, sitting room with fireplace and jacuzzi, and deck overlooking the main channel of the Mississippi River.  Of course each suite has a ‘frig, tv, DVD player, and wireless Internet.

We love our location.  It’s one of the best places to view eagles, more in the winter but some throughout the year.  Summers bring boat and barge traffic. We’re on the Mississippi Flyway, which means migrating birds stop by at our six bird feeders along their way.  As we become more adept at blogging, we hope to keep you apprised of the current bird traffic.

If relaxing while watching the river flow doesn’t sound like an all-day activity for you, we’re two miles from The National Eagle Center.   Within eight miles we have two unique attractions:  L.A.R.K. Toys–an extraordinary toy store/museum where you can ride a hand-carved carousel full of exotic animals, play a round of mini-golf, and/or shop for books and toys–and Arrowhead Bluffs Exhibits/Museum, featuring wildlife exhibits, Native American and pioneer artifacts, and “the most exclusive Winchester Collection in the midwest.”  They display one of every model Winchester sold from 1866 to 1982. 

Nearby activities include golfing, boating, hiking, and biking as well as downhill and cross-country skiing, depending upon the season.  A new business in the area provides two-hour eco tours of the Mississippi backwaters, “the perfect trip for nature photographers, bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts.”  For the shoppers there are antique and gift shops aplenty.

Although we have great restaurants nearby, you won’t need to worry about finding a place for lunch.  We serve four-course, Grandma Tillie homemade breakfasts.  Most of our guests skip lunch!

For more information, check out our web site at www.TheRiverNest.com.

Whew!  This was a lot to say on the first time out!  Tomorrow an “expert” will be stopping by to give us some pointers to make it more interesting!

Until then, ….

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