Tag Archives: MN Central

Great Egret Courting at the Grotto Lake Rookery

Year 13

For years I have been aware of the Grotto Lake Rookery in the Fergus Falls, Minnesota town park. However the distance from Duluth always made me reject making the long round trip drive (9 hours). However, when my friend Jim suggested reserving a Prairie Chicken blind at the Hamden Slough Wildlife Reserve which is also within easy striking distance of Grotto Lake, I jumped! After a fantastic morning with the Prairie Chickens out on the prairie in the blind which started loooonng before dawn (blog post coming), I suggested we try the Great Egret Rookery in the afternoon. Jim was game, and we made the now much shorted drive to Fergus Falls (now only 2 hours round trip).

Oh my did we strike hit the jackpot! The ice on the pond had only gone out shortly before our visit and the Great Egrets had apparently only just arrived via their Spring migration within the past 24 to 48 hours. The birds were courting like crazy, while at the same time decked out in their finest mating plumage!!! My apologies for the HUGE number of photographs. This was an amazing time with the Great Egrets and I as much am documenting the experiencing for myself. (Audubon, Minnesota and Fergus Falls are essentially due west of Duluth via a four hour drive … from the Boreal Forest to the Great Plains and Prairie Potholes)

The Rookery (on a nest)

You brought me a stick!!!

Take-Off!

On the nest …

Great Egret Mating Displays

A Great Egret Couple Mating

A slight disagreement!

The Joy of Flight (Take-Off)

A small view of the Great Egret Rookery (two nests out of many, many trees)

Dance of the American Woodcock (video!) … and other Spring Courting

Year 12,

The snow is mostly melted in the northern boreal forest. A few days ago I birded Sax-Zim Bog and the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area. This basically allowed me to bird the Mississippi River Flyway, and life was good.

The highlight of the day was watching an American Woodcock dance for almost 15 minutes. These small birds arrive back in the wetlands before the snow and ice is totally gone. Enjoy the dance! (video link for email subscribers)

Dance of the American Woodcock

Momma Common Merganser says “NO!” to both of her suitors! (expand image)

Hooded Mergansers in Love (only open water … ditch on Stone Lake Road)

Migrating … not Courting: Northern Shrike and Rough-Legged Hawk

Migration Meanderings … Owl Therapy

Year 12,

Pay attention to the wind and weather! During the spring south winds rule, and after a night’s winds from the south you may find many new species of birds have arrived outside your home. Learn more about migrations … read up on BirdCast (my post). In addition if you live near a North / South river, it may be a migration highway. Pay attention.

I drove over to the Mississippi River and the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area earlier this week. While the Father of Waters is still mainly iced over in northern Minnesota, where there are breaks in the ice waterfowl are resting on their northern migration. Twice I found Trumpeter Swans at this open spot on the Mississippi River.

When I reached the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area (learn more about Willowsippi), I found a pair of Trumpeter Swans had already claimed prime habitat … even though the wetlands pond was still ice over.

Yesterday I spend time over at Sax-Zim Bog. After my local nest failure, I think a local Great Gray Owl took pity on me and wanted to give me some quality “owl time”. I watched this owl for over 1.5 hours. For the first 30 minutes the owl hooted and calmly looked around for a mate. This was followed by an hour of hunting, when I had to leave … the owl was not finished. Oh yes … the crowds are gone from Sax-Zim. I saw only one other birder / car during the three hours I was at the Bog.

The treat over at the Bog was finding a lone Snow Bunting. These small finches are impossible to approach when in flocks, but when they are by themselves one may approach within yards.