Some fellow birders/naturalists recorded yesterday several “reverse migrations” in progress near my home. Our cold weather and nasty winds when coupled with the snow one may still find in the woods inland from Two Harbors made many bird species decided they would migrate back south along the North Shore of Lake Superior. These birds will eventually turn around and continue their northern spring migration, but for the moment conditions dictate going further north is dumb (no food, ponds and lakes still iced).
Actually, I did find the pond at Forest Hill Cemetery beginning to lose its ice, and these Ring-Necked Duck males were chasing the few females that had arrived in the Northland. It is normal for the males of bird species to arrive back on prime habitat before the females return. This helps them “win” the courting / breeding competition.
Ring-Necked Ducks at Forest Hill (the female has the brown plumage)
Soon the Spruce Grouse will be busy strutting their stuff. I saw this male on Stoney River Forest Road yesterday morning while placing out birdsong listening stations. There obviously were no females around because the male never displayed even once in the five minutes I observed the bird.
Spruce Grouse Male
