Escape to the beautiful northland at Lake of the Woods for great experiences in nature. Lake of the Woods is known for its beautiful waters and scenery and greenery all around. One of the most beautiful natural resources we have is the great variety of birds that show up in the summer months.

Each summer multiple varieties of birds appear. Some big, some small, but all a part of God’s beautiful creation.  One bird that was once on the endangered species list is the bald eagle. This land must be a great feeding ground because bald eagles can be a daily siting now. These mammoth birds are seen in the forest areas and along the edge of the Rainy River as well as around the big lake. They are especially in abundance at the Northwest Angle.

In the forest, they might use their “eagle” eye to snatch small creatures scurrying across the ground but near the water, somehow they are the best fishermen around. They cruise the skies and all of a sudden dive down to catch their fish. Amazing. One never tires of seeing these incredible birds.

Another huge bird has shown up in these waters in the past few years. This is the handsome white pelican. There is a rapids located 6 miles east of Baudette and that is the first location where the giant birds congregate. They are there in abundance waiting for the fish to try to swim up the rapids or down to the river. What a sight. Later on, they move into other bays along the river and also out to the big basin of Lake of the Woods. They can actually cruise over 40 mph and fly high or skim the waters at a very low altitude. Again, a beautiful sight to behold.

Of course, one of the most abundance birds you’ll see in this lake area is the white sea gull. Yes, they love this body of water and also the farmer’s fields in the fall before they leave. They arrive here early spring and are great in numbers until fall starts to set in. You see them adorning the skies over the beautiful lake, hoping to snatch a minnow or snacks that accidentally drop from someone’s hand. In the fall you’ll see them sitting in flocks in fields gaining their energy to fly south.

One bird that is now protected is the piping plover. Piping Plovers are sandy grayish brown birds with white underparts and a narrow, often broken collar. They have yellowish orange legs in all seasons. In the breeding season, they have an orange bill with a black tip, a black collar, and a black line on the forehead. You will find these birds on Pine Island, a small sand peninsula guarding Four Mile Bay. These birds scurry so fast that they look like they’re always in a race. A near relative of theirs is the killdeer which looks like them but larger in size. Their cry is the same.

From speaking about the smallest bird to telling of one of the largest is the sandhill crane. The sandhill crane, or “sandhill,” is among Minnesota’s largest bird species, standing about five feet tall and having a wingspread of nearly seven feet. Sandhills are birds of wet meadows and open landscapes. These birds are also in abundance in Lake of the Woods County.

When driving the roads, one will often see these birds standing in the fields in the distance. They are most always in pairs and often look like herons, but are even larger. Sandhills eat a variety of animals including frogs, small mammals, insects, and snakes, and also, small grains such as oats and wheat. They are found in most northern territories.

Some of the smallest but most beautiful birds are the finches that return to the northland in the early summer. The yellow finch is especially beautiful and they show up in flocks to feed and sing their songs. They are a small North American bird that is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter.

This article just touches the vast variety of bird life in this land. Join bird watchers from all over and explore all types of birds including pileated woodpeckers, owls of all kinds and smaller birds that share their beauty as well.

Lake of the Woods has so much to offer. Check out our website for more information at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

For lodging info, check out our lodging page at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging.