Searching for Spruce Grouse: 2012 Report by Bill Sharf
Our brief Searching for Spruce Grouse tour has just one goal: find and get good looks at one or more Spruce Grouse. This is a post-Spring Fling event, happening this year on April 27th. We met in the parking area behind the Paradise Inn, where two things happened. First, a cooperative Merlin flew in and perched high in a tree to the north, allowing us to get good scope views. Second, we were tipped off to the presence of two female Spruce Grouse along the edge of M-123 just west of town. We quickly headed that way.
Of course that would have been way too easy, and we couldn’t relocate the birds. So we headed over to a traditionally good spot – the “slab” on Vermillion Road. We cruised down the road slow, only to be surprised by the appearance of a full-sized bus coming up behind us. Turned out the bus was full of birders from Ohio, on a similar quest that morning. Fortunately for all of us a male Spruce Grouse was waiting on the north side of the road. Success!
Our group then proceeded to the Sheldrake Flooding, and made sightings of several species including: a couple of Bald Eagles, Osprey, Kingfisher, Sandhill Crane, Palm Warbler, many species of waterfowl, shorebirds, and Ruffed Grouse.
