Lake Metigoshe State Park
Willow Lake National Wildlife Refuge is often productive. To reach it continue east on Highway East 43 from the turn-off to Pelican-Sandy Lakes Primitive Recreation Area. After 3.1 miles you will cross the Rolette County line, which is marked. Go another mile, and turn right (south). The lake is 1.6 miles ahead on the left. The main attraction is the colony of Double-crested Cormorants. However, watch for Common Loon, grebes, American White Pelican (visitor), Great Blue Heron, and several species of waterfowl.
After checking the lake, backtrack to Highway 43 and head east for about 13 miles to the Wakopa State Game Management Area. (It may also be reached by going 0.5 mile north and 8 miles west from the town of St. John.)
WAKOPA STATE GAME MANAGEMENT AREA
This area is relatively undisturbed, and the birding is great. There are even walking trails. All of the birds common to the Turtle Mountains can be found, and this just might be the best place to look for them.
As is the case across the rest of the state, the Turtle Mountains do not offer a great diversity of winter birds. There are, however, some interesting possibilities. The large amount of well-wooded habitat combined with a geographic position on the Canada border makes the mountains a definite attraction to several rare but exciting northern birds such as Hawk, Great Gray, Boreal, and Saw-whet Owls; Northern Raven; Gray Jay; Boreal Chickadee (accidental); and White-winged Crossbill. Although the chances of finding any of these birds on any given day are slim, the potential is there. Some may be more regular than is currently thought, because not enough people bird this area in winter.
Some of the more regular winter visitors and residents here include Ruffed and Sharp-tailed Grouse; Gray Partridge; Mourning Dove; Great Horned, Snowy, Long-eared, and Short-eared Owls; Common Flicker; Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers; Horned Lark; Blue Jay; Black-billed Magpie; Black-capped Chickadee; White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches; Brown Creeper; Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings; European Starling; House Sparrow; Evening and Pine Grosbeaks; Purple Finch; Pine Siskin; American Goldfinch; Common and Hoary Redpolls; Red Crossbill; and Snow Bunting. Of course, you will be doing well to find half of these species on any given trip, because many of them are decidedly cyclic in their wanderings.
Just as there is no one spot to go in the Turtle Mountains to find all of the summer residents, there is no one place to be recommended for winter. Both Lake Metigoshe State Park and Pelican-Sandy Lakes Primitive Recreation Area are good if road conditions allow entry. Usually, you will come out ahead by following the plowed roads and the good habitat.