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Spring is the time of year when the North Shore comes alive with wildlife. Eagles and osprey have returned to their nests. The ruffed grouse are back checking out their drumming logs and sharp-tailed grouse are dancing up a storm.

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If you have never witnessed the dance of the sharp-tailed grouse you should try it. For decades generations of sharp-tailed grouse coveys return year after year to the same open grassy areas called leks and perform their spring rituals.

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On Friday, I got up at 3:30 a.m. so I could be in the blind before the birds returned. They came whistling in like little jet planes about 5:15 a.m. The trip to the lek on Forest Road 11 was beautiful. A setting full moon with its orange glow gave a special ambiance to the drive.

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As the sun’s first rays broke over the tree tops, the birds were already clucking, cooing, stomping, jumping, chasing, attacking and dancing. The females just walk around as the males fight and try to display their best colors and try to appear as the best choice for the females.

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At first about a dozen birds were no closer than 100 feet from me. Before the hour had passed they were dancing all around my blind. They came so close that if the door had been open, they would have probably come in. The males face off beak to beak. They make a few fast moves trying to provoke each other. Then they attack each other pecking and flapping. One male got a hold of the other’s neck feathers and held on for several seconds as they raced around in circles in front of my blind.

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When they are not fighting, the males stomp, puff up their lavender air-inflated throat sacks and click their tails. The birds seem to move all at once, stop at the same time before continuing again like someone yells “go”.

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Notice the beautiful markings on the tail feathers. You can see why they are called sharp-tailed grouse.