Birding

Five Lakes Resort is home to many species of birds.  They make their homes in the acres of forest surrounding Lake Five.  With over 30K of trails to hike, it is nearly impossible not to see Five Lakes winged residents.

Some of the species of birds that make their nest around Lake Five include,

  • Wood Ducks - there are many houses that we have put up for them around the lake
  • Grouse
  • Mallard Ducks
  • Common Loon
  • Trumpeter Swan
  • Kingfishers
  • Yellow Rumped Warblers
  • Piping Plover
  • Burrowing Owl
  • Loggerhead Shrike
  • Bald Eagle

The most famous Lake Five residents are the bald eagles who have had a nest on the east end of the lake since 1976. Beavers chopped down the nest tree in 1986, but they rebuilt nearby that same year. Dave Kaldahl put screening around the base of the new tree in 1988 to discourage those gnawing beavers. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1988, Dave and Barb drove out to Lake Five for dinner. One of the eagles was on the road unable to fly. After running back to the car trunk to get a camera, he took three pictures. They finally figured out the eagle was so full from his “Thanksgiving feast” that he couldn’t fly! A dead deer was by the roadside with three crows waiting in a nearby tree for the eagle to finish eating. As they came closer for more pictures, the eagle flopped out to the ice on Fairy Lake. They saw it flying later on in the day after it had digested its Thanksgiving meal.

Detroit Lakes 14th Annual Festival of Birds

Five Lakes Resort is a proud sponsor and lodging partner of the Detroit Lakes Annual Festival of Birds.  This year the 14th annual festival takes place on May 19-22, 2011.  Five Lakes Resort is a convienent location to the activities and a superb location for extra birding opportunities.