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This pair of male Wilson's Phalaropes was engaged in serious combat in May of last year. Phalaropes will be at it again this spring, sparring for breeding rights. Last year, the target was the lone female in these photos, the brightly colored bird moving away from the fight. The males are drab. They incubate the pair's eggs, so drab helps deter predators. Wilson's Phalaropes migrate through Minnesota each spring. Some nest here. The photos were taken in eastern Montana during a visit to the Boudoin National Wildlife Refuge along Highway 2 in the eastern part of that state. If you are in that neighborhood, Boudoin is an excellent refuge for a wide variety of breeding birds. And for photography.