The Uppies Are Back!

Upland Sandpiper

I was beginning to worry about the Upland Sandpipers. They were a few days later than usual returning to the Great Plains after spending the winter in South America. Not to worry...they're back. Yesterday I saw seven of them in the grasslands southeast of Pierre.

Upland Sandpiper standing guard over the prairie

Upland Sandpiper gives its alarm chatter

Osprey Nest!

Two Ospreys on the Nest

Today I found an Osprey nest on one of the electric transmission towers that are ubiquitous in central South Dakota. Ospreys were in severe trouble a few years ago, but are now making a slow, steady recovery. This nest is a very hopeful sign. I will monitor the nest every week, and will post again with updates.

Osprey leaving the nest in search of more sticks

Osprey resting near the nest

Rough Wing

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

More birds are migrating north this week. Among the latest to show up were some birds with a really long name: Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

Bird Devotional 64

Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla

“For he who is least among you all – he is the greatest.” Luke 9:48

There are a number of birds saddled with names containing the word, "least." There are Least Bittern, Least Sandpiper, Least Tern, and Least Flycatcher, among others. The names are generally appropriate, for those birds are all the most diminutive of their families. Being the "least," however, does not mean you cannot also be "greatest" at the same time. For instance, the Least Sandpiper, less than five inches long, is the smallest sandpiper, but also the most numerous in the interior of North America. So, while it is least in size, it is greatest in number.

The Bible contains many examples of things being exactly the opposite of what they first appear to be. In today’s Bible passage, Jesus had observed an argument among His disciples. They were arguing about which of them would be the greatest. Jesus brought a little child to stand beside Him, and then said, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest” (Luke 9:48). In Matthew 19:30, after telling the Parable of the Rich Young Ruler, Jesus told His followers, “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” The Apostle Paul wrote about wisdom versus foolishness, and strength versus weakness: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). So, if we cannot always rely upon greatest being better than least; first being better than last; wisdom being better than foolishness; or strength being better than weakness, what can we count on? If we are in Christ Jesus, the Bible says we are not, “foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20). Jesus is our Cornerstone—our rock…we can rely on Him.

Thank you, Father, that through your Son I am made strong, wise, and great, in spite of my weaknesses. Amen.

Hudson Bay, Here We Come!

Hudsonian Godwits

Yesterday, I saw my FOY Hudsonian Godwits in a small wetland area east of Pierre. Hudsonian Godwits can be differentiated from our more common Marbled Godwits quite easily. Hudsonians are smaller, and have shorter bills. Hudsonians also have reddish-brown bellies and a black-and-white pattern in the wings. I stop and stare in awed appreciation every time I see Hudsonian Godwits in the spring migration. These birds have just flown in from southern Chile, and are on their way to the shores of Hudson Bay in Canada. Wow! That's quite a trip.

When the Martins Come Back to South Dakota

Purple Martins on the State Capitol grounds

Well, yesterday must have been the day for the Purple Martins to return to South Dakota. I saw a pair of these large swallows at one of the nest boxes on the edge of Capitol Lake, near the State Capitol Building. Two other South Dakota birders also reported seeing their first Purple Martins of the year yesterday.

Donut Shop Robin

American Robin

Yesterday, I pulled up to The Donut Shop in Pierre and saw this beautiful robin right next to the parking lot. I carefully rolled down my window and took this picture. Yes, I then went in and bought a doughnut and a cup of coffee.

Time for Vespers

Vesper Sparrow

The sparrow migration is beginning here in central South Dakota. Among the first to arrive are the Vesper Sparrows. I saw a few yesterday in the Fort Pierre National Grasslands. This is a rather plain, brown-and-white-streaked sparrow with a distinctly bold white eye-ring. During breeding season it sings at any time of the day, but naturalist John Burroughs felt it sang its loveliest in the evening, and named it Vesper Sparrow.

Shrike on Wire!

Loggerhead Shrike

Loggerhead Shrikes have returned to the northern Great Plains after spending the winter farther south. You can usually spot them perched on barbed wire fences or utility wires if there is brushy cover nearby.

Bird Devotional 63

Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia

“They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.” Hebrews 11:38

Burrowing Owls live in abandoned burrows of prairie dogs or other ground-dwelling mammals. These small, long-legged owls hunt for insects and small mammals both day and night. They are often seen in the daytime on fence posts or dirt mounds near their burrows. There are two distinct populations of Burrowing Owls—one in Florida, and one in the western half of North America.

Today’s Bible passage comes from the Hall of Faith in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews. The chapter begins with many illustrations of people who lived lives of great faith, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Gideon. Then the author adds, “Still others were chained and put in prison… They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground” (Hebrews 11:36-38). The narrative of the Hall of Faith concludes with this statement: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us…” (Hebrews 11:39). So, what is this “something better” that God promised? There is a hint earlier in the chapter: “They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16). If you, like those mentioned in the Hall of Faith are longing for that better country, then read on to the next chapter, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2). If you find yourself spiritually destitute, living in a spiritual cave or hole in the ground, and longing for a better country, then “fix your eyes on Jesus.” He has promised you a “better country—a heavenly one.”

Father, as I throw off sin and things that hinder my life, run the race marked out for me, and fix my eyes on Jesus, I look forward to the heavenly country you have promised. Amen.

Next Fence Post

Burrowing Owl, April 16, 2010

I saw my first Burrowing Owl of the year this week. The little owl was perched on a fence post near a prairie dog town north of Fort Pierre. The fence post was the next one over from where I saw my first-of-the-year Burrowing Owl last year. That one is pictured below. I guess when you find a good prairie dog town in which to borrow a burrow, you use it year after year.

Burrowing Owl, April 25, 2009

Limosa Fedoa

Marbled Godwits, Limosa fedoa

Yesterday I saw the first Marbled Godwits of the year! I have written about these birds twice before: last year, and last month. They breed in marshes in this region, so I will get to watch them all summer. What marvelous birds!

Marbled Godwit

The Capitol and the Pelican

American White Pelican and South Dakota State Capitol

If you have an extraordinary amount of patience, or if you just happen to be in the right place at the right time, you can probably get a picture of almost anything in front of the South Dakota State Capitol Building. Yesterday, I was in the right place at the right time.

FOY Osprey

Osprey

I saw my first-of-the-year Osprey this afternoon in Pierre. Last year I saw my first Osprey of the year in the exact same place, but three days later than this year. You can't tell from this picture, but the Osprey was perched in a tree that hangs out over the Missouri River. It's a great place from which to search for fish, and the bird would also have a commanding view of downtown Pierre and the State Capitol Building from up there.

Look Up and Listen

Sandhill Cranes flying north

Last week I saw a small group of Whooping Cranes, the first I had seen for several years. However, for some odd reason I had not seen any Sandhill Cranes yet this spring! That is, until yesterday. Late yesterday afternoon I heard and then saw three large groups of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead. Pictured here are thirty of the birds flying over Buffalo County, South Dakota.

Big and Obvious

American White Pelican

American White Pelicans have returned in full force. A trip to almost any point on the Missouri River will reveal dozens of these huge, starkly white birds. Another bird that is now coming through in large numbers is the Golden-crowned Kinglet. The kinglets, though greatly outnumbering the pelicans, are not nearly so obvious. Here is a little size comparison of the two birds. American White Pelican: length, 62 inches; wingspan, 108 inches; weight, 16.4 pounds. Golden-crowned Kinglet: length, 4 inches; wingspan, 7 inches; weight, .21 ounces. By doing a little arithmetic, we find that the American White Pelican is 15.5 times longer, has a 15.5 times greater wingspan, and is 1,250 times heavier than a Golden-crowned Kinglet. The trees around here may be full of kinglets right now, but the little birds sure are hard to see. However, get within a quarter mile of a pelican, and you can't miss it.

Bird Devotional 62

American Bittern by Paul O. Roisen

American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus

“Hidden among the reeds in the marsh.” Job 40:21

Every birder remembers the day in which he or she became irreversibly hooked on the hobby. I mark May 1, 2004 as the day it happened to me. My son, Daniel, and I responded to an advertisement for a bird outing held by the local Audubon chapter. We joined the group in a wetland area at 7:00 A.M. and soon were spotting snipes, sandpipers, plovers and grebes. Suddenly the ornithology professor who was accompanying us shouted, “Look! It’s an American Bittern!” I stared in the direction he was indicating, and finally I saw it standing absolutely still, its form and coloration blending perfectly with the reeds of the marsh. I never would have discovered the bird had it not been for the eyes of the experienced ornithologist. The sighting of that bittern was like a revelation, and I wanted to see what else might be “hidden among the reeds in the marsh.”

The American Bittern is a medium-sized brown heron that inhabits marshy areas across much of North America. During the spring breeding season the male bittern makes a loud, booming call that can be heard for a great distance across the marshland. This call is a deep, throbbing, “oonk-ah-doonk”, and is reminiscent of a greatly amplified recording of the beating of a heart. This incredible, pounding call is often the only evidence of the presence of an American Bittern because of their habit of remaining hidden in the dense vegetation.

Like the bittern hidden in the reeds of a marsh, sometimes the truth of God’s word seems to be hidden from our understanding. The Apostle Paul wrote of this in Colossians 1:25-26, “The word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.” Ask God to reveal His truth to you today and you will hear it as clearly as the song of the bittern booming across the marsh reveals what is “hidden among the reeds.”

Lord, help me to listen for the sound of your voice. Reveal to me the hidden truth of your word. Amen.

This Explains the Cedar Part

Cedar Waxwing with "cedar berry"

Yesterday I encountered a flock of Cedar Waxwings feasting on their namesake food, cedar berries. The problem with that, though, is they are not berries at all, and they are not produced by a cedar tree. The tree, commonly called Rocky Mountain Red Cedar, is actually a juniper, and should be referred to as Rocky Mountain Juniper, Juniper scopulorum. Junipers are conifers, and they produce cones, not berries. Therefore, to be absolutely precise, you would have to say that the Cedar Waxwing pictured here is holding a juniper "cone." I don't know...berry just sounds more appetizing to me. I usually call them juniper berries as a compromise. Whatever you call them, the Cedar Waxwings were devouring them yesterday.

Looking for Bugs

Western Meadowlark Looking for Bugs

I watched this Western Meadowlark standing on a fence post and searching for prey like a small, pointy-billed raptor. It eventually hopped down and caught an insect, so I guess this bird knew what it was doing.

April the 8th

It's April 8, 2010, and that means it is the 51st anniversary of a day I will never forget. A year ago today I told the story on this blog, so click here to revisit that day with me. Baseball today...more birds tomorrow, I promise.

Whoopers

Two Whooping Cranes flying in to join the other nine

The eleven Whooping Cranes I wrote about yesterday could not have appeared at a better place and time. I heard about them from a friend the night before, and realized I would be in that vicinity the next day. They were located just two miles off the highway I was planning to travel yesterday morning on my way to a business engagement. So even though they were about 140 miles from my house, seeing them involved only a 4 mile detour. ELEVEN Whooping Cranes! I still can't believe it.

Three of the eleven Whooping Cranes

Whooping Cranes!

Eleven Whooping Cranes

Pictured above are eleven Whooping Cranes I observed this morning in south central South Dakota. These Whooping Cranes spent the winter in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, and are on their way to the breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada. The world population of Whooping Cranes had declined to only 15 birds in 1941. Today there are approximately 384 Whooping Cranes in the wild, with another 152 birds in captivity in various zoos and research facilities. That means that the eleven whoopers in this photo are nearly three per cent of the world's wild Whooping Cranes. Amazing!

Gyrfalcon

Immature Gyrfalcon flying over Fort Pierre National Grasslands

Late yesterday afternoon I saw an immature Gyrfalcon a few miles south of Pierre. Gyrfalcons, the largest members of the falcon family, commonly spend the winter in central South Dakota. An immature Gyrfalcon (presumably this same bird) has been seen for several months in nearly the exact spot I found the bird yesterday. I saw it perched on a fence post, but before I could raise my camera to take a picture, it flew. I did manage the above photo of the bird in flight. You can see a few identifying characteristics: long tail, fairly uniform gray-brown coloration, heavy body, and typical falcon wings. Wintering Gyrfalcons feed on waterfowl in the late fall and early spring, but most of their diet consists of Sharp-tailed Grouse, Prairie Chickens, and Ring-necked Pheasants.

Bird Devotional 61

Rooster by Paul O. Roisen

Red Jungle Fowl, Gallus gallus gallus

“Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. ” Luke 22:34

The most abundant bird in the world today is the domestic chicken. First domesticated in India in 3200 B.C., the bird’s ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl, is still found in forested areas of southeast Asia. The domestication of the chicken has also led to an amazing number of varieties, two of which, Delaware blue hen and Rhode Island red, are state birds. The original popularity of the chicken was more for cockfighting than it was for use as food, and at first they were bred for their fighting capabilities. Selective breeding of chickens for high quality meat and eggs came later.

The crowing of a rooster has been a familiar part of human life for thousands of years. It is a metaphor of the everyday ritual of waking up and getting ready for the day. The rooster’s “cock-a-doodle-doo” has become symbolic of all things rural, quaint or old-fashioned. To Christians, the crowing of a rooster brings to mind the story of Peter on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter boldly told Jesus, “I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). Jesus, knowing what was to come, responded by informing Peter, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three time that you know me” (Luke 22:34). Later that night, Peter did deny Jesus three times, and after the third denial, “Immediately a rooster crowed” (Matthew 26:74). If we are honest, most of us can relate to Peter. In a time of great stress and uncertainty he succumbed to the common human tendency to protect oneself. In Peter’s weakness, however, there was hope. Later in his life he wrote, “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 4:13) and “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16). Oh, that we would learn a lesson from Peter, and not be ashamed to bear the name of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, I ask for forgiveness for the times I have denied you. I thank you for the crowing of the rooster that reminds me of my need to acknowledge you as the central focus of my life. Amen.

Playing on the Prairie

Antelope at play

I grew up in an area east of the range of the pronghorn antelope, so it was always a treat to see these creatures when traveling in the west. Now I live in an area that is home to antelopes, but it is still an unexpected thrill when one appears while I am out looking for birds. This one crossed the road right in front of me last week.

Singing on a Sign

Western Meadowlark singing on a sign at Big Bend Dam

Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doooooo

I'm singing on a sign
Just singing on a sign
What a glorious feeling
I'm doing just fine
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love

No April Fool's Joke

Cooper's Hawk and dead Eurasian Collared-Dove

Right after supper tonight I was out on my deck when I heard a terrible squawk coming from the yard below. I ran over to the edge of the railing just in time to see a Cooper's Hawk trouncing a poor Eurasian Collared-Dove. I ran inside to get my camera, and took a number of photographs before the hawk flew off with its prize. April Fool's Day turned out not to be so funny for this particular dove.