The Stilling Basin

The Stilling Basin below Oahe Dam

Last week the Army Corps of Engineers released a lot of water through the stilling basin at Oahe Dam. These releases of water sent lots of fish through the tubes, and hundreds of gulls came to enjoy a feast.

A first winter Ring-billed Gull squawks at two Franklin's Gulls

Franklin's Gulls above the foam of the Stilling Basin

This photo of Franklin's Gulls shows the pink tinged undersides that are distinctive of this species.

Seeing Stars

European Starling in winter plumage

Today I came across this European Starling sporting its fresh winter plumage. It is when these birds are in winter attire that we can see how they got their name, starling, which means "flecked with little stars."

Say What?

Mourning Dove along the Missouri River

Do these signs confuse you as much as they do me? How in the world can you obey the first sign, that proclaims, "Park Cars Here," if you also obey the second sign that says "No Motor Vehicles?" I asked this Mourning Dove what he thought, but he was just as confused as I was.

Scarecrow

Best-in-Show Scarecrow

My sister and her neighbor made this scarecrow that won Best-in-Show at the annual Scarecrow Festival in Akron, Iowa this weekend. A few weeks ago she had asked me to help her come up with a slogan to put on the sign the scarecrow is holding. I told her that if I were a wooden scarecrow, I would be much more concerned about scaring woodpeckers than scaring crows. So she took my idea and used it to win Best-in-Show. I guess that's what little brothers are for: help make the big sister look good.

Elk Mountain

Elk Mountain

Elk Mountain lies in extreme western South Dakota. In fact, the gravel road to the summit passes through Wyoming before you cross back into South Dakota near the top. The reason I wanted to drive to the top of Elk Mountain last week was to see Lewis's Woodpeckers. These woodpeckers make use of the many dead trees that are reminders of a fire on Elk Mountain a number of years ago. The fire tower on Elk Mountain is still in use.

Lewis's Woodpecker on dead Ponderosa Pine

The fire tower atop Elk Mountain

Vanguard of the Sparrows

LeConte's Sparrow

The sparrow migration in central South Dakota starts around the 20th of September and continues through the middle of October. This morning I was out in the country looking for some sparrows and found this cute little LeConte's Sparrow perched on a barbed wire fence. Hopefully, this bird is the vanguard of large numbers of its kind that will be coming through here in the next few weeks.

Wind Cave Trail

The Wind Cave Canyon Trailhead

Wind Cave Canyon Trail is located, of course, in Wind Cave National Park. The trail takes you into a wonderful canyon that is a very good place to see birds. While there last week, I saw Spotted Towhees by the dozens, and both Rock Wrens and Canyon Wrens.

Entrance to Wind Cave National Park

Harney Peak

Sign at Harney Peak trailhead

While out in the Black Hills last week, I went for a hike up the trail toward Harney Peak. Harney Peak is the highest point in South Dakota, and in fact is the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees Mountains of Europe. I have hiked up to the top of Harney Peak twice before in my life, but this time I only went about half way up. At the overlook where I turned around, I did have a good view of Harney Peak as you can see below.

Harney Peak, highest point in South Dakota

While on the trail, I saw three distant Gray Jays and two Red-naped Sapsuckers, the first of those species I have seen this year.

Old stone fire tower on Harney Peak

This photo shows the fire tower at the top of Harney Peak. The stone tower was built in the 1930s, and was in use until 1967. Just to the left of the tower, a soaring Turkey Vulture is visible.

Bully Vulture

Turkey Vulture

"I've had it with all those mammals that have been showing up on this site lately. This is Ask the BIRDS, you know. So we birds are going to take this place back from those dumb ol' fur backs. Rest assured folks, we vultures will keep those mammals out of here for the foreseeable future."

Deer One

White-tailed Deer in Custer State Park

Three deer were grazing in this picnic area in Custer State Park last week. They weren't at all afraid of me until I lifted up my camera. At that moment the other two fled, leaving this one behind to have its photograph taken. So does that make this deer the brave one or the foolish one?

Least But Not Last

Least Chipmunk

The Least Chipmunk is one of the smallest of the 22 species of chipmunks found in North America. This little fellow was waiting to greet me when I hiked the trail through Hell Canyon in the western Black Hills last week.

Acting Squirrelly

Red Squirrel in Custer State Park

Red Squirrels inhabit forested areas in the northeastern U.S., Canada, and the Rocky Mountains. Since I live in the heart of the Great Plains, I don't encounter these squirrels unless I am traveling. Red Squirrels are quite noisy, but I had never paid much attention to their chattering until last week out in the Black Hills. I was walking along Grace Coolidge Creek in Custer State Park when I distinctly heard a Belted Kingfisher. I made a quick notation in my book, and started scanning the trees to find the bird. I never did see a kingfisher, but what I did find was this little Red Squirrel that was chattering away with an almost perfect imitation of a kingfisher's rattling call. I erased the note regarding the "Belted Kingfisher," and will be much more careful in the future when listening to kingfishers in Red Squirrel country.

Wind Cave Pronghorn

Pronghorn Antelope in Wind Cave National Park

As I was driving through Wind Cave National Park, this pronghorn was standing in the middle of the road. As I approached, it ran over to the side of the road and stopped to look back at me as if it wanted me to take its picture. I obliged.

Mother and Child

Female American Bison with calf

I saw some interesting birds while out in the Black Hills last week. However, most of the photographs I took were of mammals. Today we will look at some of those mammals. South Dakota's Black Hills is the home of a good number of American Bison. I found this female nursing her calf in Wind Cave National Park.

Bird Seed Birthday

Some of my birthday presents!

It's been a while since I posted on this blog. I have two excuses: First, I celebrated a birthday with two parties 300 miles apart--one of them a surprise party organized by my sister. Second, I took a trip out to the Black Hills for a few days last week. Stories from the Black Hills trip will be coming up later this week. One of the best things about my surprise birthday party (and it really was a surprise-- I had no idea!) was that my sister asked guests to bring a bag of bird food in lieu of any other type of present. I thought that was a great idea. You might want to try it next time you throw a party.

Bird Devotional 81

Winter Wren

(Photo by Paul O. Roisen)

Winter Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes

“Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter.”

1 Corinthians 16:6

The Winter Wren is a tiny, brown bird with a stubby, short tail which is often raised vertically over its back. They are the smallest of the nine wren species found in North America. Winter Wrens breed across southern Canada and migrate to the southeastern United States to spend the winter. In the eastern Great Plains, where I live, they are usually present only during migration. Some winters, though, we are fortunate enough to find a few hardy individuals that manage to survive along damp, shady stream banks if there is a trickle of open water.

In today’s passage the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his upcoming visit to Corinth: “Perhaps I will stay with you a while or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits” (1 Corinthians 16:6-7). Paul was writing from Ephesus and was preparing to set out on a journey that would take him to Macedonia and Corinth. Note the two reasons he wanted to see the people of Corinth. First, he wanted to afford the people the opportunity to help him on his journey. This was not a selfish desire; it was the same desire he had for the people of Philippi: “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (Philippians 4:17). The second reason is that he simply wanted to spend time with the people. As he later wrote to the Corinthians: “I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you” (2 Corinthians 12:14). Simply put, Paul wanted a personal, loving relationship with his fellow believers. As the writer of Hebrews stated, “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25). Let us not be “Lone Ranger” Christians, but spend time with one another in Christian love.

Father, help me to reach out to my fellow believers, and to be an encouragement to others in Christian love. Amen.

Baby Pied-Billeds

Juvenile Pied-billed Grebes

I recently found two juvenile Pied-billed Grebes that still showed their very decoratively striped faces. They are quite attractive young birds, wouldn't you say?

Young Pied-billed Grebe shows off its striped face

Grouse on Hay

Sharp-tailed Grouse on a large bale of hay

Yesterday morning I drove past this group of Sharp-tailed Grouse standing on a round bale of hay right next to the highway. There are two closely related birds that live out in the grasslands in central South Dakota, the Sharp-tailed Grouse and the Greater Prairie-Chicken. The two species are very similar in appearance. The best way to differentiate them is by looking at the undersides of the birds. The Greater Prairie-Chicken has an underside covered with dark, horizontal barring. The Sharp-tailed Grouse has a lighter underside that is covered with fine, chevron-shaped spots.

Tern Talk

Forster's Tern "chats" with a Ring-billed Gull

"...so we left Manitoba last week and we're on our way to the Gulf of Mexico for the winter. It's really nice down there-- beautiful beaches-- clear water-- it's great."

A Pod and a Squabble

A pod of American White Pelicans & a squabble of Franklin's Gulls

These fine groups of American White Pelicans and Franklin's Gulls were resting in a parking lot below Oahe Dam yesterday. I looked up collective nouns for pelicans and gulls, and this is what I found. For pelicans: pod, pouch, brief, squadron or scoop. For gulls: squabble, colony, screech, flotilla or scavenging. Those are some pretty good choices, but I think I'm going with pod of pelicans and squabble of gulls. What are your favorites?