#1 Birding Moment of 2011

Snowy Owl on highway exit sign along Interstate 90 on December 20, 2011

My number 1 birding moment of 2011 occurred at precisely 4:38 P.M. on December 20th near the town of Draper in central South Dakota. I was driving along I-90 at 75 MPH (for you easterners and city slickers, that is the posted speed limit out here!) when I saw a white bump atop the highway exit sign up ahead. As each second passed I was getting my hopes up, and quickly checking the traffic behind me, I put on my brakes and pulled over to the shoulder. I took the photograph above through the windshield of my car, and then confirming my suspicions that it was indeed a Snowy Owl, I slowly drove forward to see if I could get a closer shot out of the side window. 

Snowy Owl eyeing the photographer warily

When I stopped the car right next to the sign and rolled down the window, I could see that the owl was still there. I began snapping photographs furiously, and the only movements from the owl were a few rotations of its head as it studied its surroundings. Parking on the shoulder of an interstate highway, even in rural South Dakota, is not the safest thing to be doing, so I knew I had to be quick. After less than two minutes I put the camera down, checked for traffic, and got back on the road. During the entire time, not a single vehicle had gone by! I had seen Snowy Owls on three previous occasions in my life, and I saw another one this year on the day after Christmas. All those other observations, however, had been at distances between 200 and 500 yards and did not satisfy my itch to see one of these magnificent creatures up close. On December 20th, for around 100 seconds, that itch got scratched!



Snowy Owl

The winter of 2011-2012 has developed into a Snowy Owl invasion year of epic proportions. Natural history experts say you have to go back to 1955 to find records of anything close to the numbers of Snowy Owls we are seeing this winter. The reports of Snowy Owls in South Dakota and neighboring states are simply staggering. One man reported counting 37 different Snowy Owls in one day in the southeastern part of South Dakota last week. Another person saw 8 Snowy Owls at one time. Such reports are mind-boggling to those of us who have searched and searched for years to find even one or two of these arctic hunters. There are two reasons for this surge of Snowy Owls here in the United States this year. First, there is evidence that the population of lemmings on the northern tundra has suffered an extreme population crash. In addition, the Snowy Owl population seems to have surged due to higher than normal nesting success last summer. Put those two things together: large numbers of Snowy Owls and low numbers of their primary food source, and something has to give. The result is that Snowy Owls move south to find food. Here in South Dakota they will find places with good numbers of mice and voles. When the owls find productive hunting sites, they will stay there until the food runs out. All this makes for exciting times for birdwatchers. It provided me with my Number 1 Birding Moment of 2011.

#2 Birding Moment of 2011

Baird's Sparrow in the grasslands

It was May 14th and I was attending the spring meeting of the South Dakota Ornithologists' Union in Lemmon, South Dakota. The weather, however, was anything but spring-like. We awoke that morning to a temperature of 33 degrees, gale force winds, and light rain. I had signed up for a field trip that would take us out into the Grand River National Grasslands in search of the Baird's Sparrow. These elusive little sparrows are not really rare... it's just that their range is limited to a small portion of grasslands in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and the prairie provinces of Canada. Birders come from all over the world to this remote part of the Great Plains to add Baird's Sparrow to their life lists. We drove out to the grasslands, hoping the weather would relent. It did not. We got out of the cars and began walking in the tall, wet grass. We tried listening for the male Baird's Sparrow's distinctive song over the sound of the wind, but it was nearly impossible. We walked back and forth, up hill and down hill. Several times I was tempted to head back to the warmth of the car, but I kept going. Life birds aren't supposed to be easy! Finally, someone in the group signaled that he had found one. We all made our way to the spot, and were rewarded with good views of a Baird's Sparrow singing in the rain. I was soaked to the gills, my binoculars were fogged over, and my camera was dripping wet. I managed to snap the photographs you see here, and I was amazed they turned out this well! I have never in my life worked so hard to find a new bird. No wonder it is the 2nd most memorable birding moment of the year! Here is the blog I wrote about Mr. Baird's Sparrow.



Baird's Sparrow



#3 Birding Moment of 2011

Barred Owl

My third most memorable birding moment of the year happened just three weeks ago today. On December 8th I was going for a walk in a wooded area along a creek at Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City, Missouri. When I am looking for birds in the woods, I like to stop every hundred yards or so, and just listen and watch for movement in the trees. On this particular morning I stopped deep in the woods and had the peculiar feeling that I was being watched. I looked across the creek, and a pair of eyes was staring back at me. It was a Barred Owl. I quickly snapped a few pictures, and then decided to see if I could get closer. I walked over to the creek bank and looked down. The bank was gently sloping and there were only thin rivulets of water with plenty of rocks. So, down the bank I went. I took a few more pictures from the stream bed, and then decided I should climb to the other side of the creek. I made it to the top of the bank, and at that point my view of the owl was blocked by a tangled thicket of branches. I literally crawled on my hands and knees to get under those branches. Once I got to an opening, the owl was still staring down at me. I moved slightly to one side so that both the owl's eyes were visible, and snapped the photo below. Then I just gazed up at the beautiful bird for a few minutes. I could sense that these woods belonged to him and not to me, so I retreated and left the Barred Owl in peace. I wrote about this owl experience in the post, Missouri Barred Owl.

Barred Owl

#4 Birding Moment of 2011



Western Tanager

May 29th was the date of my 4th most memorable birding moment of 2011. However, that day did not seem to be going at all well when we checked into our cabin at Custer State Park in South Dakota's Black Hills. A steady drizzle of rain was falling, and instead of the wide covered porch I was expecting, our cabin had only a small covered stoop. After we had all settled into the cabin, I stood on that back step and dreamed of the birds I was missing because of the rain. I began to notice a few Dark-eyed Juncos and Pine Siskins playing in the trees, and I could hear the distant cries of a Red-breasted Nuthatch. But then it happened. All of a sudden a gorgeous orange, yellow and black creature flew in and landed on the utility wire just twenty feet in front of me. A Western Tanager! It was only the third one I had ever seen, and my first in the state of South Dakota. The bird posed for me for at least five minutes, and I managed to take some pretty good photos considering the weather conditions. When I returned home, I posted about it in Birds o' the Hills II. In September, I named the Western Tanager as my 6th favorite bird.

Western Tanager



#5 Birding Moment of 2011

Short-eared Owl

My 5th most memorable birding moment of 2011 happened on February 8th. While driving along the divided four lane section of U.S. Highway 83 south of Fort Pierre, I spotted a dark form on the shoulder of the roadway up ahead. As I passed the form, I recognized that it was a Short-eared Owl. I turned around at the next median cross-over, and when I drove back, the owl was still there. I pulled up right next to the owl and snapped a number of pictures. The fading light of late afternoon gave the photographs a nice warm glow. The namesake ear tufts of a Short-eared Owl are not always visible, but this bird held its feathery tufts in a semi erect position, making them quite distinct. I wrote a blogpost that night titled, "This Bird Has Ears."

#6 Birding Moment of 2011

Iceland Gull

My number six birding moment of 2011 occurred on January 17th. I had the day off because of Martin Luther King Day, and I went out to Oahe Dam to look for the Iceland Gull that had been reported out there. This bird would be number 368 on my life list, and I was determined to find it. After considerable difficulty, I was finally able to locate the Iceland Gull among all the other gulls flying over the tailrace. I managed to get a grainy but identifiable picture of the bird flying, and later I wrote this account of that day's adventure.

Merry Christmas from the Capital City

Christmas tree in the South Dakota State Capitol Rotunda
Decorated by Melvin's Flower Shop

 

"Snowy Owl" ornament



Christmas in Pierre, the capital city of South Dakota, means Christmas trees in the State Capitol Building. For many years people from all over the state have decorated Christmas trees in the rotunda and corridors of our capitol building every December. We took some out-of-town guests to see those trees earlier this week. There were scores of trees of incredible beauty, but the one that caught my eye is the one pictured above. It was an "owl tree," adorned with dozens of ornaments depicting what looked like Snowy Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls.   

"Northern Saw-whet Owl" ornament

Looking at those little owl ornaments on that tree, and later holding some similar ornaments given me by my family, I thought about the story of "The Man and the Birds." It is the modern parable that the late radio personality, Paul Harvey, would share on his program every Christmas Eve. Even though Mr. Harvey is now gone, we can still listen to his marvelous voice telling this wonderful story. Here is a link to my Christmas Day post from last year with a link to Paul Harvey reading, "The Man and the Birds." Listen to it with me now. And have a very Blessed Christmas!  

#7 Birding Moment of 2011

Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis

The number seven birding moment for me this year was February 22nd. It was 5:10 in the afternoon, and I was returning home from a business matter in southern South Dakota. As I turned off Interstate 90 at exit 212 and came to a stop, I saw a bird on a post less than a hundred yards to my right. So, instead of turning left toward Pierre, I turned right, and stopped directly in front of a beautiful Ferruginous Hawk. I had seen these splendid birds many times from a distance, but I had never been this close to one! I grabbed my camera and began snapping photos. When my photographer's itch was satisfied, I just sat back and simply enjoyed the bird. The regal hawk never moved. The warm sun of late afternoon made shadows in the snowy field behind the bird, and the rust-colored feathers of the hawk almost seemed to glow. Finally, I decided to leave the bird alone, and drove the final 35 miles to my house. Later that evening I wrote this blog post.   



Buteo regalis... yes, a very regal bird!



#8 Birding Moment of 2011

Sabine's Gull

Number 8 on my list of top birding moments of 2011 is September 25th. It was my first trip to the Oahe Dam Stilling Basin since the waters had begun to recede after the Great Flood last summer. I was searching for two rare gulls that friends of mine had seen there the previous day. It took me considerable time and trouble (what good adventures don't take time and trouble?) but eventually, I did spot both a Little Gull and a Sabine's Gull. I had seen each of these gulls once before in my life, but spotting them both at the same time was a real thrill. Both Sabine's Gull and Little Gull breed in the far northern Arctic, and winter on the coasts. They ordinarily do not visit South Dakota, but every once in a while birds do stray from their normal migration routes, and we get to see them in unusual places. Here is the story I wrote about my gulling trip that day.  



Little Gull

#9 Birding Moment of 2011

Immature Great-Black-backed Gull

I had my Number Nine Birding Moment of the Year on November 9th, just a mile from my house. Other birders had seen an immature Great Black-backed Gull on Discovery Island, just downstream from the Missouri River Bridge in Pierre. I went down there that morning to have a look for myself. Observing birds on Discovery Island is not as easy as it was previously. Since the Great Missouri River Flood of 2011, the old parking area by the boat ramp is closed (partially washed away is a more accurate description). Whereas I used to just watch birds from my car, now I have to walk from a more distant parking area. It was worth the trouble, however, as I got to observe a bird that had no business being there. Great Black-backed Gulls are birds of the Atlantic Coast, and are rarely seen inland. They are the largest of all the gulls, measuring 30 inches in length. Compare this one to the Canada Geese in the photo below, and you can get an idea of just how big this bird is. This is the blog I wrote about my experience. A Great Black-backed Gull in Pierre on November 9th... my Number 9 Birding Moment of 2011. 

Immature Great Black-backed Gull with Canada Geese

#10 Birding Moment of 2011

Prothonotary Warbler, August 27, 2011

Today I'm going to start my annual count-down of my Top Ten Birding Moments of the Year. Number 10 was August 27, 2011 at Effigy Mounds National Monument along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa. I was on an Iowa Ornithologists' Union field trip, and we were looking for Prothonotary Warblers. We found one of the little yellow songbirds in a wooded swamp in a river bottom forest. I blogged about the experience in a post called A Walk in the Woods. Prothonotaries are rare birds in South Dakota, and I had only seen them once before, so chasing this small yellow bird through an Iowa swamp was quite a treat, and my number 10 birding adventure of the year.

Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl

This winter is shaping up to be a Snowy Owl invasion year of historic proportions. Snowy Owls are being reported from all over the country in numbers that are simply unprecedented. I had been wanting to write about this phenomenon, but I delayed doing so for one very important reason: I HAD NOT SEEN ANY SNOWY OWLS MYSELF! Well, that all changed today when I found one of these beautiful creatures perched on a highway sign along an interstate highway in central South Dakota. I pulled off the road right next to the owl and snapped some photos. The bird remained on that sign the entire time I was there. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to observe more Snowy Owls before the winter is over, and I will write about these birds in more detail sometime in the future. For now I simply want to challenge all of you to keep your eyes open for Snowy Owls. They're out there!

1 Duck, 2 Duck, 3 Duck, 4 Duck

Common Goldeneye drake



Wood Duck hen and drake



There were plenty of ducks on last Saturday's Pierre Christmas Bird Count. Due to Pierre's location just below giant Oahe Dam, there is always some open water in the area. This year, because of our relatively mild autumn, we have even more open water than usual. I saw eight species of ducks, including the four shown here. Ten Common Goldeneyes were swimming and diving for fish in my assigned unit around the Legion Club Beach and Steamboat Park. On Capitol Lake on the State Capitol grounds were the usual four pairs of Wood Ducks.



Mallard hen with two drakes

There are thousands of Mallards here for the winter, but I didn't have to count each one. The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department aerial survey takes care of that for us. I did stop though, and watch these three Mallards cavorting in the swift-moving water of Capitol Creek just below the State Capitol complex. Later, I saw a group of eight Hooded Mergansers swimming around on Capitol Lake. However, I could only get half of them to pose for the family portrait below. Don't you just love the frizzy, red hair styles of the three females? I always call Hooded Merganser hens, "red-haired floozies."



Hooded Mergansers, drake in center, with three hens

The CBC in the Morning

Sunrise on the Missouri River, Pierre, South Dakota, December 17, 2011



Herring Gull at Legion Club Beach



I rose early for the Pierre Christmas Bird Count on Saturday. I did a little owling in my assigned area, and found 4 Great Horned Owls. Then, after walking 2 miles through the woods along the Missouri River, I beheld the sunrise pictured above. I paused briefly at the edge of the water, knowing the ephemeral beauty of a sunrise would soon yield to the light of early morning, and the sounds of birds in the trees. On the two mile walk back to my car, I found most of the usual woodland birds, and then headed to the Legion Club Beach to search for gulls. 



Pine Siskins at my feeder

I saw the Herring Gull pictured above at the Legion Club Beach in downtown Pierre, and then saw dozens of Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls on Discovery Island near the highway bridge. I went back to the house for lunch, and was greeted by a little band of Pine Siskins at my backyard feeders. Four Ring-necked Pheasant hens were hiding in the bushes next to our house, so I counted them before heading back out again. Oddly, those were the only birds I saw at my house at noon: Pheasants and Pine Siskins, how odd is that?

Immature Snow Goose (center) with Canada Geese on Capitol Lake

There are tens of thousands of Canada Geese wintering in the Pierre area. Thankfully, we don't have to count them on the Christmas Bird Count. The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department does that on a weekly basis through aerial surveys, so we just use that information. It is always a good idea, however, to sort through the Canada Geese to see if something is hiding amid the flock. I did that on Saturday and discovered this immature Snow Goose swimming on Capitol Lake with hundreds and hundreds of Canada Geese. So I counted him: Snow Goose, 1.

Counting to 1 is Easy

American Black Duck

Counting birds can seem like an intimidating task at first. The first thing you learn is not to count the same bird twice. If you are counting birds at your feeder, only report the highest number of chickadees seen at any one time. That way you avoid counting the same bird over and over when it returns to your feeder. The second thing you learn when counting birds is the value of estimating. If you see a large flock of birds, and counting each individual is not practical, just make an intelligent estimate. I do that by counting a small section until I get to 10 or 25, and then estimate how many such groups there are in the whole flock.



Green-winged Teal, female

Most of the time, however, counting birds is not that difficult. Yesterday I saw two Brown Creepers chasing each other around in some trees. Those were the only Brown Creepers I saw all day, so it was easy to write down, "2 Brown Creepers." Even easier was counting the American Black Duck that has been spending the winter on Capitol Lake, and the female Green-winged Teal that is wintering with some Mallards on Capitol Creek. Those two are the only birds of their species in the entire area this winter, so counting them was easy. It's pretty easy to count to 1!

Counting Birds



Bald Eagle waiting to be counted on the Pierre Christmas Bird Count

We completed the 42nd annual Pierre Christmas Bird Count today. The weather was fantastic, and we ended up with 86 species, shattering the old record of 80 which was set just last year. I did pretty well myself, with a total of 40 species for the day, including the handsome Bald Eagle shown above. Over the next few days I'll share some pictures and stories of the birds I observed.

What's a CBC?

Entrance to Isaac Walton League property in Pierre

What's a CBC? Why Christmas Bird Count, of course. For the past 112 years the National Audubon Society has sponsored this citizen science survey to chronicle the bird populations during the early winter.

CBCs are held in communities all over the world from December 14 through January 5 each year. The idea is to record numbers of different bird species within a 15 mile diameter circle. Volunteers spend the day counting birds in their assigned areas within that circle.



The Lewis and Clark Trail in Pierre



Tomorrow is the day for the CBC here in Pierre. My assigned area includes the Isaac Walton League property, Griffin Park, Steamboat Park, and a large section of the Lewis and Clark Trail. This area includes shoreline of the Missouri River and an extensive bottomland forest. Since it is supposed to be 45 degrees and sunny, I am looking forward to being outside and looking for birds. Check back in the next few days and I will let you know about my experience.

Southern Birds

Carolina Wren

One of the nice things about traveling to different parts of the country is that you get to find birds you cannot see back home. The Carolina Wren and Tufted Titmouse are very common birds in Missouri... I saw them in several locations in that state last week. However, those two birds are very rarely encountered in my home state of South Dakota. Although they are not strictly southern birds, both the Carolina Wren and Tufted Titmouse have normal ranges that extend no farther north than southern Iowa and southern Nebraska. To a northern boy like me, that seems almost like the deep south! They may not be the exact equivalent of grits and black-eyed peas, but Carolina Wrens and Tufted Titmice have always been my idea of true southern birds.



Tufted Titmouse

Missouri Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker

I found five species of woodpeckers while taking a few walks through woods in the state of Missouri last week. I could not get the Red-headed Woodpecker or Hairy Woodpecker to sit still long enough to get decent photos. These three, however, were quite patient with me and sat still during their photo sessions!



Red-bellied Woodpecker

The only Missouri woodpeckers I was not able to find were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Pileated Woodpecker. I guess I need to go back there sometime and take some more hikes through the forest!



Downy Woodpecker

Missouri Barred Owl

Barred Owl hiding in the trees

I visited the state of Missouri last week, and I took some time to get out and look at the local birds. On one walk through the woods I encountered the Barred Owl you see here. The first photo I shot was at quite a distance. However, the owl seemed fairly unperturbed by my presence so I decided to approach more closely. After crossing a creek and crawling through some tangled bushes, I got fairly close to the bird and got some nice photos.



Barred Owl

Z is for Zenaida

Zenaida macroura (Mourning Dove)

Our final letter of the alphabet, Z, is represented by two doves of the genus, Zenaida: Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura and White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica. The Mourning Dove is more widespread, being found throughout North America. The range of the White-winged Dove is limited to the southwestern United States and Mexico. Both these birds are tolerant of humans, and are often found in suburban neighborhoods.

Zenaida asiatica (White-winged dove)

Y is for Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

The Lesser Yellowlegs has been chosen to bring us the letter Y. As you can see in this photo, even when a Lesser Yellowlegs is knee-deep in water, its yellow legs are a very prominent feature. The Lesser Yellowlegs is a very common sight in flooded fields and marshes throughout North America during the spring and fall migration.

X is for Xanthocephalus

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Yellow-headed Blackbird)

The letter X comes to us courtesy of Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, which is the Latin name for Yellow-headed Blackbird. You don't think I'm cheating do you? After all, xantho is Latin for yellow and cephalus is Latin for head. Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus... a beautiful bird in any language.

W is for Warbler

Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla

It just seems proper that a warbler be chosen to stand for the letter W. And what better warbler could there be than the one named for the great American ornithologist, Alexander Wilson, who first described the bird in 1811? Wilson's Warblers are said to prefer streamside willow thickets to any other location. That is exactly the habitat in which I photographed this Wilson's Warbler in Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago. Wilson's Warbler in a willow... Wow!

V is for Vulture

Turkey Vulture

I could have chosen Veery, vireo or Verdin... but I think vulture is the best choice for the letter V... don't you agree? I must really like vultures because it seems I write about them every few weeks or so. Just type the word vulture in the search box in the upper right corner of this page. You will be amazed at what you can learn about the wonderful lives of vultures!

U is for Upland Sandpiper

Upland Sandpiper

The letter U comes to us courtesy of the Upland Sandpipers, affectionately known to birders as, "uppies." These particular sandpipers are not birds of low, wet areas like most of their relatives. Instead, they prefer dry grasslands, sometimes referred to as uplands. Since the settlement of the Great Plains in the past 150 years, Upland Sandpipers have developed a great fondness for fence posts. If you are traveling through the vast western grasslands and keep an eye on the fenceposts  you will find lots of Upland Sandpipers. Uppies! Great birds of the Great Plains!

T is for Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

There are plenty of Ts in Tufted Titmouse, so it is a good bird to illustrate the letter T. The word, titmouse, actually means little bird. Tufted Titmice are very rarely seen in South Dakota. I have to go south a few hundred miles before I find these little birds. I spotted this little fellow in Kansas earlier this year.