Also see the PHOTO GALLERY following the summary
__________
BLACK HILLS - BADLANDS - WESTERN DAKOTAS MBWEEK
June 15 - 22, 2019
I can’t recall for sure, but it certainly seemed like we saw at least some rain on each day of this MBWeek, although it never really interfered that much with our birding. Windy days weren’t much of a problem either, which is pretty remarkable given that wind is so characteristic out on the Great Plains. And the high temperatures thoughout the trip were mercifully on the moderate and cool side without anything much above 80 and nothing in the 90s. So, we had no meteorological excuses to fall back on if the birding hadn’t gone all that well.
But our week was indeed successful as we turned up no fewer than 179 species in all, with 31 of these “non-Minnesota” birds (see list below). Among these, eight have never been recorded here (Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Red-naped Sapsucker, Dusky and Cordilleran flycatchers, Plumbeous Vireo, Pinyon Jay, Pacific Wren, Virginia’s Warbler), and about the same number have only been seen a time or two ever before in MN (Common Poorwill, White-throated Swift, Violet-green Swallow, Pygmy Nuthatch, American Dipper, Brewer’s Sparrow, MacGillivray’s Warbler). In addition, we saw at least a couple dozen more which at best are only rare-Regular or Casual in our state. Consider as well that virtually all of our total represents species within their nesting ranges – there were no migrants to enhance our lofty trip total (just a handful of summering Snow Geese).
True, there were some disappointments as we were unable to come up with any sage-grouse or McCown’s in ND, but you can’t really call these “misses” since eBird shows there was only one sage-grouse report in the Dakotas in 2019 (one lone bird in April in Harding County, SD) and no reports at all of the longspur. But I guess I’d have to classify the Canyon Wren and Cassin’s Finch as missed, and we never did officially list Prairie Falcon – though the unidentified falcon circling over Hell Canyon was probably this species. It was disappointing, too, that the Clark’s Nutcracker and Virginia’s Warbler were heard-only, that the Pygmy Nuthatch was only seen by a few of you, and it sure would have been nice if more than those lucky four in the Martin car could have seen that quite unexpected Pinyon Jay (there have been no other eBird reports in the Dakotas in 2019!).
But I would say that all of our highlights easily outweighed the few birds we missed. Some of these favorites in South Dakota would include: that amazingly visible Common Poorwill that put on quite an aerial show by the Picnic Springs Campground entrance (the best flight views I’ve ever had); the male Broad-billed Hummingbirds “trilling” along a Hill City side street; Lewis’s Woodpeckers at a nest along Four Mile Draw Rd in Custer State Park; our first good Red-naped Sapsucker views, an unexpected American Three-toed, and Clark’s Nutcrackers calling along the trail to Black Elk Peak; good looks and listens at both Dusky and Cordilleran flycatchers; singing Pacific Wrens, our best MacGillivray’s views, and even another three-toed woodpecker or two at Ward Draw; an American Dipper pair and low-flying White-throated Swifts at Roughlock Falls; and vocal Red Crossbill flocks almost everywhere in the Ponderosa pines (those I recorded at Jewel Cave and Picnic Springs were identified as Type 2).
And on the North Dakota side of the line, I’d consider some of our best finds to be: a very responsive and visible Sprague’s Pipit posing on a Slope County road north of Bowman, both Baird’s and Brewer’s sparrows singing along the Camp Crook Rd (as a Long-billed Curlew tried to distract us from the Baird’s posing on a fence wire), three oriole species (including Bullock’s) nearly simultaneously at Cottonwood Camppground in Teddy Roosevelt Park, and all the additions to our MBWeek list on the last day en route back to Morris (Least Terns and another Piping Plover at Kimball Bottoms near Bismarck; a large nesting colony of Cattle Egrets, White-faced Ibis, and Franklin’s Gulls at DeWald Slough; and nice views of Clark’s Grebes at Eckelson Lake).
Finally, in addition to all the birds we saw, there was an abundance of impressive scenery provided by the rugged Badlands of both Dakotas, the forested canyons and mountains of the Black Hills, and the endless horizons of vast national grasslands. There were even several interesting mammals along the way (see list below) – plus one reptile species which was especially memorable when we heard its rattle at two places.
Itinerary
June 15 – Meet in Morris MN by 8:00 am; drive to Wall SD via Snowy Egret on Hwy 28, Say’s Phoebe on Traverse CR 2, Wilmot Information Center, Aberdeen, Roscoe Lake, and below Oahe Dam (Piping Plover); night in Wall & dinner for most at the Red Rock.
June 16 – Badlands Nat’l Park from Pinnacles Entrance to Ben Reifel Visitor Center & Cliff Shelf Nature Trail, Hwy 44 to Buffalo Gap Nat’l Grassland, Spring Creek Rd to Hermosa, and first of 3 nights at Rockerville Lodge; dinner at The Gaslight.
June 17 – Tepee Gulch pre-breakfast option, Hill City (hummingbirds), Jewel Cave Nat’l Monument, Roby & Boles canyons (heard-only Virginia’s), Hell Canyon, and return to Rockerville via Mt Rushmore; dinner for most at The Gaslight.
June 18 – Tepee Gulch option, Sylvan Lake & Black Elk Peak Trail 9, Custer State Park Wildlife Loop & Four Mile Draw Rd (Lewis’s nest), and return to Rockerville via dinner at Lintz Brothers Pizza.
June 19 – Drive to Hanna Rd via Rapid City and Hwys 44 & 385, Long Draw Rd & Ward Draw (Pacific Wren), Roughlock Falls and Iron Creek in Spearfish Canyon (dippers); drive to Bowman ND for first of 2 nights via Hwy 85 & Picnic Springs Campground (Pinyon Jay for some).
June 20 – Camp Crook Rd & connecting side roads between Marmarth and 4 mi N of SD state line (Baird’s & Brewer’s), incl alleged sage grouse lek & Rhame Prairie; return to Bowman, and picnic dinner for most at Picnic Springs Campground (incl a poorwill display for dessert!).
June 21 – Slope Co grasslands NE of Amidon along 140h Ave (Sprague’s Pipit), Painted Canyon Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Nat’l Park, and drive to Dickinson via Patterson Lake; night in Dickinson & dinner at Los Cabos / El Sombrero.
June 22 – Return to Minnesota via optional stops at Kimball Bottoms S of Bismarck (Least Terns), DeWald Slough in Kidder Co (egrets & ibis), and Eckelson Lake in Barnes Co (Clark’s Grebes); night in Morris or return home.
Bird List
• SD = seen/heard in South Dakota
• ND = seen/heard in North Dakota
• boldfaced species = “non-Minnesota” birds (Casual, Accidental, or absent in MN)
Snow Goose SD,ND
Canada Goose SD,ND
Wood Duck SD
Blue-winged Teal SD,ND
Northern Shoveler SD,ND
Gadwall SD,ND
American Wigeon SD,ND
Mallard SD,ND
Northern Pintail SD,ND
Green-winged Teal SD,ND
Canvasback SD,ND
Redhead SD,ND
Ring-necked Duck SD
Lesser Scaup SD
Bufflehead ND
Hooded Merganser ND
Ruddy Duck SD,ND
Gray Partridge SD
Ring-necked Pheasant SD,ND
Sharp-tailed Grouse SD,ND
Wild Turkey SD,ND
Pied-billed Grebe SD
Red-necked Grebe SD
Eared Grebe SD,ND
Western Grebe SD,ND
Clark’s Grebe ND
Rock Pigeon SD,ND
Eurasian Collared-Dove SD,ND
Mourning Dove SD,ND
Common Nighthawk SD,ND
Common Poorwill SD
Chimney Swift SD
White-throated Swift SD
Broad-tailed Hummingbird SD
Sora SD,ND
American Coot SD,ND
American Avocet SD,ND
Piping Plover SD,ND
Killdeer SD,ND
Upland Sandpiper SD,ND
Long-billed Curlew ND
Marbled Godwit SD,ND
Wilson’s Snipe SD,ND
Spotted Sandpiper SD,ND
Willet SD,ND
Wilson’s Phalarope SD,ND
Franklin’s Gull SD,ND
Ring-billed Gull SD,ND
California Gull SD
Least Tern ND
Caspian Tern SD
Black Tern SD,ND
Forster’s Tern SD,ND
Double-crested Cormorant SD,ND
American White Pelican SD,ND
American Bittern SD
Great Blue Heron SD,ND
Great Egret SD,ND
Snowy Egret ND (also seen in MN)
Cattle Egret ND
Black-crowned Night-Heron ND
White-faced Ibis SD,ND
Turkey Vulture SD,ND
Osprey SD
Golden Eagle SD,ND
Northern Harrier SD,ND
Bald Eagle SD,ND
Swainson’s Hawk SD,ND
Red-tailed Hawk SD,ND
Ferruginous Hawk SD,ND
Great Horned Owl SD,ND
Burrowing Owl SD,ND
Short-eared Owl SD
Belted Kingfisher SD,ND
Lewis's Woodpecker SD
Red-headed Woodpecker SD,ND
Red-naped Sapsucker SD
Am. Three-toed Woodpecker SD
Hairy Woodpecker SD,ND
Northern Flicker SD,ND (both “Red- shafted” & “Yellow-shafted”)
Pileated Woodpecker SD
American Kestrel SD,ND
Peregrine/Prairie falcon, sp. SD
Great Crested Flycatcher SD
Western Kingbird SD,ND
Eastern Kingbird SD,ND
Western Wood-Pewee SD,ND
Least Flycatcher ND
Dusky Flycatcher SD
Cordilleran Flycatcher SD
Say’s Phoebe SD,ND (also seen in MN)
Loggerhead Shrike SD,ND
Plumbeous Vireo SD
Warbling Vireo SD,ND (both Eastern & Western types)
Red-eyed Vireo SD,ND
Canada Jay SD
Pinyon Jay SD
Blue Jay SD
Clark's Nutcracker SD (heard-only)
Black-billed Magpie SD,ND
American Crow SD,ND
Horned Lark SD,ND
Purple Martin ND
Tree Swallow SD
Violet-green Swallow SD
N. Rough-winged Swallow SD
Bank Swallow SD,ND
Cliff Swallow SD,ND
Barn Swallow SD,ND
Black-capped Chickadee SD,ND
Red-breasted Nuthatch SD
White-breasted Nuthatch SD,ND (Western type)
Pygmy Nuthatch SD
Brown Creeper SD
Rock Wren SD
House Wren SD,ND
Pacific Wren SD
Sedge Wren ND
Marsh Wren SD,ND
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher SD
American Dipper SD
Golden-crowned Kinglet SD
Ruby-crowned Kinglet SD
Eastern Bluebird SD
Mountain Bluebird SD,ND
Townsend’s Solitaire SD
Veery SD
Swainson’s Thrush SD
American Robin SD,ND
Gray Catbird SD,ND
Brown Thrasher SD,ND
European Starling SD,ND
Cedar Waxwing SD,ND
House Sparrow SD,ND
Sprague's Pipit ND
House Finch SD,ND
Red Crossbill SD (Type 2; IDs by Matt Young at Cornell)
Pine Siskin SD
American Goldfinch SD,ND
Chestnut-collared Longspur ND
Spotted Towhee SD,ND
Chipping Sparrow SD,ND
Clay-colored Sparrow ND
Brewer's Sparrow ND
Field Sparrow SD,ND
Vesper Sparrow SD,ND
Lark Sparrow SD,ND
Lark Bunting SD,ND
Savannah Sparrow ND
Grasshopper Sparrow SD,ND
Baird's Sparrow ND
LeConte’s Sparrow ND (heard-only)
Song Sparrow SD,ND
Swamp Sparrow ND (heard-only)
Dark-eyed (White-winged) Junco SD
Yellow-breasted Chat SD,ND
Yellow-headed Blackbird SD,ND
Bobolink SD,ND
Western Meadowlark SD,ND
Orchard Oriole SD,ND
Bullock's Oriole ND
Baltimore Oriole ND
Red-winged Blackbird SD,ND
Brown-headed Cowbird SD,ND
Brewer’s Blackbird SD,ND
Common Grackle SD,ND
Ovenbird SD
Virginia's Warbler SD (heard-only)
MacGillivray's Warbler SD
Common Yellowthroat SD,ND
American Redstart SD,ND
Yellow Warbler SD,ND
Yellow-rumped Warbler SD (“Audubon’s” type)
Western Tanager SD
Black-headed Grosbeak SD,ND
Blue Grosbeak SD
Lazuli Bunting SD,ND
Indigo Bunting SD
Dickcissel SD
Significant Others:
Eastern Cottontail
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Fox Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Eastern Chipmunk
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Coyote
White-tailed Deer
Mule Deer
Bison
Bighorn Sheep
Pronghorn
Wild Horse
Prairie Rattlesnake
* * *
PHOTO GALLERY
Clark's Grebe, Eckelson Lake, Barnes County, ND
– Kathrynne Baumtrog photo –
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Hill City, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Rhame Prairie, ND
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Black Elk (formerly Harney) Peak, highest point in SD (7242 feet)
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Badlands National Park, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Pronghorns, Custer State Park, SD
– KRE photo –
Lazuli Bunting, Painted Canyon Visitor Center, ND
– Carla Bates photo –
Black-headed Grosbeak, Black Hills, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Bullock's Oriole, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
– Denny Martin photo –
Baird's Sparrow, near Camp Crook Rd, Bowman County, ND
– KRE photo –
Brewer's Sparrow, Camp Crook Rd, Bowman County, ND
– KRE photo –
Spotted Towhee, Badlands National Park, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Rhame Prairie, Bowman County, ND
– Carla Bates photo –
Sprague's Pipit, 140th Ave, Slope County, ND
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
American Dipper, Roughlock Falls, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Red-naped Sapsucker, Black Elk Peak Trail 9, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Lewis's Woodpecker, Four Mile Draw, Custer State Park, SD
– Denny Martin photo –
Cordilleran Flycatcher, Black Hills, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Western Tanager, Black Hills, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
Bighorn Sheep, Badlands National Park, SD
– Roy Zimmerman photo –
