A Morning Walk In the Park

An important facet of searching for birds is getting a sense of place. I visited this relatively young park, established in 2004, to look for Dickcissel and sparrows. I have been to this park twice before and I know that in summer it is alive with a rich variety of creatures. So what better way to end the month of June than to take a leisurely stroll and get to know a quality place a little better.

When I first visited this Preserve I was a little skeptical. It starts with a walk through a soy bean field. It doesn't get more exciting than that! There is some limited grassy areas and three ponds offering open water and cattail marsh. It is flanked by some woodlots and a lengthy fence row of trees. It is, for the most part, not all that inviting.

But this is why nature is so cool. "Looks" are deceiving and some ordinary places don't look like they deserve attention. The Margaret Peak Preserve is teeming with life and an early summer walk proved this point beyond a shadow of doubt.

I don't think most birders would choose soy bean fields to look for birds but a soy bean field is baren landscape aside from the bean plants. Soy beans don't compete with weeds and other plants very well so farmers herbicide the field and leave it all to the beans. This ensures a maximum potential for production and it also attracts Vesper Sparrows, Horned Larks, Savannah Sparrows on grassy edges and even Grasshopper Sparrows, all of which were present this morning. There also Song Sparrows and Eastern Towhees at the forest edges and Field Sparrows in the grassy fields.

Dickcissel populations vary widely in central, northern Ohio, common in some years and absent in many. This year there are many Dickcissels in a number of locations around north central a northwestern Ohio. Dickcissels are finches that sing their name....endlessly on territory. While their breeding range varies, many winter in Tobago off the Venezuela coast. I have seen flocks there that darken the sky. As many as 66,000 have been documented wintering in this southern Caribbean island.

In all, a two hour walk produced 40 species of birds. Green Frogs sang constantly and as the day warmed up the Dragonflies increased patrols and were relentlessly pursued by optimistic Cedar Waxwings. It wasn't a particularly great butterfly day but Sulphers, Maonarchs, and Pearl Crescents were about as well.

In an attempt to coax out some songbirds along the forest edge I pished and emulated an Eastern Screech-Owl. It got Field Sparrows going but not much else. After a few minutes after I suspended the owl imitation, a familiar call cascaded from within the lush summer woods. It was an Eastern Screech-owl trying to figure out who this intruder in his realm might be.

I like the Margaret Peak Nature Preserve because it is a friendly reminder to not take too much for granted. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to walk through ordinary places and let its wild things define another beautiful, serendipitous place.

July 1st: Midway and Looking Down The Trail

I am probably the only person in the world that looks at July as a yearly benchmark. But for those of us that value each and every year it is absolutely appropriate to have goals and designated points to measure where one is relative to the year's objectives.

I am very lucky. I'm retired. This is, however, a blessing and a curse. I am not tied to a job so I have to create structure in my life so I can remain a productive part of society. The curse is that there is a lot of pressure because, you don't have an end date to work toward. In fact, I know no one that has, nor wants an end date. Unfortunately, we all have an end date......that part is certain.

So I have a lot to do, in whatever time I have left. I know it's not enough time, and therefore important to use time efficiently and effectively. I don't have a "bucket list". I simply plan to do on my very last day the very thing I try to do every day and that is immerse myself in the natural world. So July 1, 2011 is an important  time to reflect and reorganize.

This has been a very good start to 2011. I took a group to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas in January and we saw lots of  North American and south Texas specialties. I took a group to Southern Ecuador in February and saw some 450 species of birds. I had a great spring birding close to home in Ohio. And my annual trek around America's Heartland was another productive and interesting experience. This is the third best birding year I have ever had and it is only half over.

I need 33 species of birds to pass my second highest annual bird list in 2009: 818 species. My best year was 2004 when I logged 1079 species in what was a truly a momentous experience. It doesn't sound like much of a challenge to add 33 birds to the list. So why the plan?

If I were you, the reader, I would be saying to myself, what is the point of all this gibberish?

Here is the point: The sooner each of us takes control of our lives the more we will get out of life. Life is a gift. What you do with it matters.....a lot. It isn't about bird lists or some competition to be the best. It's about saying in the end "I took my life, its challenges and travails, its opportunities and joys, and embraced life in every way I could."

The moral of this blog, if a blog can have one, is: this year is half over and you've got another half left to make it whole. The opportunities are endless. I'll see 33 more birds. Maybe I'll see many more. It's all in the plan and there's a lot of nowhere to get in the middle of.

Cheers, Happy July First, have a safe and fun July Fourth, and maybe we'll cross paths somewhere in the middle of nowhere!

Reflecting on The Heartland Birding Trip 2011

I hope some of you chose to keep up with my birding trip to the great American west. It takes a day or two to recover from traveling well over 6,000 miles in 19 days. Any way you slice it, I averaged about 325 miles driving each day. Now that I'm settled back into being home I can assess the trip and reflect on how it compares to past trips and perhaps about yet another similar trip next year.

The birding this year was different. Excess water in one form or another certainly effected the birding and the route of the trip. Flooding in virtually every location along the way, and unusually large and low snow pack, seemed to cause birds to be either out of their normal places, or absent all together in some cases. This makes me realize that birds have to make adjustments to adversity in the course of their lives. As if dealing with normal conditions isn't enough of a challenge, they are also at the mercy of extreme elements and conditions.

My trip list totalled 248 species of birds. I think this is about what I would normally average. I missed some birds that I almost always find and there were some surprises. But this is pretty typical. People often seek my advice about where to visit when they travel, and where to find the birds they want to see the most. I am always careful to advise them to bird appropriate and diverse habitats, and in so doing, they will get a pretty good representation of the birds in that destination. Searching for target birds is often a very slippery slope. As soon as you expect to see even common birds you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

I followed my advice and I am pleased with the list of birds I saw. However, I am always disappointed when birds elude me one way or another.

I saw 27 species of mammals this trip including a "lifer", the Red-tailed Squirrel. Finding mammals in the course of birding is a great benefit of observation. Let's face it. You not only can't just watch birds. The rest of the natural world we encounter validates the birding experience. I saw or heard 8 species of reptiles and amphibians and added Red-sided Garter Snake, a new reptile.

I have been accused of being a "naturalist". It is absolutely not true. I have a limited cranial capacity and suffer from an ever-decreasing electrical output in the brain. Naturalists are generalists. They have a great knowledge of the plants animals, insects and everything else living that makes up any natural place. I chose to focus on birds and wildlife and that's about all I can effectively manage. I am working on butterflies, dragonflies, and plants but I'll never be a true naturalist. With that said, I greatly admire any good naturalist and respect their skills and knowledge with great humility.

Experiencing and writing about the middle of nowhere isn't just an activity, it is something that is in my heart, on my mind, and shapes who I am. Whenever and wherever I travel to wild destinations I can't help but draw comparisons between living in a metropolitan area with the remoteness of these places I love. In the last 3 weeks I haven't watched TV, except for the weather channel. I didn't watch any news while I was gone, and I only used the computer to compose my blogs. Since I've been home I am very sensitive to things that normally would just be ordinary.

I notice a very annoying, persistent News Channel 19 helicopter over my house, no doubt seeking out some juicy news story that, in the end, we've all heard before a million times. The news sounds a lot like it did when I left reminding me of the redundency of a day-time soap opera. Sirens are a common sound in Lakewood and I suspect the same in every city across America. Noise is a very real part of the human existence.

I miss the sound of the Western Meadowlark and the scolding of nesting Willets, Marbled Godwits, and Long-billed Curlews. It isn't noise but a necessary communication where their is an intrudor on the prairie. I miss the sound of the wind and the rain. I miss hearing Coyotes calling in the middle of the night. I miss the morning chorus of thrushes in the dimly lit, early mountain morning. The elements in the mddle of nowhere stimulate you whether you want stimulation or not.

Most of all I miss the sound of nothing. Wild places are a great place to focus on the beautiful tangible sights and sounds of nature. It makes you wonder. It makes you think...without distraction. It reminds you of what is most important in life and in nature. It spoils you, gloriously.

Tonight I will fall asleep to talking neighbors, barking dogs and the constant hum of unending freeway traffic. I think the last thing I will remember is thinking about the middle of nowhere.

Iowa In The Slow Lane

I have birded very little in Iowa. The birds are pretty much the same as back home, more or less, and my expectations were not high. None the less, I chose to take the less traveled, scenic, and not so scenic routes across the State west to east to prove myself wrong. In all fareness, it was hot, humid, and windy and not the best birding conditions.

I stopped first at Desoto National Wildlife Refuge that lies just into Iowa in the Missouri River Valley. It is a nice refuge with habitas that represent what the valley was like before it was farmed, irrigated and developed. As you can see from the pictures there was no entry. I spoke to two U.S. Geologic Survey employees who were exiting the gate. I asked them how long the Refuge has been closed and they said three weeks. They then proceeded to tell me that the Refuge will be closed the rest of the summer. It will take at least that long for the water to receed. The damage of standing on the habitats for that long will be devastating.

So it has gone this whole trip, this one being different than all the previous. Almost everywhere I went the story was the same: swollen, raging streams, ponds blossomed into lakes, wetlands where dry prairie grasses once prevailed, rivers that sprawled far beyond the banks, and snow too low and snow too deep. The birds and the birding were affected by the extreme wet conditions.

In a small town a few miles down the Missouri Valley, was "business as usual" like any small town, except every building in town was fortified by thousands of white sandbags. Heavy earth moving equipment scattered around the town were idle now, near many plastic-covered and newly-created levies. Seems the water has made its mark on wildlife and people too.

So I headed on up to higher ground to Prairie Rose State Park, Iowa. this is a place I discovered some years ago. It is close to the Interstate and provides a lake, wetlands and upland habitats typical of the rolling hill country. It wasn't very birdy but I saw many eastern birds here that I have missed since birding the west.

Nebraska transitions from vast Sand Hills to ranches and farmed valleys, irrigated for agriculture. It is, overall, more natural than it is developed. Iowa is just the opposite. The rolling hills are planted with crops far beyond the eye can see, border to border. I am struck by this change. It is almost impossible to imagine man's impact on the American landscape, past and present.

I will write more about why the places I visited are so special and why it is so important to preserve, not only the places, but our natural and wildlife heritage. But I want to pass on an observation that illustrates what I am trying to say. For about the last 13 days my world has been full of sining and calling Meadowlarks, mostly Western Meadowlarks.

The Western Meadowlarks' constant chorus became the baseline of every day's trip. These birds defined my "middle of nowhere" experience far more than I had realized.....until today. I started birding around 8:00 this morning and ended about 6:00 pm. I heard one single singing Eastern Meadowlark the entire day...the entire trip across Iowa. Man and his land management has replaced the meadowlark in the east. And somehow the east will forever be changed. This is why I go to such extremes to seek out wild places.

Tomorrow my tired, weary body will be home but my heart may never return.

Eastward: More Grasslands, Prairie Refuges, and Nebraska Sand Hills

Today's route east from Wind Cave National Park cuts through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. I wanted to see Grasshopper Sparrows again so I took a side road off the main road. It wasn't long until a Grasshopper Sparrow perched up on some grass and sang. Mission accomplished. As I headed back to the main highway I saw a bird flying up the road toward me.  I saw that it was an owl but followed it until it perched behind me on a fence post. It was a Burrowing Owl. This was a bird I couldn't locate in Prairie Dog towns where they often encumber a Prairie Dog hole in which to nest. It was a great way to start the day.

Back on the main road not 200 yards from where I saw the Burrowing Owl, I saw a shape on a cottonwood snag beside a pond. I stopped to take a look and it was a Great Horned Owl. I'm on some sort of roll! Moving on, I traveled through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation not far from the famous Wounded Knee site. I stopped at a stand of cottonwoods and among other things I found a Bell's Vireo, the first of the trip. From here on, throughout the prairies in proper habitat this little vireo will be common.

I couldn't get to LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge because it has only two dirt roads to access the refuge and it was raining. I imagine the roads once were gravel, but that road surface has long disappeared leaving a slick mud road that is worse than a sheet of ice. So I dropped down into Nebraska Route 20 that runs along the State' northern border and through the Sand Hills.

The key to finding birds in the Sand Hills is to understand the birds that utilize the grasslands and those that use the wetlands that provide water in an otherwise desert-like environment. These wet areas are often islands full of birds. I stopped at such a Sand Hill pond and wetland and I wasn't disappointed.

I drove into an almost abandoned road that cut through the wetland and stopped by a stand of willows. The first thing I heard when I got out of the truck was my first Dickcissel of the trip. Other birds there were Western Tanager, Bullock's Oriole, Black Tern, Upland Sandpipers, and Eastern Kingbirds. The real surprise was not one, but two different Blue Grosbeaks perching on different fences in the same area. Are you getting the picture as to why I love this trip?

Another green ribbon or wildlife corridor in this vast dry Sand Hill region is the Niobrara River. I cut south from Route 20 to the Nebraska National Forest (yes, there really are trees and forest in Nebraska but they are not the kind we are used to back east) where this lovely river runs. I stopped along the bridge over the river and began to pish. Guess who responded. I attracted a Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Cardinal, and an Indigo Bunting. Here where the Nebraska map folds in half is where west meets east. To me it is a magical place, neither a line or a particular place but perhaps a watershed that doesn't exactly behave like water and the force of gravity and geography. But it is a place of distinction, none the less.

It's getting late and the area I am staying in eastern Nebraska is under a Tornado Watch until 4:00 am and it is gloriously storming as I type. I think I'll leave the window open and let the storm serenade me to sleep. It's much more fun than when camping and the outcome of the storm on the camping experience is always a concern. I had a great 96 species Father's Day and I hope the Father in your life was as lucky as me.

Wind Cave National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota

Last night’s sleep was interrupted. First I was awakened by Great Horned Owls hooting. Then some time later it was a chorus of Coyotes and then very early this morning it was the regimented toots of a Saw-whet Owl. If only I should be so lucky to customarily be subjected to such a sleep disorder.

Today was an opportunity to look for the birds of the Black Hills and Black Hills National Forest. Wind Cave National Park isn’t very big, at least above ground. I have stayed here many times and I still don’t know where the caves are. Caves attract tourists and I got enough of them in Yellowstone N.P. The Park does have a fair representation of the birds to be found in the Black Hills. It is also strategically located to tour Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.

I birded a little bit around my campsite and then headed south to S.D. Route 71 that heads due south into Nebraska and the Oglala National Grasslands.  This Rte 71 cuts through the southern Black Hills and out on to the prairie. There is a good mix of pine forest, ponds and small lakes, a variety of grassland types, and riparian corridors like the Cheyenne River and Hat Creek.

The first stop is one of my all time favorite and a concentration of bird species in a very small place that is like no other that I know about. The place is the J.H. Keith Memorial Park and Black Hills National Forest Cascade Springs. It is a spring and stream that has a lot of deciduous vegetation surrounded by a vast expanse of pine forest. It is an island for mostly song birds. Arriving in the early morning is a chorus of song like no other. When I list the species I saw there and you can imagine their individual and collective songs, you’ll understand why this place is special.

I saw 23 species of birds in this 3 acre island in about 30 minutes. They weren’t all singing at one time today but just being in this place with so much bird activity is an impressive experience. Here is a list of the birds: Mourning Dove, Northern Flicker, Western Wood Pewee, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Eastern and Mountain Bluebirds, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chats, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Bullock’s Oriole, and American Goldfinch. The list used to be longer but is diminished because of a devastating fire a couple of years ago that killed most of the surrounding pine forest.

The second part of the morning tour was to and through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, southeastern South Dakota unit. Unlike Thunder Basin National Grasslands in Wyoming, these grasslands are much more expansive and contiguous. This combination greatly improves the productivity and quality of these areas. The grasslands range from cattle gazed, short grass, tall grass and agricultural. The quilt of managed grasslands is State, Federal, and private. The results are impressive.

Touring a substantial area that is a fraction of the whole Grasslands system included: 10 species of waterfowl, 3 species of raptors, Long-eared Owl, American Avocet, Upland Sandpipers, Long-billed Curlews, Marbled Godwit, Common Nighthawks, Vesper Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lark Buntings, Grasshopper Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Horned Larks, Western Meadowlarks, Brewer’s, Red-winged, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

The impressive part is this trip through the grasslands is how many great looks you get at nesting species. Driving down these secondary gravel farm rods at whatever pace you like embodies the great birding experience. I pride myself with being able to go almost anywhere in America and find and identify birds. It is only possible because of spending time in the heart of America’s best birding spots like the Buffalo Gap Grasslands loop. I must have seen hundreds of Horned Larks, Lark Buntings and Western Meadowlarks. The rest of the birds get up close and personal as they respond to your potential threat to their territories.

I spent the rest of the day working on more Black Hills species in Wind Cave. I added Plumbeous Vireo, American Redstart, Warbling Vireo, Blue Jay, White-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Western Tanager.

I saw 86 species of birds in just a few habitats that this area uniquely provides. I can’t wait to get to bed so I can start a new list for tomorrow. While you are having sweet dreams I hope to be having sweet nocturnal experiences!

Tomorrow, ever eastward.

Tensleep Creek, Back Roads and TravelTthrough Thunder Basin National Grassland

Salt Lick Trailhead is tucked away in the Tensleep Creek foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in central Wyoming. Tensleep Creek and Canyon is a place to die for. It is stunningly beautiful, lush in riparian habitat, gateway to the mountains and surrounded by pine and juniper.

This where I started my day because I discovered a Black-throated Gray Warbler in the preferred Juniper habitat that the trail bisects. I played the warbler’s song and right on cue the Black-throated Gray showed his interest in the song. This is a stunning warbler fit for a stunning setting. Also present were patrolling Violet-green Swallows and Common Ravens. A Lazuli Bunting and a Cassin’s Finch joined the ever common Warbling Vireo singing in the rising morning sunshine.

The Bighorn Mountains are little known but a wilderness of note for sure. Much of these mountains are developed for recreation but they have a peak over 13,000 ft. and the Powder Pass on the southern end of this chain is 9,666 ft. I didn’t see much to write about. It was a nice but bitter cold and windy day. Most of the area in elevation had a coating of new snow from last night.

I am in the habit of taking the back roads as you probably have figured out by now. So as I headed south I chose to take Wyoming Route 196 instead of Interstate 25 that runs close and parallel to. There is much more to enjoy at 55 miles per hour than traveling just 20 miles per hour faster. Good ol’ 196 slices through farms, grasslands and more impoverished habitats. If I had taken the freeway I would not have seen a Black-tailed Deer feeding  its baby.  I’d seen only a fraction of the Pronghorn along the way. Rte 196 is one of those roads where the center line is only significant should by some chance a car or farm truck might be coming or passing.

There were birds too. There is nothing spectacular to report, just the common but wonderful regular cast of prairie characters. Western meadowlarks are a constant chorus along the way. Ted-tailed Hawks soar high in the sky along with an occasional Turkey Vulture. Northern Harriers were hunting low to the ground and American Kestrels hovering over an interest meal opportunity.  Cliff Swallows swarmed at every culvert and Barn Swallows zoomed the whole length of the road in the slow lane.

I crossed the Powder River and through the river’s valley. As if by magic Common Nighthawks became common.  These Nighthawks have unique flight and if you listen carefully you can hear their distinct “peent” call orchestrated with their wing beats.

The last leg of today’s trip took me through parts of Thunder Basin national Grassland. Wyoming Route 450 cuts through some of the mostly fragmented National Grasslands but much of this land is also held by Wyoming State and local Land Trusts. The result is protection for prairie species of birds and the other neighbors on this prairie.

Rock Wrens are a common species is rocky outcroppings. I am ashamed to say how many stops I’ve made since I got in these habitats and frankly I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been “skunked.” Well, today I finally got this bird along Route 450. I played the song and a pair of Rock Wrens responded with showing themselves and singing their hearts out.

It was travel day, but one where I could take my time, stop when I wanted and travel when I needed too. It wasn’t a busy birding day but a great day to take in the sights and sounds of our great American heartland.

I’m camping at Wind Cave National Park and as I type this into a “word” document I am serenaded by meadowlarks nuthatches. Stay tuned for Buffalo Gap National Park and other South Dakota special places.

Northern wyoming

The rest of my trip will be south of the route I taken to Glacier. The route home will take me eastward and gradually southward until I eventually hook up with interstate 80 for the last leg home. Today was a traveling birding day. I wanted to bird my way from Cooke City, Montana to the southern western foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in eastern Wyoming.

I spent the morning birding one of America’s most beautiful and scenic roads, the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. It runs 64 miles from its northern junction with the Beartooth Highway, to just a few miles north of Cody, Wyoming.  When you enter Yellowstone from any of the other entrances you lose a sense of how high the Park really is. The trip down or up the Chief Joseph Highway leaves no doubt you are high in the mountains.

So the birding is quite good on a great road with some, but not a lot of traffic. It is certainly a nice change from Yellowstone congestion. So you start high in the mountains and ever present for several miles down is the Beartooth Mountain behind you. The first stop is Lake Creek and Lake Creek National Forest campground. This area is a combination of pines, exposed rocky hillsides and sagebrush meadows.

I have been searching ever since I got to Glacier N.P. to find a Water Oozel or more correctly an American Dipper. I have had no success. Not in Glacier, nor in Yellowstone. The Dipper is a bird that eats primarily Hellgrammites and other water insects. Hellgrammites emerge from fast moving steams as Stoneflies. But the Dipper dives into rapid currents and white water to glean these insects from under and around rocks and boulders typical of mountain streams. They are amazing feeders.

I once saw two fly fishermen get swept under the swift current in Slough Creek in Yellowstone National Park. And once they pulled themselves onto shore I watched an American Dipper, about the size of a stocky Robin, dive in and against the same current and emerge 50 yards up stream. Try swimming like that with wings! I think aerodynamics and technique are involved with this crafty little bird.

The water everywhere is high and the snow melt is in full swing but the volume of water is substantially greater than normal. The current is turbulent. I don’t think this is a prohibitive factor for feeding but may be for nesting. However the water is abnormally turbid. The water is picking up a lot of sediment and it’s just dirty. But when I looked off the bridge over Lake Creek the stream looked different. The water was crystal clear. It was swift but clear. And as if on cue, an American Dipper flew up the stream to find a strategic launching point for under water acrobatics and breakfast.  Feeling relieved and pleased to find the elusive Dipper I birded the campground and stirred up a Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-rumped Warbler  and Pine Siskins.

Farther down the road are several small to medium sized pothole ponds that harbor a variety of waterfowl, the most notable being a Barrow’s Goldeneye. Other birds around the ponds include Marsh Wrens, Yellow Warblers, Sandhill Cranes, Western Tanagers, Cliff, Tree, and Violet-green Swallows, Warbling Vireos,  and MacGillivray’s Warblers. As I scanned one of these ponds a lone female Elk began

Yellowstone National Park and the Beartooth Highway

Yellowstone National Park is a very big place. I toured Hayden Valley and Fishing Bridge yesterday and dedicated today to the Tower area and Lamar Valley. This grand valley is as far in northern Wyoming as possible, right along the Montana State line. 

Yellowstone is one of the most visited of all National Parks. The Park is exceptionally busy this June.  The Yellowstone experience is a diversion from “the middle of nowhere” theme of my blogs. Well, sort of. On the one hand watching wildlife here in June is a lot like birding Magee Marsh Bird Trail in May.  I counted 70 vehicles stopped to observe a Grizzly Bear. And there may be several of these traffic jams going on simultaneously in Lamar Valley alone.

Since I have been coming to Yellowstone beginning in the 1980’s much has changed and Yellowstone is experiencing the pressure. The Park has always been and continues to be popular for its geologic and geographic features. It is spacious and beautiful. However, somewhere in the 1990’s, about the time of the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone there began a huge and growing enthusiasm for viewing Yellowstone’s incredible array of wildlife.

In the years after the wolf reintroduction, film photography virtually became obsolete making way for a less expensive and hugely manageable digital technology. The popularity of photography has exploded and so has wildlife photography. In the 1980’s I saw no one in Lamar Valley and certainly no spotting scope. It was just me and my trusty Bushnell. Today almost everyone visiting Yellowstone has some sort of spotting scope to go with their binoculars. These changes don't sound too dramatic but it has made a huge impact.

I sense that Yellowstone was established for the natural features that make it unique and it was a tourist destination to marvel at bubbling mud pools and steam that smells like rotten eggs. The wildlife was interesting but probably not the purpose for coming to Yellowstone for most. Now there are a huge number of people that come cpecifically for the wildlife and appreciate the natural features too.

More interest in wildlife, birding and natural history is alright by me. So much interest is a good problem to have and a great opportunity to drive home conservation and preservation. But it presents huge problems, because people's interest range from pure curiosity or a photographic challenge, to casual, to avid. The spectrum exactly mirrors birding. However, there were almost no wildlife viewers that I talked to that had any interest in birds at all.

So, with that said, the “middle of nowhere” experience is readily available throughout Yellowstone National Park. Once you get past the bear and wolf chasers there are plenty of places to enjoy nature without distraction. It simply requires a little imagination, an understanding of habitats and a walk a few hundred yards up the trail, oh yes, and a healthy dose of percaution and common sense. Despite the people Yellowstone is a true wilderness.

It is important to remember that Lamar Valley is larger than most state parks and there is but one picnic area and two campgrounds in the vicinity….and that is it. It is the most undeveloped part of the park. If there were no wildlife, there would be precious few visitors, just as it was one I discovered this place for myself.

To view the big five large mammals in Lamar, usually means you will find, or quickly have company. I chose to concentrate on seeing those birds and tourists associated with them, and then work for finding the birds the old fashioned way. My first stop was Slough Creek where both Grizzly Bears and Wolves were reported. I got there early and was rewarded with good scope views of two Grizzly Bears but no wolves. The bears were sharing a well traveled carcass and seemed to be enjoying each other’s company. It was a combination of awkward encounters and strategic disinterest. The highlight of the rendezvous was a swim across the river and some splashing around in the shallow water.

Also of interest were 4 Coyotes not far away, one adult and three pups. Across the valley behind us were several Bighorn Sheep grazing on a distant hill. Several Elk and Pronghorn were scattered about and the Bison was ever present. Two Bald Eagles flew up the creek and there were several species of waterfowl along the flooded creek including a lone Trumpeter Swan. Columbian Ground Squirrels scurried about without any notice from the crowd. I know no one, but me, saw the Pine Siskins and Chipping Sparrows feeding in the grasses along the gravel entry road.

About a half mile down the road from the entrance to Slough Creek was a small area right beside the main road closed because of a Badger den. I stopped there, and with some patience the female laid stretched out by the den entrance. She was soon joined by 4 babies. A lot of shudder noise ensued. It was well worth the wait and another Yellowstone wildlife observation opportunity.

I also saw Black-tailed Deer, White-tailed Deer, American Black Bear, and Red Fox. The birding was slow but I was looking for particular species. I added Green-tailed Towhee, Cassin’s Finch, Sage Thrasher, and White-throated Swift.

In the afternoon I drove up the Beartooth Highway to the summit or pass. Lamar Valley's elevation is about 7,200 feet and the summit is nearly 10,000 feet and about a 20 mile drive. I started in the Montane Life Zone, traveled through the Sub Alpine Life Zone and up into the Alpine Life Zone.  It is a beautiful drive and an astonishing view of the Beartooth Mountain and the Absoraka Mountain chain. There is a LOT of snow left in the tundra and contiuing far down the mountains. I drove through one stretch of road that was flanked on both sides by 30 foot snow banks. All that water will eventually head down the Mississippi River.

There were but a few hardy White-crowned Sparrows, a single Red-bellied Marmot (a cousin to our Groundhog), and one Least Chipmunk atop an endless bed of snow. I saw no Black Rosy Finches and American Pipits, who nest in the barren tundra. I suspected that these birds were elsewhere in alternate habitats waiting until the tundra is free of the snow. And as luck would have it I checked out an impoverished sage brush area below the snow line and mixed in with Vesper Sparrows was a flock of about 20 American Pipits. My hunch was right.

Yellowstone and the Beartooth Highway have helped shape and educate me over the years. It is a place that will always have a prominent place in my heart. Where else can one go and consistently see such an impressive array of birds and wildlife. I hope everyone who visits these places is inspired to learn and understand these unique places as I have done. If they do perhaps these precious places will thrive in perpetuity.

Tomorrow I’m on to Wyoming!

A memorable evening and morning then off to Yellowstone National Park

Last night I spent the night at Battle Ridge Campground well up into the Bridger Mountains, a pretty campground among tall pines and forest openings. I wrote my last post in my truck, in the rain and earlier than the end of the day. With computer packed away for the night, the rain subsided and I took a walk around an abandoned campground. After walking I secured the truck and was starting toward the tent. It was about 8:30 pm and the sleeping bag was looming very inviting.

Just about that time I heard yipping somewhat like a small dog. Curious I moved with binoculars in hand toward the sound. The yipping was spaced a couple of seconds apart and then a short rapid series of the same notes.  As I walked and listened among the forest of pines I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye. Instinctively I turned with binoculars ready. What I saw was what I thought was a raptor.

Then a shadow swept down from the pines about 50 yards away. I lifted my binoculars and confirmed what I knew was an owl. This wasn’t just any owl. It was the biggest in North America and certainly the most impressive Great Gray Owl.  It glided about 10 feet off the ground in a clearing behind this stand of pine. It was a massive gray bird that seemed to light up the dimly lit evening forest. The owl disappeared.

I went to where I thought the owl might have landed. Great Gray Owls perch about 15 feet off the ground and hunt from and rest on these perches. I could not find the bird but I could hear the soft but resonating deep hoots of not just one but two different locations. This is the ultimate wild encounter. It is me in the home of, and at the mercy of this impressive predator. I never found the owl, and it was ok considering the view this bird had given me.

I was still troubled by the yipping. I knew it was related to the Great Gray Owl but nothing I have ever read about vocalization ever mentioned any such un-owl-like sound. I went to bed as the rain settled in once again from the notorious Bridger Range weather maker.

I got u early and broke camp. I finished packing the truck and was ready to leave when once again I was stopped dead in my tracks by the soft and faint hooting of the Great Gray Owl. I walked to the sound. Again I was surprised to see the Owl rise from the forest floor with a rodent in talons. It continued to climb in the dim morning light to the very top of a pine some 40 feet tall. In my binoculars I saw the bird land and then I saw the nest and the movement of a Great Gray Owl chick. The adult owl departed and perched about 150 yards away in another pine.

All I could think of was getting pictures, and of course, the camera was packed in the truck but not far away. I eased back to the truck, got the camera and returned to where I saw all this unfold. I found the adult. I took many pictures as if this opportunity may never come again. I never relocated the nest. I searched and searched. Yet, as intended for survival, the nest became invisible.

Now the yipping made sense. What I heard was the chick vocalizing. I think it is safe to say that this was Great Gray Owl language for “Mom, I’m hungry, feed me.”

Between the evening and morning I spent about 2 hours focusing on observing and learning about the Great Gray Owl.  For those two hours I was consumed with this extraordinary opportunity. If ever there is a reason for spending time in the field, in the middle of nowhere, this is truly a classic justification. I am no bird expert. I am a student of nature. I now know, first hand, one of wildlife’s most impressive creatures not from an academic view but on a personal level.

On the way to Yellowstone I stopped in a little café in Wilsall and struck up a conversation with a young rancher, or a true modern cowboy that prefers horses to an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) and is proud of his rich family history in this valley and the surrounding Bridger and Crazy Mountains. He is a welder by training but there is no doubt in my mind he is one of a dying breed. He learned to weld in Willoughby, Ohio but he learned to ranch by the “school of hard knocks” as he so well admitted. If only there was as much under my cowboy hat.

Along the way, I was still distracted by the owl episodes and thinking ahead about a strategy to glean as much as possible out of my forthcoming Yellowstone visit.  The most notable event on the short trip was watching two Golden Eagles sparring in flight, locking talons, releasing, spinning away and heading out over the prairie.

Upon arriving at Yellowstone National Park I traveled from Mammoth Hot Springs to the heart of the park, Hayden Valley and Fishing Bridge. This was sort of an orientation day. I saw only 42 species of birds but I added one new bird, a nesting female Barrow’s Goldeneye. It was good to be back in Yellowstone and it is different this year. Yes, there is, as expected, lots of water….more than ever. There is also more snowpack and at lower elevations. The Yellowstone valley is about 7,500 ft. above sea level and by this date in June the snow is limited to only the higher elevations.

I saw some familiar friends as I traveled around. There were Elk at Mammoth, 8 bighorn ewes with 6 kids just inside the Park. A lone Coyote trotted right down the middle of a busy road, apparently, having not received the memo about traffic. Buffalo grazed lazily in the vast prairie grasses. A single Mule Deer stood at attention along the road. Many people were stopped to scan and see Mountain Goats, many with babies clinging to the adults on treacherous rocky outcroppings. I am quite sure they have no concept of falling. And they don’t. Is this the power of positive thinking?

Tomorrow I will be exploring northern Yellowstone in search of birds, mammals and memories.

From Helena to the Bridger Mountains

This eleventh day of my heartland birding tour was for once an easy drive. This was a day to explore the Bridger Mountains and revisit familiar places along the way.  Helena is near the Missouri River. As you probably know from all the flooding news the Missouri River watershed is a major contributor to the problems in the Mississippi River region. The huge snow pack will melt a lot of water yet to cause problems well down stream.

So I started the morning birding my way through the Missouri River valley. My route was south on U.S. 287, east on U.S. 12, and south on U.S. 89. I mention these route numbers because all are scenic and classic American roads. About a few miles from where 287 and 12 divide on a bend of the Missouri River is where all the Mountain Men would converge after their fur expeditions to meet at what they called the “rendezvous”. One of those classic trappers was Jim Bridger for whom the mountains I am staying in are named.  

I birded the upper State Wildlife Areas of Canyon Ferry Lake for mostly riparian species with lazuli Buntings being the most significant species there.  U.S. Rte 12 climbs out of the valley and into the short grass hills and eventually into Helena National Forest. I birded Deep Creek, which like every other watercourse in the west, was raging wild. Birds along this creek and adjacent pine forest included Townsend’s Solitaire, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, Warbling Vireo, and the Pink-sided form of Dark-eyed Junco.

Things got interesting once I got back out on the prairies where Rte 12 connects with U.S. 89. Within the first mile on Rte 89 I saw a Golden Eagle sitting on a hillside. Off in the distance I saw a bird soaring and took a better look. I watched the falcon shaped bird, and when it banked, it showed black auxiliaries (arm pits) I knew it was Prairie Falcon. As I watched it get closer the bird flew directly at me and swooped at what seemed like the last instant up to a utility pole. As soon as it landed it began calling. It was awesome! But wait, there’s more. A Pronghorn was strolling along in the area and a Common Raven flew by, a pair of Lesser Scaup sat lazily on a tiny pond, and there was a pair of Sandhill Cranes in tall grass just beyond the pond.

In about 30 miles I saw 5 Golden Eagles. They were perched atop utility poles and soaring in a clear blue sky. One young Golden Eagle was being relentlessly harassed by a Swainson’s Hawk. That’s one brave or really dumb hawk. Actually harassing Golden Eagles seems to be the national pass time for Ravens, hawks, and gulls.

I made my annual Mecca to Cottonwood Lake for its bountiful waterfowl, some shorebirds and regular flotilla of American White Pelicans. It is surrounded by snow capped mountains and it is a really cool stop on a very cool road.  I heard and saw a Brewer’s Sparrow in the sage that rims this side of the lake. By the way the one thing missing at this lake is its namesake. There is not only no cottonwood trees there but not one tree anywhere near. Go figure.

I stopped I Wilsall, Montana before heading up into the mountains. This little teeny town is in the middle of the mountains. Three snow capped ranges, the Crazy Mountains to the east, the Bridger Mountains to the west, and the Absoraka Mountains to the south. It reminds me of Alaska where mountain chains are landmarks nearly everywhere you go, at least in the Kenai Peninsula.

Montana Rte 86 winds along the Flathead Creek up into the Bridger Mountains. It too is a pretty drive. I found the Battle Ridge Campground where I am now camped and merrily typing away as it ours rain off the mountains. It turns out that I have already explored here before and had forgotten all about the place until I arrived. I added Hammond’s Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Willianson’s Sapsucker, and Lincoln’s Sparrow for this trip and all those birds are good ones that are not guaranteed.

So I ended up with 82 species for the day from three locations. My camp is set up and I am going to fix dinner and get some rest for the trip to and first day in the one and only Yellowstone National Park.

Variety is the spice of birding

Today was yet another beautiful morning in Glacier National Park. I broke camp early and spent about an hour birding close to camp. Then, with truck organized and packed I headed south through the foothills and then onto Route 89, an American highway classic. My destination is Helena, Montana's State Capital. The goal is to bird the habitats along the east face of the Rocky Mountains.

I spent the day on Route 89 and Route 287, both run north and south along the mountains where awesome mountains are almost always in view. After birding in Glacier my next stop was a gravel road that runs east off of Rt 89. I wanted to bird the first quarter mile. About 100 yards up the road I stopped and played the song of McGown's Longspur and instantly a male landed beside the road and pranced ever so proudly right in front of me.

This road passes through an overgrazed and relatively barren habitat. It is what this Longspur prefers. It is also the home of the Horned Lark, Vesper Sparrow, Long-billed Curlew and Cliff Swallows among others.
These birds prefer impoverished landscapes along with their Ground Squirrel neighbors. This is also a place for the hunters. This is where you find Prairie Falcons, Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks, and the magnificent Golden Eagle.

I heard a Vesper Sparrow singing out in the grasses. So I played the the Vesper Sparrow song. A Vesper Sparrow came to the call immediately. I assumed it was the male but the sexes look alike so I couldn't tell. Out of nowhere came another Vesper Sparrow and the original bird began to beg....a courtship behavior exhibited by the female. The second to arrive Vesper Sparrow then engaged in a similar dance and before you know it, he copulated with the begging female.

For those of us that think males hold territories and attract females to mate with, there is a message here. The bird that responded to the tape was not a competing male; it was a female looking for love. The male that showed up saw the willing female and took advantage of her willingness to mate. So.... the females set up a "territory" and competing males compete with other males for the prize of mating. I guess I did this male that got the girl, a big favor, by getting his girl all excited by the recording.

I learned something. I sometimes get the silly notion that I've got it all figured out and then Mother Nature reminds me that I don't know nothin' yet! I am but a student and I'm happy to never achieve my advanced degree.

Now I'm off to Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area operated by Montana Fish & Game Department. This is another favorite location that is always productive birding. The landscape has changed, in that now, buttes rise above the prairie, providing the views we associate with the "old west". Freezeout lake is a a huge wetland that produces significant waterfowl. In managing for waterfowl some 227 species of birds can be found residing or migrating through this magnificent marsh surrounded by upland habitats.

In entering the marshes the first bird I see is a Golden Eagle. It is being harassed by a California Gull and a Marbled Godwit. The last place one would look for a Golden Eagle is in a marsh. And the last birds expected to harass the bird would be the two that were. So once again I become the student. I drove the wildlife tour and checked some of the upland habitats and saw 60 species of birds.

As I make my way to Helena I plan to bird areas on the way and near where I am spending the night. There is a wonderful area called Prickly Pear Canyon and Creek that opens up into sagebrush habitat at the southern end beyond the canyon. In the canyon I saw Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, MacGillivray's Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Lark Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds ,and Western wood Pewees.

Once out in the Sagebrush I scanned a Black-tailed Prairie Dog town and added Cooper's Hawk, Sandhill Cranes, Common Ravens, and Violet-green Swallows. By routing my way through very different habitats I ended the day with 102 species of birds. More importantly I learned some things that maybe I should have known. But the fact is that I have always learned from experience. The best teacher is being out in the field learning from nature. I won't forget what I now know from watching and engaging Vesper Sparrows or from witnessing a Golden Eagle trying to take advantage of a habitat different from the grasslands that are their normal haunts.

Tomorrow I travel to the Bridger Mountains where I will camp for the night before heading to Yellowstone National Park. I've never been there. Stay tuned and find out more about what i do and do not know about Montana wildlife.

Glacier National Park, Montana

I guess I hit the June Glacier National Park lottery. June is a time constant weather changes, usually from not so good to really not so good with a smattering of glorious sunshine and warm temperatures. I got two in a row. That’s a major league streak! I still have about 10 hours before I break camp so we’ll see how long my luck keeps running.

When I say I birded Glacier National Park, keep in mind that I mean I skimmed the surface. This is a massive park with infinite birding possibilities. The key to accumulating a representative list of the possible birds really means good timing, birding elevation and the various life zones associated with altitude, and as always, various habitats throughout. My timing is pretty good but too early for Vauxes Swift. I can’t bird all the elevations because Logan Pass through tundra and sub-alpine is closed and under forty feet of snow pack! The pass will likely not be open until after July 4^th.

A mile walk up the closed highway is a good example of how sensitive timing is. Trees at the beginning were leafed out, about half a mile the leaves were just beginning to leaf out, and after a mile the trees were only budded. The snowpack is at a abnormally low level this year and consequently I saw a flock of Gray-crowned Rosy-finches and a Common Redpoll from the campground this morning. As soon as the snow melts its way up the mountain, these birds will only be found in their appropriate habitat.

I worked three areas today. I started with the Going to the Sun Highway from lowest elevation up in elevation to where the road is closed. I birded Many Glacier north of St. Mary and Two Medicine to the south. All are on the east side of the park. I saw 43 species and added Great Horned Owl (calling during the night @ the campground), Red-naped Sapsucker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Fox Sparrow, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, Common Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak and White Crowned Sparrow.  I also added Townsend’s Solitaire on a barren rock face on the way to Two Medicine. It was Tundra-like but only because of the way it faced the brutal weather that come off the Rocky Mountain peaks to the west. That’s where I got the White-crowned Sparrow and I probably missed American Pipit, and Mountain Bluebirds also associated with these impoverished places.

The real story is that Glacier is just a beautiful place that begs to be explored. Like Yellowstone it is a laboratory of life. Here is some of my day. I saw Columbian Ground Squirrels, Red-tailed Chipmunks, Black-tailed or Mule Deer, 2 bull Moose, 20 Mountain Goats, and 3 American Black Bears. I got some pretty good pictures up close and personal of a female Black Bear who was waiting ever so patiently foe a very young cub frolicking playfully 40 feet up in a tree. It was just a special thing to be able to watch unfold.

The National Parks get huge visitation annually. It’s a good thing but often taxing on the delicate ecosystems. Yet people don’t wander far off the main roads and the main attractions. So there is plenty of “in the middle of nowhere” to enjoy.  Glacier National Park is a wilderness. Wild places are beautiful and provide supreme opportunities for nature study and appreciation. However it is a dangerous and unforgiving place as well. Bad weather here is really bad and life threatening for those unprepared. Wild animals are dangerous. Their personal space is as precious to them as ours is to us. The consequences of invading wild bears, moose, elk and such can result in the ultimate bad outcome for both humans and wildlife.

The bottom line is to always plan your visit to these places with preparation, respect, caution and above all humility. I am but a visitor in this place where nature prevails. I hardly ever leave Glacier without regret that I have to. But I am always looking down the trail because tomorrow when I leave I know there will be new and wonderful things and places to see. But Glacier will always be a special place in my heart.

"It's June in Glacier You Know."

The drive from Malta, Montana to Glacier National Park is easy and always interesting. The first leg follows the Milk River and it is a fertile agricultural area tucked in among rolling hills. Aside from yet more flooding, the valley was pretty and produced a fair number of new birds. The best was a Short-eared Owl that appeared from the side of the road and flew, ever so lightly, like a butterfly over the road above me. 

U.S. Route 2 rises out of the valley and winds through and over short grass hills. At Havre, Montana the road steadily and gradually rises until it meets the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The “high” prairies are virtually endless or so it seems. I call the drive panoramic.  I define panoramic as being able see a train coming and being able to see all150 cars and engines at the same time.

Golden Eagles like panoramic too. They live, hunt, and patrol these vast expanses. I saw a pair of these magnificent birds at mile marker 327 in case you are ever on route 2 in the middle of nowhere. They were perched apart from one another on a ridge line between two massive fields. I stopped and took pictures and marveled all the while. Pronghorn like the panoramic plains too. I saw plenty, twos and threes and sometimes many. The grand view is good for detecting predators. Pronghorns need every edge they can get.

Grain elevators are regular landmarks on this vast prairie. Rt. 2 and the railroad run more or less parallel. Little towns like Kremlin are there because of the railroad, the grain elevator and the grand scale farming in this area. Some of the grain elevators are in the middle of nowhere and some are in operation and others clearly not. But they are known well by all the locals who navigate this place they call home.

One of the most beautiful sights in America is the first good look you get when the snow capped Rocky Mountains first come into view. You’re still 100 miles away but it is always a welcome and spectacular sight. Today was unusual. The Mountains are often shrouded in clouds. But today was crystal clear and it was magnificent.

St. Marys is at the east entrance to Glacier National Park. It’s about a 40 minute drive up through the foothills. The foothill birding can be very good but today I wanted to get to the Park to set up camp in the good weather. The weather in Glacier changes very quickly. When I arrived at the gate I asked the Ranger if this beautiful weather was going to stick around. He looked at me, hesitated, and said “it is June in Glacier you know”. No further explanation was necessary. I know just what he means from experience. By the way today’s forecast was for rain.

It takes me a long time to set up a tent. I can’t do it without binoculars. I was interrupted several times by a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Audubon’s form of Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Western Tanager, Calliope hummingbird, Swainson’s Thrush and hermit Thrush. Putting up that tent sure is aggravating!

I also the Oregon form of Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Townsend’s Warbler and another soaring pair of Golden Eagles among the Glacier Peaks. You can tell by the list that I am in the middle of nowhere in the great American West.

In addition to the Pronghorn I also saw Columbian Ground Squirrel, Elk, and 14 bighorn Sheep. I don’t have wireless in Rising sun Campground so I’m at my picnic table typing on “word” so I can get this blog out in the morning.

Into Montana, Into the American West

I spent last night in Plentywood, Montana. It's a sleepy little town in the very northeast corner of Montana and conveniently close to my first destination, Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The motel is a nice place to spend the night. There is a restaurant  right across the street. I got up early and strolled on over for breakfast. On the way I heard an unfamiliar call...Eurasian Collared-dove. It's always good to start the day with a new trip bird. On my way back across the street from breakfast I heard an unfamiliar call. It was oriole-like. So much so that it was an oriole...a Bullock's Oriole. By now I'm feeling good about arriving in the American West.

On the 20 minute drive to the refuge I stopped to check out several California Gulls foraging in a farm field. Entering Medicine Lake N.W.R. is always a beautiful experience. In the first 200 yards I added Chestnut-collared Longspur, Baird's Sparrow and Lark Bunting. Welcome to one of America's finest preserves!

My jubilation soon fizzled when the gate to the Wildlife Auto Tour was closed. I was sure it was a flooding issue. I was devastated. I studied the posted information on the gate re-routing visitors to another access point. As it turned out the visit to the refuge was just fine despite the closures. On my way out I stopped at the refuge office and found out that the closures were do not because of road flooding but lake flooding.

I was informed that the lake levels were so high that the nesting habitat for Piping Plovers (an endangered and protected species) was flooded. These birds nest on sand/gravel areas around the lakes at normal levels. Since those areas were flooded the Piping Plovers decided to nest on the gravel Auto Tour Road. The closures were in place to protect the birds, who implemented "plan b" for Mother Nature. Now that is really your tax dollars at work!

I informed the Refuge staff that there is a pair of Piping Plovers nesting on the road still open. I watched one plover fly around an area of the road where another plover held its ground despite the presence of my truck. This was clearly protecting a nesting territory. Almost every bird breeding on these refuges challenge the perceived threat of traffic around their nesting areas. I stopped in one location to look for sparrows and a Marbled Godwit flew directly at me and banked high, right above me, and proceeded to verbally scold me  to make his or her point that I was not welcome.

Birding prairie refuges in the spring is a unique experience. Willets, Marbled Godwits, Wilson's Phalaropes, Western Meadowlarks, Whimbrels, Upland Sandpipers, Chestnut-collared Longspurs and other birds get up close and personal when defending territories during breeding. It is quite the opposite of any other human/bird confrontation.

The trip from Plentywood to Malta and Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a westward journey. The prairie potholes decrease in frequency all along the way west. The rolling farmland gives way to larger hills and although it isn't obvious the road gradually increases in elevation and will continue to do so until reaching the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. A few eastern birds hang on now, but the Eastern Wood Pewees are now replaced by Western Wood Pewees. The sweet Eastern Meadowlark song is now replaced by the gurgling Western Meadowlark songs and clucks. Flooding is still a serious issue in Montana as it was in North Dakota. Route 2 travels just north of the Missouri River and cuts through the Missouri River watershed. The mighty Mississippi River has a lot of water yet to come.

I love the prairies and I love the West. It's a big place. It's a quiet but vibrant place that speaks to both the beauty and reality of nature. I flushed a female Northern Pintail from her nest along the Bowdoin Auto Tour. It happened quite by accident but it happened none the less. I couldn't help taking a picture of her temporarily abandoned nest. It was lined with soft feathers ever so perfectly arranged, and there was order to the several eggs in there. The grass around the nest converged to form a perfect canopy over the nest as if it was engineered that way. It's the future of Northern Pintails and I suspect the future of wild places and the future of those like me that love Northern Pintails so much.

I saw another thing that causes one to reflect. I love Richardson's Ground Squirrels. they seem to be almost everywhere in their range. They're cute and busy creatures that patrol these prairies. I also love Ferruginous Hawks. This is a fairly uncommon raptor of the Plains. It has distinctive plumage, kind of like our familiar Red-tailed Hawk...but not really. It's a wonderful hawk.

I happened upon a Ferruginous Hawk on the the ground in the prairie grass. I watched it lift from the ground as it was harassed by a blackbird. In its talons was a Richardson's Ground Squirrel. This is a grand meal for the hawk, and likely for nestlings in a nearby nest in a lonely tree on the prairie. This is not a great outcome for the ground squirrel nor a choice by the hawk, but a necessity.

I saw 92 species of birds today and I would be pressed to name them from the top of my head. But I saw prairies today and a Northern Pintail nest and a Ferruginous Hawk and a Richardson's Ground Squirrel. I saw places, things, and events that inspire me.

Tomorrow I will see "high" plains, and the magnificent Rocky Mountains, and birds they make possible.

Into the West Via Plan "B"

This was a great day for a travel day. I saw North Dakota as never before and about every bit of the day's original plan evaporated, only to emerge as an even better day than I planned. Some of the day was disturbing. North Dakota is inundated with water. The flooding in some places is incredible. I saw thousands of flooded acres with farms, farm houses, barns, businesses and entire landscapes under water. Prairie potholes were lakes and every feature of the area I know is like a place I have never been.

I intended to go to J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge but getting to it, and what I would likely find was clearly not an option. I decided to continue on through North Dakota to Eastern Montana strategically planned for tomorrow's itinerary. So the day was consumed by travel with stops along the many prairie potholes along U.S. Route 2.

The flooding wasn't the only thing disturbing. I could not find a hotel room in North Dakota. There is no vacancy in any hotel or motel from Bismarck, to Minot, to Williston. Can you imagine? It's been that way for all 2010, all of this year and who knows how far in the future. All the rooms are filled with oil workers. There is an "oil rush" going on not unlike the California Gold Rush. I stopped in Tioga for gas and it was like an old west town....dirty trucks, oil workers in every imaginable vehicle and construction and drilling evident everywhere, mile after mile after mile. Throw in a massive wind farm to spice up the natural landscape and it was enough to make me ill.

If our legislators and public officials have their way with exploiting natural resources such as State Parks and National Parks, Refuges and Wilderness areas, I can only prey that it could never be as horrific as what is going on in North Dakota. I am, by nature, not an environmental advocate but as a reasonable and informed citizen I an really concerned for my Grandchildren.

Okay, I felt compelled to speak my peice. Now for the good stuff.

The changes in the days schedule worked out great. The trip across North Dakota reveals changes in the potholes. For example the potholes in the east have more cattails and are generally surrounded by lush vegetation. The potholes farther west are surrounded by drier habitats and lack the stands of cattails. I saw a lot of new birds and some anticipated new ones. I was greeted at the North Dakota border by my first Western Kingbird. Kingbirds are happy birds. I don't mean to imply they are happy, but they sure make me so. The weather improved all day and got to be very nice. The prairie potholes were a bit slow, but the whole cast of characters were present. Some species were scarce and others pretty common in comparison with previous trips. Dry years are truely different than years with abundant water.

I saw Pied-billed, Horned, Eared, and Red-necked Grebes, 13 species of waterfowl, and other prairie birds associated with them. There were many Northern Harriers, and I saw 3 Swinson's Hawks. The breeding shorebirds are beginning to appear in significant numbers including Marbled Godwits, American Avocets, a single Lesser Yellowlegs, and Wilson's Phalaropes.  Wilson's snipes can be heard making their weird whinny sounds made in flight with their wings, and they often flush and fly across cattails and wetland grasses.

In all I had 59 species but the small numbers was greatly overshadowed by the quality of experiencing the prairie potholes in the middle of nowhere. I stopped and spent about a half hour at a complex of western North Dakota potholes on a virtually deserted county road. Let me see if I can describe the experience.

In the middle of nowhere there are no distractions: no traffic, no planes, no horns. There is glorious nothing. With the distractions non-existant there is nothing to disturb the sights and sounds of the potholes. I watched American Avocets probing along the water near a pothole shore and one that stayed motionless on its nest. The feeding Avocets were joined by several Wilson's Phalaropes. American Coots were swimming around clucking as if it was necessary. Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaup, Canvasbacks, Redheads and Ruddy Ducks were swimming around the potholes while their peers sat on shore sleeping or preening.

All the while, Red-winged Blackbirds called and wheeled around their territories in grand display, showing their red wing patches. A hidden Pied-billed Grebe called competing with Western Meadowlarks also singing and clucking around the potholes. The Phalaropes diappeared and if by magic were replaced by a single breeding-plumage Willet.

In the distance I heard Ring-necked Pheasants. I scanned the upland areas around the potholes and watched a Horned Lark feeding on the ground. A pair of Killdeers came into focus and in the edge of my field of view I saw movement. Not far from the Killdeers were a pair of Upland Sandpipers patrolling a poorly grassed area. I could hear ever so faintly here their rolling call.

Then the defining "in the middle of nowhere" moment unfolded before my very eyes. Two male Wilson's Phalaropes flew a few yards in front of me. Flying against the ever-present prairie breeze they seemed almost suspended there in front of me. As I watched them I heard one of them call softly as if making conversation with the other. It is a moment I don't fully understand, nor do I need to. When all the distractions are gone, you are no longer a witness but a participant in a world you may never get to know unless you seek "the middle of nowhere."

 Tomorrow I have the privelage to explore the jewels of eastern Montana.

 

Exploring Northwest Minnesota

The day started with pea sized hale and then, gail-force winds......all day. It was not ideal weather for birding. The good thing was that mosquitoes were NOT a problem. If a mosquito took flight today he soon found himself somewhere in South Dakota. In spite of the weather, I decided to visit prairie preserves about an hour south of Thief River Falls and a boreal habitat about an hour and a half north of Thief River Falls.

The Pembina Trail is one of my all time favorites. A few trips ago on a very early morning, I visited this parcel that runs from Canada south. From the road I saw a black dot out in the distant marsh. With my binoculars the dot was a Moose. I was delighted, since this part of Minnesota is not prime Moose habitat. I grabbed paper and pencil and made note of this surprising find. After making the note I looked up and standing 40 yards in front of my truck was a Timber Wolf! The wolf was looking directly at me until it decided I wasn't worthy of further interest. Then the wolf walked into the tall marsh grass and disappeared. The moose sighting wasn't quite as exciting as it had been. It is the only eastern Timber Wolf I have ever seen or may ever see. Pembina Trail is a very special place.

Today's tour of the Pembina Trail lived up once again to my expectations despite the persistent winds. As I drove along the unimproved gravel Trail, I flushed a grouse that flew about 100 yards away from me and disappeared in the grass. I got good looks at the tail, the flight pattern, color and size of the bird. The tail was round and the bird flew more and glided very little. The tail is diagnostic and the flight pattern helpful. One of the two possibilities was Sharp-tailed Grouse but this bird has an obvious "pointed tail". It was a Greater Prairie Chicken. Needless to say, I was delighted and surprised. I made notes and then I looked for a wolf.

I saw several birds along the trail drive and where I came to a place broken by the wind by brush or a poplar stand I found several birds. A new one was a Clay-colored Sparrow. This is the one we see very little during migration in Ohio and it always seems to be confused with a Chipping Sparrow to which it is closely related. From here to the Rockies the Clay-colored Sparrow will be common. Other birds that were a bit out of place in the wind brake were Great-crested Flycaycher and Willow Flycatcher.

I visited Nature Conservancy's Crookston Prairie Preserve, Foxboro Prairie, Pembina Trail State Natural Area and Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge. The birds here in this contiguously protected area, are in some cases abundant and unusually uncommon. These birds are sighted in literature and by signs as birds to be observed in these areas. The problem is that there is virtually no preserve access other than adjacent public roads. Whatever wonderful birds are in these places generally don't come to the roads. So the birding was as good as the birding conditions. I'm just griping. I am just glad the birds are there and protected.

My last destination was way up north along 2 roads that run through Lost River State Forest and Lost River Wildlife Management Area. The forest road is through prime boreal habitat around a huge bog. The Great Gray Owl population is more dense here than anywhere else in Continental America. It is a beautiful Place and the whole area is massive and the road cuts through 2 short miles in the middle. All the boreal species are in there somewhere but the opportunities provided from the road are clearly limited.

The second road cuts across wet meadows suitable for Yellow Rail, LeConte's and Northern Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Today the water was very high, too high for rails. However, there was some standing water ideal for ducks and shorebirds. Here I found four Marbled Godwits mixed in with an assortment of "puddle" ducks such as Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers. Northern Pintails, Mallards and a lone Redhead.

The highlight of the day, aside from the Greater Prairie Chicken, was watching Sandill Crane pairs with chicks. I found several pairs, all with one chick each. I would stop to watch them and to try to get a picture or two. Each time I would stop the truck and get out. By the time I got out of the truck the pair was gone and the chick was moving around as if nothing in the world was wrong.

When Sandhill Crane parents sense a threat they lay down and hide in the grass. The chick is rusty brown and less obvious than the adults. They lie in the grass until the threat is gone and then the three continue probing the grasses for food. Mom and Dad seem to know their detection would be the chick's greatest demise. Ain't nature great!

I'm back on the road tomorrow morning heading west to North Dakota and prairie potholes.

The Landscape Is Changing

This leg of my trip is always much anticipated. Up till today the new species I've enjoyed are those associated with the north woods. Going east to west in Minnesota and crossing the Mississippi River is where the reluctant north woods gives way to prairies and agriculture. The joy and challenge of birding North America has much to do with how our continent changes east to west and north to south.

I had a wonderful day. I saw 106 species of birds from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. It was a rewarding day because all my experience and expertise was required as well as a measure of good luck to have such a good day list. But that more than 100 species is possible, is a testament to transitioning from forest to plains and changes in habitat types.

Today I traveled from Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The first half of the day was birding about 50 miles north along Minnesota Rt. 23. This road is known and advertised as the "Edge of the Wilderness" Scenic Byway. It is a winding road that weaves through many lakes with many access points along the way. The road bisects quality mixed deciduous and coniferous forest. It also accesses Tamarack Bogs and other boreal wetlands.

I saw 11 species of nesting warblers, the highlight being Golden-winged Warbler and Mourning Warbler. I found two Golden-winged warbler nesting sites and heard more than a dozen singing male Mourning Warblers. Other songbirds of note were Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Swanson's Thrush, Veery, Hermit Thrush, Philadelphia Vireo and Alder Flycatcher.

Surprise Lake lived up to its name by revealing a male Common Goldeneye. This is a rare breeding duck in Minnesota. Either this was a non-breeding male or the female was elsewhere hidden on a nest. A Merlin made a pass across another unnamed lake and perched conspicuously on a Birch snag. Just seeing these birds is enhanced by seeing them in their place in association with other species in their neighborhood. Standing on the Laurentian Divide was a high point along the way!

The next destination is Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in the northwest corner of the state. The drive from the Edge of the Wilderness to the refuge is where one can see the forest give way to the prairies. It isn't a pretty picture. The logging is evident everywhere. There are many established farms carved out of the wilderness long ago and now evidence that logged tracts will eventually become agricultural areas as well.

This transition area has rewards such as Sedge Wrens, Bobolinks, both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks,
Brewer's Blackbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Bank Swallows and under every culvert, Cliff Swallows. The back roads skirt Red Lake and this is where you see the first Western Grebes and American White Pelicans. By the time you get to the refuge, the forest is all but disappeared.

Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent Minnesota Department of Natural Resources managed lands comprises nearly 84,000 acres. It has a wildlife auto tour that is open daily. It is a special place where every pool offers new western species. Some examples are Red-necked Grebe, Eared Grebe, Western Grebe, Black Tern, Franklin's Gull and an occasional Cinnamon Teal. The high point of the time at Agassiz was having an American Bittern flying along side the car at eye level, for what seemed like an eternity.

Tomorrow I will spend time getting re-acquainted with familiar places and getting to know others a little bit better. Tomorrows forecast calls for some bad storms so we shall see how that all plays out.

A Beautiful Morning in the Middle of Nowhere

This mornings drive to my first location is a short one from Marquette, Michigan. One of the first birds I saw for the day was a Common Loon on Teal Lake, no less. I did not see any Teal. Not too far down M 28 is an unmarked road that heads north from the main highway. It is an old and sometimes still used logging road that once terminated somewhere else, but no more.  The road is Peshekee Grade. The river for which the road is named, provides the gradual fall or "grade" suitable for, in this case, a road or sometimes a railroad track. Hence the name, Peshekee Grade.

This is a dead end road that starts out in the middle of nowhere and accesses the "somewhere" that is so dear to my heart. It is, in fact, one inspiration for this blog. The road goes 10 miles before it is reduced to a trail impassable by vehicle. About half is paved and the rest is gravel. The gravel road is great and the paved road is probably the worst in North America. The pavement has conformed to bedrock contours and then heaved about by freezing and thawing. It is awful and it has nearly no potholes!

People live along the first few miles of the road and I suppose only in summer. There are secluded cabins but nothing I would consider more than rustic. There are no utilities. There is no popular destination along or at the end of the road. Consequently it is a wilderness that is available to enjoy and study in a practically uninterrupted way.

I spent about 4 hours birding mostly the last 7 seven miles of river and adjacent boreal bogs, wetlands, spruce forest, and mixed hardwood and deciduous forests. I saw maybe half of the species likely to be seen or heard which is a pretty good morning any time. But seeing birds in this virtually undisturbed wilderness is a beautiful and humbling experience.

Even the birds I have seen in migration or have identified countless times come to life in this place like no other. As I was examining a Pesheke River wetland I noticed Blue Jays flying frantically across the way. There sitting in a Spruce was a Broad-winged Hawk. Then a duck lifted in front of me. It was an American Black Duck, an unexpected surprise. I listened to a conversation among at least 3 singing Alder Flycatchers spaced about the wetland. As I surveyed the area once again, a lone Sandhill Crane gracefully crossed the western sky with the eastern sun showing his colors as only the sun can.

I really wanted to see Boreal Chickadees. They are common here but in early June they seem scarce because they are tending to nestlings. Finding them is not guaranteed. As I stood in front of a stand of Spruce trees, I played the Boreal Chickadee song and got no response. I listened ever so carefully and did not hear their burry chickadee song but off in the distance I could clearly hear the call of a Common Loon. This is the consummate "call of the wild".

I moved from one location to another with no Chickadee success. In one place I heard a Magnolia Warbler. I found and watched the Magnolia sing from atop a Spruce tree. As many thousands of Magnolias I have seen, the singing Magnolia on top of that Spruce.....in this place, was, as if it was the very first Magnolia Warbler I had ever seen. It was a thing of beauty! And as I pondered at this thing of beauty I could here a Ruffed Grouse drumming in the distance. For those of you who have experienced this drumming, you know that you can not only hear the sound but you can almost feel it in your chest. It is not a sound but an experience.

I was making my way back out to the main road and I had all but given up hope on the Boreal Chickadee. Then I saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler fly into the top of a tree. I raised my binoculars to take a look and saw other birds moving in the same location. There were two wonderful Boreal Chickadees foraging with the Warbler. It was a reward worth waiting for.

As I made my way further toward the main highway, I watched and heard a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers interacting around a dead snag. There was drumming and vocalizations and it seemed to me that it was something that wasn't choreographed for human viewing. Finally, I stopped to take pictures of the Peshekee River. I looked upstream just in time to see a Common Merganser lift from the stream and fly up stream with white wing patches flashing with every wing beat. It was just one more memorable experience in a place where all the creatures spoke to me in a symphony best heard by the heart.

I made one more scheduled stop before heading directly to Grand Rapids Minnesota for the night. I wanted to check out some more boreal habitat in the farthest northwest corner of Wisconsin. I left U.S. Rt. 2 in Douglas County for a short side tour of Stoney Bridge on the Brule River. This is another boreal habitat that is more like a wilderness corridor than Peshekee Grade. The area around Stoney Bridge and the Brule River is much more developed and populated. But the corridor itself is high quality habitat. Black Cedar is an important tree in this Brule River habitat and there was none of that in Peshekee Grade. Despite the differences the expected bird species is nearly identical.

It was late afternoon and the birding was slow. I did get to enjoy a singing Yellow-bellied Flycatcher along the river. This is one of many migrant birds I love to see in their breeding areas. I also saw a pair of Black and White Warblers but struck out on Black-backed Woodpeckers. When the weather warms and nesting is in full swing it is always important to bird early in the morning and late in the evening and save the mid-day for travel. I'll be back to explore the Brule some morning down the road.

The first 3 days of the trip have been predominantly northern forests. Tomorrow I'll explore central and western Minnesota and will start the day once again in northern forests. Changes aren't too far down the trail so tune in tomorrow to "Where the Middle of Nowhere Is Somewhere" is on your radio dial.

Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula: Day 2 of the Heartland Tour

Michigan the Territory, back in the day, wanted the port of Toledo in the worst way. Ohio, the State, also wanted the port on the Maumee River. Michigan and Ohio fought a mostly symbolic skirmish about the ownership, but Michigan lost the battle in Congress and the Ohio/Michigan bad-blood spilled over to, as far as I know, as of this writing, The irony of the mostly economic decision, was that Michigan lost Toledo but got the Upper Peninsula. Ohio got the commerce on the Maumee River but the mining of iron brought far more riches to Michigan.

The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is way different than the rest of Michigan and self proclaimed as different from every where else too. With that said a whole lot of it is in the middle of nowhere....and their winters probably assure their independence from civilization and development.

Seriously, the U.P. is a northerly place that has extreme weather and serious legions of mosquitoes and black flies. In short, if it flies it bites. So this morning there was no wind and it was warm and any venture out of the truck was full-fledged combat. I used a "clip-on" repellent contraption and made a weird humming noise that I am now convinced was a chorus of mosquito laughter.

So morning birding was a challenge. I stopped at Hartwick Pines State Park early to check their nature center feeders and enjoyed seeing Red-breasted Nuthatch, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Purple Finches but no Evening Grosbeaks. This is the most reliable place to see the ever diminishing species from the Michigan landscape but today I left empty.

So I headed north across the Mackinac Bridge and into the fabled U.P.. I checked the sandy beaches and dunes of the north shore of Lake Michigan for shorebirds without success but I found a Caspian Tern and some probably non-breeding Common Mergansers. From the lake shore I headed for the Hiawatha National Forest, Trout Lake Area. This is Michigan's most reliable location for nesting Connecticut Warblers. These upland forests (the change in elevation from the bogs is only a few feet but well drained) are where the Connecticut's like to nest. I traveled about a mile and a half to appropriate habitat adjacent to bogs along Forest Road 3344 and heard a male Connecticut Warbler singing.  I tried to get the bird to show itself but to no avail. Not a failure, but rather a success, considering hearing the bird is diagnostic and about all one can expect.

After locating this bird I ran into two birders from Detroit looking for this species also. The bird I had heard singing quit so the guys from Detroit headed along the forest road. On my way back out the forest road, the same bird resumed singing, so I chased the fellows down and they returned to this location. They then got to at least hear this illusive warbler.

So I have talked about the serendipitous value of birding in previous blogs. Being out there looking for Connecticut Warblers sometimes pays big dividends. Along the same road I walked for a while  (fighting mosquitoes) and as I looked ahead, there standing in the road looking at me was an American Marten. This is a very secretive mammal that is rarely encountered in the wild. It is similar to Mink but larger with a bushier tale and a head shaped like a fox. This is only my third encounter, the other two in the western mountains. It was brief....but beautiful!

Most of the rest of the day was travel but the wind picked up and the sun shined and the mosquitoes found something to do besides harassing birders. So the high point of the afternoon was a 7 mile auto tour of the 7,000 acre Seney National Wildlife Refuge. This is a great refuge that produces lots of Trumpeter Swans and Common Loons as well as much, much more. On this day the refuge birding was slow. I saw 2 Ring-necked Ducks, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Pine Warblers, Trumpeter Swans, and other regular inhabitants.

Along the south shore of Lake Superior near Marquette I found a couple of soaring Broad-winged Hawks and a Red-tailed Hawk. As I checked beach access areas unsuccessfully for new birds I did find a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel. As much as I love birds I still love a good mammal sighting.

And as much as I have portrayed the U.P. as difficult, it remains in my heart a very special place in the middle of nowhere and tomorrow may bring some greater evidence why, as I explore the Peshekee and Spur River regions of Michigan's U.P..

Lake Erie marshes to Michigan's gateway to the north

Everything I own is in my Toyota truck and I am off at last. I left before sunrise and as I started out on Interstate 90 west I could see large clouds of midges rising above the freeway in the dim morning light. Will this be a buggy adventure?

The western Lake Erie marshes are a good location to start a birding trip west because it adds to the transition from eastern species to western species of birds as the trip progresses. When all is done I can look back and get some sense of this westward and later eastward change as I review the trip.

I drove through Medusa Marsh that lies on the eastern side of Sandusky Bay and then proceeded to Magee Marsh. Considering there were probably a hundred species of birds and thousands of birders all swarming the Magee March boardwalk a couple of weeks ago, the place was deserted! Spring migration is virtually over so I had low expectations about seeing anything but nesters like Prothonotary Warblers.

But Magee Marsh is always reluctant to let spring migration go until it is really done. And guess what. Migration is still happening on a very small scale. The very first bird I found was maybe the last I expected, A
Golden-winged Warbler. It was a very bleached out male. The black throat was but a shadow and the yellow wing-bars were barely evident but it was enough to make a positive ID. The salient point here is going to these places always provides rewarding surprises.

Michigan changes north of West Branch. You can see the transition from farmland to northerly habitats as you drive up Interstate 75. I could feel Porcupines lounging in poplar trees watching the traffic pass them by.
The Kirtland's Warbler is associated with Jack Pine forest......young Jack Pine forest. This region is one of give and take. The management plan calls for removing large tracts of older trees by fire or cutting and replacing it with new Jack Pine trees. This Warbler likes them 4 ft. to 6 ft. tall. After that the nesting trails off dramatically.

Kirtland's Warbler Management Area is managed by both the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service located out of Graying and Mio respectively. The area managed is massive but the Jack Pine Wildlife Viewing Tour is the show piece of the management program. This tour is a circle that has a variety of habitats that weave around the Au Sable River.

I stopped at the Forest Service office and asked about good Kirtland's Warbler viewing areas as they change from time to time. Armed with directions I made my way to the areas identified and low and behold I heard a Kirtland's Warbler sing and with some patience the singing male revealed himself atop a snag amid the young pines.

The beauty of the management for the federally endangered Kirtland's Warbler is that it is, not surprisingly, beneficial for other interesting birds. So I made the tour and found Nashville Warblers, Vesper Sparrows, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Towhees, Brewer's Blackbirds, Common Nighthawks, Hermit Thrushes, Common Ravens, and Palm Warbler.

The Huron National Forest and the Tour is much more than cut and replant. There is plenty of mixed deciduous and coniferous forests in varying stages. Along with the absolutely gorgeous Au Sable River the area also provided Great-crested Flycatcher, Mourning Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Ovenbird, Pine Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker and Scarlet Tanager.

I end the day with 87 species. This is a great start to what will prove to be a momentous tour of America's heartland, its places and its wildlife inhabitants.

Tomorrow I'm crossing the Mackinac Bridge to the U.P. and new places to explore!