Veagle's 2009 List

[veagle]

My life birds will be in bold. Just started birding last year, so there will be more than expected. (I hope).

Jan. 1 at home and in Rapid City

1. Townsend's Solitaire
2. Red-Breasted Nuthatch
3. House Finch
4. Downy Woodpecker
5. American Robin
6. American Crow
7. American Goldfinch
8. Canada Goose
9. Eurasian Collared-Dove
10. Black-capped Chickadee
11. Mallard
12. Pine Siskin

Jan. 2 Fort Randall Dam - Central South Dakota

13. Ring-Billed Gull
14. Ring-necked Pheasant
15. Rough-legged Hawk
16. Common Goldeneye
17. Bald Eagle
18. Yellow-billed Loon:t:
19. Red-Tailed Hawk
20. Common Merganser

Jan. 3 - home

21. Common Redpoll
22. House Sparrow
23. Rock Pigeon
24. Dark-eyed Junco

Jan. 3 - patch

25. Horned Lark

Jan. 4

26. Wild Turkey

Jan 10 - Canyon Lake, Rapid City

27. Gadwall
28. Bufflehead
29. Ring-necked Duck
30. Redhead
31. American Wigeon
32. American Coot

Jan. 10 - patch

33. Northern Harrier
34. Golden Eagle
35. American Kestral

Jan. 10 - home

36. Northern Flicker

Jan. 11 - Lawrence County

37. Blue Jay
38. Evening Grosbeak
39. European Starling
40. White-breasted Nuthatch
41. Hairy Woodpecker

Jan. 11 - Canyon Lake

42. Hooded Merganser

[veagle]

Jan. 16 - White Lake, SD traveling across state

43. Ferruginous Hawk

[veagle]

Jan. 24 in and around Rapid City

44. Varied Thrush - an unusual vagrant in South Dakota
45. Sharp-Tailed Grouse

[veagle]

February 1 - McNenny Fish Hatchery, Spearfish, SD

46. Cedar Waxwing
47. Bohemian Waxwing

February 1 - near Sundance, Wyoming

48. Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (saw a flock of 1000!)

[veagle]

February 7 along Rapid Creek in Rapid City

49. Belted Kingfisher

February 8 in Black Hills National Forest

50. Black-billed Magpie

[veagle]

February 22 - my backyard

51. Sharp-shinned Hawk

flew into a tree in our yard, then went after a group of 12 Sharp-tailed grouse - made for great drama. No kill.

[veagle]

A cold morning (single digits F), went on about a 60 mile loop southeast of Rapid City, trying to find a sharp-tailed grouse lek. Couldn't find it, but did find some good hawks (red-tailed, rough-legged, and golden eagle), along with about 600 horned larks that were in a field along with about 75 pronghorn antelope. And got a couple of new birds, including one I hadn't seen before.

March 1 -

52. American Tree Sparrow
53. Northern Shrike

[veagle]

Went looking for Sage Grouse early this morning near Belle Fourche, SD. Didn't find them, but had a good day, including 4 male bald eagles in one tree, and some birds returning for spring.


March 8

54. Mountain Bluebird
55. Red-winged Blackbird
56. Brewer's Blackbird

[veagle]

More signs of spring today; temps in the 60s; drove south toward a large res. about an hour from here; but ironically two of my FOYs today were within a mile of home.

57. Western Meadowlark
58. Green-winged Teal
59. Wood Duck

[veagle]

Stopped for about an hour of birding around the Missouri River in central South Dakota yesterday after a business meeting, and found:

60. Snow Goose

[veagle]

In Central New Jersey for a few days, got in a little birding this morning.

61. Great Blue Heron
62. Common Grackle
63. Killdeer
64. Tufted Titmouse
65. Mourning Dove
66. Chipping Sparrow

[veagle]

This morning, got together with Stephen Barr (Stephennj), and his Dad, Pete, along with my son Matt, and had a great morning + of birding in a number of central and north jersey locations. Many thanks to Stephen for hosting us; had an extremely productive day:

March 21

67. Northern Cardinal
68. Fish Crow
69. Song Sparrow
70. Wilson's Snipe
71. Carolina Chickadee
72. Red-bellied Woodpecker
73. Brown-headed Cowbird
74. Herring Gull
75. White-throated Sparrow
76. Eastern Towhee
77. Northern Mockingbird
78. Carolina Wren
79. Greater Yellowlegs
80. Great Egret
81. Northern Shoveler
82. Tree Swallow
83. American Black Duck
84. Northern Pintail
85. Canvasback
86. Mute Swan
87. Ruddy Duck
88. Double Crested Cormorant
89. Greater Black-backed Gull
90. Monk Parakeet

Lastly, went back today, and found one more that we looked for yesterday:

March 22 - Highland Park, NJ

91. Great Cormorant

[veagle]

Back in South Dakota, where the weather has been crazy. Arrived Sunday night, temperature around 60. The next day we had a blizzard with about 10 inches of snow, then it got warm, all the snow is now gone, and another blizzard forcasted for tomorrow.

Anyway...I've been seeing alot of waterfowl that I hadn't seen until last week in NJ...Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, and one that I've been trying unsuccessfully until today. Despite the snow, spring is on its way.

March 29

92. Lesser Scaup

[veagle]

Ah, springtime....since last weekend, we have had two blizzards here in western South Dakota, with a total of about 25 inches of snow. All day yesterday, stuck inside. Today, went skiing, and on the way home spotted today's bird. Also went to a local pond were I saw some nice birds...Redhead, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Ring necked Duck, Common Merganser, along with Killdeer, Mountain Bluebird, and Western Meadowlark

April 5 Black Hills National Forest, SD

93. Red Crossbill

[veagle]

April 7 - Seen on my way driving home from work

94. Turkey Vulture

April 10 - Canyon Lake

95. Osprey

My patch, a freshwater pond, out in the prairie, usually gets a good mix of ducks, and now the shorebirds are returning. Also saw Greater Yellowlegs for the first time in SD

April 11

96. American Avocet

[veagle]

A rainy day today, first went to the Catron Pond

April 18 - Catron Pond

97. Franklin's Gull
98. Barn Swallow

later went out to Sevey's Lake, which was as high as I've ever seen it, from all the snow melt and rain

99. Bonaparte's Gull
100. Blue-winged Teal
101. Pied-billed Grebe

[veagle]

What a terrific day today. After a really long day at work (went in before 5 am for a computer system upgrade), left early and went out to the patch. Very windy but weighting down my scope with rocks in a bag made it stable enough to see a lot of shore birds, and ducks, including 3 lifers!

April 23 - Sevey's Lake

102. Marbled Godwit
103. Long-billed Curlew
104. Willet
105. Yellow-headed Blackbird

[veagle]

Another good spring day yesterday. Even though it snowed overnight, the skies cleared, and I went on a Northern Hills Bird Club outing that was very productive. Heavier snow last night, now 3 inches of heavy wet stuff on the ground today.

April 25 - Bear Butte Lake, Meade County, SD

106. American White Pelican
107. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
108. Loggerhead Shrike
109. Eared Grebe
110. Western Grebe
111. Lesser Yellowlegs
112. Say's Phoebe

April 25 - north of Bear Butte, along SD79

113. Great Horned Owl

[veagle]

April 26 - Catron Pond (in Rapid City)

114. Violet-green Swallow

[veagle]

Did a long drive through Pennington and Meade Counties today. Spring has really arrived, from the warblers to the Shorebirds, to the 200 Yellow-headed Blackbirds we saw, it was a very productive day

May 2

115. Yellow-rumped Warbler
116. Orange-crowned Warbler
117. Upland Sandpiper
118. White-crowned Sparrow
119. American Bittern :t:
120. Swainson's Hawk
121. Chestnut-collared Longspur
122. Vesper Sparrow
123. Grasshopper Sparrow
124. Wilson's Phalarope

[veagle]

May 3 - Spearfish Canyon - the Black Hills are the only location in South Dakota for American Dipper

125. Cliff Swallow
126. American Dipper

later in the day, went for a walk, not focused on birding, but lucked out!

127. Swainson's Thrush

[veagle]

May 4 - Backyard birds

128. Clay-colored Sparrow
129. Spotted Towhee

[veagle]

May 8 - Backyard birds - a nice surprise again

130. Lincoln's Sparrow

May -9 Catron Pond

131. Spotted Sandpiper

later in the day, I went back to my "patch", Sevey Lake, which was just teeming with birds - lots of Wilson's Phalaropes, 3 kinds of swallows, lots of sparrows, a couple of Franklin Gulls, dozens of Eared Grebes, and all types of ducks.

132. Long-billed Dowitcher
133. Savannah Sparrow

[veagle]

I took a walk yesterday morning to a little pond near where I live, which I will call Nicklaus pond, as it is off Nicklaus Rd. Very quiet, except for numerous red-winged blackbirds, and a few geese, until I saw a bright yellow bird in the cattails.

May 10 - Nicklaus pond

134. Common Yellowthroat

later in the day, went for a walk along the Rapid Creek, where there were numerous Yellow-rumped and orange crowned warblers. Got a quick view of what I think was a Yellow warbler, but not able to identify it for sure.

135. Least Flycatcher

[veagle]

After dinner tonight, I went for a walk in Jackson Park, a good spot for warblers in the spring and fall. Sure enough I got Yellow-rumped, orange-crowned, least flycatcher, chipping sparrow, tree swallows, red-winged blackbirds, a flicker, and three foys:

May 13 - Jackson Park

136. Yellow Warbler
137. Western Tananger
138. Black-headed Grosbeak

[veagle]

Got a message from a friend that this bird had been sighted locally - rushed down and got it, before going away for the weekend

May 15 - Canyon Lake

139. Common Loon

Went to the annual meeting of the South Dakota Ornithological Union, held near Custer, SD. The majority of the field trips were within Custer State Park, one of the finest state parks in the country, IMHO. The first field trip, on Saturday, was led by Todd Jensen, who last year set the all-time SD year list record, and obviously knows his birds. We birded three seperate areas:

Hell Canyon - We spent several hours here hiking about 1.5 miles in and back. Lots of birds all around, with the highlights here being MacGillivray's Warbler and Cassin's Finchs.

May 16 - Hell Canyon

140. Dusky Flycatcher
141. White-throated Swift
142. MacGillivrey's Warbler:t:
143. Cassin's Finch
144. Warbling Vireo
145. Brown Thrasher
146. House Wren

Boles and Roby Canyons - this small area, on the Wyoming border is the only place in South Dakota for Virginia's Warbler. We got it, and also had a great look at a Goshawk, as well as a textbook illustration performed by a Cooper's Hawk and a Sharp-Shinned, which showed their comparitive sizes and shapes.

May 16 - Boles and Roby Canyons

147. Eastern Kingbird
148. Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
149. Cooper's Hawk
150. Virginia's Warbler:t:
151. Plumbeous Vireo
152. Northern Goshawk
153. Western Kingbird

Elk Mountain - a nearby fire tower requires a long drive up a windy road through an extensive burn area from a big forest fire. Very productive, and great views of the surrounding area to boot. Highlights included the Lewis's Woodpecker, and great close-up views of Clark's Nutcracker

May 16 - Elk Mountain

154. Rock Wren
155. Lewis's Woodpecker
156. Clark's Nutcracker
157. Red-headed Woodpecker

Today, we spent the morning going through the Custer Park Wildlife Loop, and the prime target was Black-backed Woodpecker, which also thrives in the burn areas.

May 17 - Custer State Park

158. Black-backed Woodpecker (m & f):t:
159. Lark Sparrow
160. Lark Bunting
161. Canyon Wren

All in all, an amazing weekend for me!

[veagle]

Spent the weekend in New Jersey. Four factors came together to create a great weekend of birding for me. First, it's spring, second, in an area of the country with many different birds than I normally see in South Dakota. Third, my life list is modest, as I've only been "keeping score" for a little less than a year. And fourth, I was able to share Saturday's birding with my son, who lives in Washington.

Early Friday morning, I visited Conaskonk Point, which is south of NYC on Raritan Bay. Followed directions in the NJ Audubon web site, and what a treat:

May 22 - Conaskonk Point

162. Brant
163. Red Knot
164. Boat-tailed Grackle
165. Least Sandpiper
166. Laughing Gull
167. Semipalmated Sandpiper
168. Glossy Ibis
169. Black Skimmer :t: (I just really like this bird!)
170. Dunlin
171. Snowy Egret
172. Ruddy Turnstone
173. Black-bellied Plover:t:
174. American Oystercatcher

May 22 - Natco Lake

175. Semipalmated Plover
176. Bank Swallow

Saturday morning, went to Sandy Hook, which seperates Raritan Bay from the Atlantic. The waterbirds were not as interesting as yesterday, but the Warblers made up for it. Really had to work hard for those warblers.

May 23 - Sandy Hook

177. Yellow-crowned Night Heron
178. Mourning Warbler:t:
179. Black-and-white Warbler
180. Tennessee Warbler
181. American Redstart
182. Blackpoll Warbler
183. Olive-sided Flycatcher
184. Gray Catbird

May 23 - Conaskonk Point

185. Stilt Sandpiper

May 24 - back in SD, my patch - Sevey Lake

186. Black Tern

[veagle]

May 24 - my patch

187. Sanderling

Got word today that a Cinnamon Teal had been seen at Sevey's Lake; spent an hour in very windy conditions, not able to find it, but came up with a new bird anyway:

May 25 - my patch

188. Red-necked Phalarope

[veagle]

Went out early Saturday morning to my patch- the lake was calm, for a change, lots of Eared Grebes, and Ruddy Ducks, Redheads, and a few Canvasbacks, lots of Wilson's Phalaropes and Killdeer, Black Terns, and the occasional Yellow-Headed Blackbird. A bit up the road, I saw a few Horned Larks, Upland Sandpipers, and got a good look at a bird I've been trying to find for for a while:

May 30 - my patch

189. Bobolink

[veagle]

Drove out Spring Creek Rd., into Custer County. Highlights included Grasshopper and Lark Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Brown Thrasher, Loggerhead Shrike, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, and 2 FOYS:

May 31 - Lower Spring Creek Rd.

190. Common Nighthawk
191. Dickcissel

[veagle]

Did a lot of birding this weekend in rainy weather. Friday night I saw Black-bellied Plover for the first time in South Dakota, then Saturday, up to Bear Butte Lake, where I picked up the only foy bird of the weekend, then back to Sevey Lake, where the Plover had split, but all the usual ducks, grebes, and a mess of Cliff Swallows. Today, I drove some of the back roads east of Rapid City, no foys, but lots of Grasshopper Sparrows, Lark Buntings, Upland Sandpipers, a Great Horned Owl, Swainson's Hawk, Marbled Godwit, and 4 Long-Billed Curlews. Then over to Canyon Lake, where the lone Common Loon was back - this time I got a great view.

June 6 - Bear Butte Lake

192. California Gull

[veagle]

My wife and I spent a long weekend on a birding trip to the Prairie Potholes region of North Dakota. We drove from Rapid City, SD to Bismarck, ND, where we stayed for three nights, a distance of 350 miles (563 km). This kind of distance is not much of a barrier here, not exactly Britain, in terms of population density, number of cars, etc.

First stop was at nearby Bear Butte Lake, where there were a reasonably good selection of ducks, and gulls.

June 12 - Bear Butte Lake

193. Common Tern

Leaving the lake we got a good look at a Wilson's Snipe on a fencepost, not the most common of birds around here. Next stop was the Nisland Slough, also not too far away. Never been there before, and it proved to be fortuitous. Lots of Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds all over the place, along with Wilson's Phalaropes, a variety of swallows, ducks, and a duck I've been looking for for a while. Very uncommon but consistent visitor to South Dakota.

Nisland Slough

194. Cinnamon Teal

The rest of the drive to Bismarck was uneventful, although we did visit the Belle Fourche Res., where we saw our first American White Pelican of the trip, and a nesting colony of about 300 California Gulls. Along the drive to Bismarck, common birds included Western Meadowlark, Lark Bunting, and Eastern and Western Kingbirds.

After getting settled at our motel, we drove out to Rice Lake to do some birding. Spotted our first Ring-Necked Pheasant of the trip, and the lake had a wide variety of ducks, grebes, cormorants, and we picked up a few Willets and Marbled Godwits. Then we went to an area just northeast of the Lake where we had recieved information that Baird's Sparrows and Sprague's Pippits had been found recently. No luck on these rarities, but we did find Chestnut-collared Longspur and quite a few Grasshopper Sparrows. Then riding around in the area on the many gravel roads yielded one of the real finds of the trip. We were able to clearly distinguish the Hudsonian Godwit from the Marbled Godwits seen earlier by their slightly curved bills.

Near Rice Lake, ND

195. Hudsonian Godwit

[veagle]

Our first full day in North Dakota, and the weather cooperated magnificently. This proved to be one of the more amazing birding days that I've experienced. Alot has been written about North Dakota birding, but it must be experienced to be appreciated. Just smaller than Great Britain (81,000 sq. miles vs. 70,700 sq. miles), North Dakota has 640,000 residents vs. about 58 Million for Britain. You get the picture? We drove for hours and hours and literally saw no one. But the birds were everywhere, with lakes abounding.

We would spend the day going to a series of Lakes, including Chase Lake, the largest nesting territory for the American White Pelican. We started out early, and before going very far, I caught a quick glimpse of what I thought to be Black-Crowned Night-Heron. I got a much better look at another later in the day at Chase Lake. Access to the Pelican area is limited during breeding season, but through my scope I got a look at thousands of pelicans, and gulls. The day just kept getting better, culminating with our locating a real local treasure, the Baird's Sparrow.

June 13 - Chicago Lake - Chase Lake- Kunkel Lake - Horsehead Lake

196. Black-crowned Night Heron
197. Horned Grebe
198. Cattle Egret
199. Sedge Wren
200. Orchard Oriole
201. Baird's Sparrow

The pictures below are of the Sedge Wren, and me at Chase Lake.

[veagle]

June 14 - Today we followed a self-guided tour provided by one of the local Birding groups, that tied together the McKenzie Slough, Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and several sights along the Missouri River. I was hoping to pick up the Least Tern today along the River, but no luck on that. But had others that I hadn't counted on.

June 14 - McKenzie Slough

202. White-faced Ibis
203. Eastern Phoebe

Next, went to Long Lake NWR, which has three dikes that you drive over, getting close to many birds. On the first dike, pictured below, were a large number of ring-billed gulls, some terns, and a beautiful little Piping Plover. Then we drove up to an observation point, from which we spotted the Caspian Tern, much larger than all the other terns. Stopped for lunch at the Visitor Center, and found fully occupied Purple Martin "hotels".

June 14 - Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota

204. Forster's Tern
205. Piping Plover
206. Caspian Tern
207. Purple Martin

Today, we drove back to South Dakota - no new birds, but saw a few good ones at the Bowman - Haley Res., near the South Dakota/ North Dakota Border, including Dickcissel, and Loggerhead Shrike.

The pictures below are the dike at Long Lake where we saw the Piping Plover, some Terns along with the ever-present Yellow-Headed Blackbird, and a sight from the road, in Steele, North Dakota, a staging ground for Sandhill Cranes in the fall.

All in all we saw 88 species, including 12 lifers. Highly recommend the area!

[veagle]

I have been informed that Least Tern, from my last post would be very, very unusual away from the Missouri River. Expert opinion seems to think that my photograph is of a Forster's Tern molting into fall plumage. So I will take Least Tern off my list, and my next year bird will be #208.

Veagle

[veagle]

Went out this evening on Lower Spring Creek Rd., into Custer County. Was a beautiful evening, and saw a good variety of birds, including 3 Dickcissels, Lark Bunting, Upland Sandpipers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Horned Lark, quite a few Common Nighthawk (picture included), Loggerhead Shrike, American Kestral, Vesper Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and a Northern Harrier.

June 23 - Custer County

208. Burrowing Owl

[veagle]

So tonight after dinner, I drove over to my local patch, and once I'd gotten there (about a 25 minute drive), I realized that I forgot my scope! It was that kind of day. So instead of spending most of the time scanning the lake, I drove around a bit and focused on birds along the road. Quite a few Upland Sandpipers, a couple of Horned Larks, which are much more common here in winter than summer, and then sitting on a wire close to my parked car, I spotted a sparrow that I've not seen before. So it worked out pretty well.

June 25 - my patch

209. Field Sparrow

[veagle]

Recieved information from a friend that two birds I've been looking for were found out on Hammerquest Rd. east of the Rapid City Airport. Met another friend out there this morning before work, and spent about an hour looking around. Didn't find Yellow-breasted Chat, but the area was quite productive with Cedar Waxwing, Common Nighthawk, Orchard Oriole, Upland Sandpiper, Dickcissel, Common Yellowthroat, Black-headed Grosbeak, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, among others. Nice way to start the day.

July 1 - Hammerquest Rd., Pennington County, SD

210. Bell's Vireo

[veagle]

Out running errands this morning. Had heard there were a group of Chimney Swifts that roost on an old Hotel downtown. Sure enough -

July 3 - Rapid City, SD

211. Chimney Swift

[veagle]

My wife and I went to Custer State Park this afternoon. We took a short hike around Legion Lake, and had a surprisingly good group of birds considering it was around noon, and lots of people around. We saw a number of Least Flycatchers, a Common Yellowthroat feeding a Cowbird chick three times her size, an Osprey, and a number of Yellow Warblers, in addition to:

July 4 - Legion Lake, Custer State Park

212. Red-naped Sapsucker
213. Ruby-crowned Kinglet

July 4 - Coolidge Mt. Lookout, Custer State Park

214. Pinyon Jay

[veagle]

A beautiful day today, my wife and I went for a bike ride on the Mickelson Trail, which follows an old railroad right-of way through the Black Hills for over 100 miles. We picked a short section that is very scenic. Birding wasn't the focus of the trip, but I wore my binoculars, and we saw a nice group of birds in a riparian habitat, as the trail followed a stream the entire way. We saw another Ruby-crowned Kinglet, some Least Flycatchers, a couple of Song Sparrows, two Red-Tailed Hawks, and a great Western Tanager, as well as todays new birds:

July 5- Mickelson Trail, north of Mystic, SD

215. Cordilleran Flycatcher
216. Yellow-breasted Chat

[veagle]

My wife and I are in Nova Scotia, for vacation, along with Newfoundland. Arrived late last night, and went kayaking this morning. Saw quite a few birds that we are familar with from South Dakota - Cormorants, an Osprey, Cedar Waxwing, Barn Swallow, Common Yellowthroat, Great Blue Heron, Chipping and Savannah Sparrows, some that we rarely see at home - American Black Duck, Common Raven, Greater Black-backed Gull, and a couple of new birds, a couple of Sooty Shearwaters flying out over the Atlantic, and a number of Short-Billed Dowitchers

July 12 East Dover and Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

217. Sooty Shearwater
218. Short-billed Dowitcher
219. Common Raven

[veagle]

Continuing our Nova Scotia trip:
We are based for the next few days in the delightful town of Cheticamp, which is distinctly Arcadian, many people speak French. It is on the western coast of Nova Scotia, on the Northumberland Strait.

I started the day with an early scan of a sandbar in Cheticamp Harbor. There were the normal assortment of Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls, but also, a small flock of Arctic Terns. We then went on a series of hikes within the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, which I highly recommend for birders and non-birders alike. Our first hike was a riparian setting (Le Butterau Trail)where we saw a nice assortment of birds, including American Redstart, Savannah Sparrow, a Ruffed Grouse, Cedar Waxwings (which were everywhere in Cape Breton Island), and the ever-present Bald Eagle. But the highlights of this hike were 1) a couple of Blackburnian Warblers, 2)a Black Bear, which we saw on the trail, which caused the hike to be shorter than planned, and 3)a colony of Black Guillemots, which were nesting in a cliff overlooking the Strait.

Later in the day, we hiked MacIntosh Brook, where we spotted another nice addition, the Ovenbird.

July 15 - Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia

220. Arctic Tern
221. Black Guillemot
222. Blackburnian Warbler
223. Ruffed Grouse
224. Ovenbird

more to follow...

[veagle]

Our next day in Nova Scotia, we would begin the day in Cheticamp, and spend the night in Indian Brook on the opposite side of the island. I forgot to mention that yesterday while trying to find Bicknell's Thrush (unsuccessfully) we spent about 20 minutes watching a Moose at close range, which was a real treat. I started this day early and spent a little time exploring Cheticamp Backroad. Things were pretty quiet for the most part, although I did spot Red-winged Blackbird, Lincoln's Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Cedar Waxwing, and a magnificent Magnolia Warbler, which I was to learn was fairly common in the park.

We then hiked to Benjie's Lake, where we got a good view of an Osprey fishing, saw a Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and then ran into (almost literally) a female Spruce Grouse, and four chicks. This bird is known to be ridiculously tame, and now we know why.

After spotting some Pine Siskins, we next hiked around Jigging Cove Lake, where the highlights were another Magnolia Warbler, and a group of 4 Boreal Chickadees, a specialty of the region.

July 16, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia

225. Magnolia Warbler
226. Spruce Grouse
227. Boreal Chickadee

more to follow...

[veagle]

Our next day in Nova Scotia, July 17, started well. The first bird I saw from outside our hotel room was an Bald Eagle, which nests nearby. That was followed quickly by two lifebirds, that I saw from 1 step outside our room.

We were facing a long drive this day from Cape Breton to our next stop, along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, but we first drove about an hour and a half east to a site I had seen written up in trip reports, Schooner Pond, and Cape Perce. We saw a group of about 75 Canada Geese, which, strange as it seems are fairly unusual in this part of Canada. I guess they are too busy on the US Golf courses. It poured as we drove to
Schooner Pond, and prospects didn't look too good. I went out and surveyed the two ponds, with not too much to report - Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow Warblers, and American Black Ducks, by far the most commonly seen water fowl on this trip.

But the weather was improving, and we decided to take a hike out to the Headlands. So glad we were able to do this, as it was one of the more memorable birding experiences I've had. Started out by finally seeing a Fox Sparrow, and also a Yellow-rumped Warbler. But they were the appetizers. When we reached the headlands, visibility had improved, and we were treated to an amazing spectacle. Large numbers of Black Guillemots were scooting just over the water surface. We saw a large number of Cormorants, both Double Crested, and Great, and were able to see the first of many Black-Legged Kittiwakes that we were to see on our trip. And then, finally, a small number of massive Northern Gannets.

After several hours we finally got on the road, and various stops yielded Lesser Yellowlegs, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Barn Swallows, two gorgeous Evening Grosbeaks, an American Goldfinch, another Purple Finch, and a Common Nighthawk spotted during dinner. Great day.

July 17 - Indian Brook, Nova Scotia

228. Purple Finch
229. Brown Creeper

July 17 - Schooner Pond & Cape Perce, Nova Scotia

230. Fox Sparrow
231. Black-legged Kittiwake
232. Northern Gannet

more to come...

[veagle]

I got up early, and surveyed the inlet that our hotel was on, and was able to spot a couple Great Blue Herons, numerous DC Cormorants, Greater Black-backed Gulls, and about 50 Common Loons, quite a nice sight. Then, over breakfast, a heavy fog rolled in that was to stay with us all day. We chose a place to bird that we thought might be protected, and spotted a Black-crowned Night-heron, some Pine Siskins, and a Hairy Woodpecker on the way. The habitat, which was largly coniferous forest, was fairly quiet, but over the course of the next few hours, we did manage to see White-Throated Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Common Yellowthroat, Fox Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, and a very nice Hermit Thrush. On the way back to the motel, we saw a Common Merganser with a group of 7 chicks, some Blue Jays, and a number of Ring-Necked Pheasants, one of which, on seeing us, turned and ran directly into the wall of a house. I guess their reputation is deserved.

July 18 - Musquodoboit Harbor, Nova Scotia

233. Hermit Thrush

The next morning, the fog was still with us, but we were determined to make the most of our last full day in Nova Scotia, so we headed down the shoreline to try to find Common Eider, or White Winged Scoter.

The fog would come and go, and we quickly located some Common Eider, which was nice, although we never did see the Male. Also saw a group of 20 or so Common Terns.
Moving on to a local beach, the tide was going out and we found some shorebirds.. Lesser Yellowlegs, and Short-billed Dowitchers. Among a group of Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls was a Bonaparte's, and then on the way to Conrad Beach, we clearly heard the call of the Nelson's Sharp-Tailed Sparrow, and got great views of a half dozen of them. An unexpected treat. Ran into an Englishwomen who engaged us about birding, and told us that the Beach had Piping Plovers, in fact the local authorities had protected their environment. Sure enough, ten minutes later, we saw one of these little beauties.

July 19 - Three Fathom Harbor, Nova Scotia

234. Common Eider

July 19 - Conrad Beach, Nova Scotia

235. Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow

The sky finally cleared as we returned to Halifax, to get ready for our flight the following morning to St. John's, Newfoundland. On the plane the next morning, we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk on the runway, before take-off

Next, Newfoundland...

[veagle]

So, we arrived in Newfoundland, and brought good weather with us. Since it was early, we decided to go for the Boat trip to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, which is the largest nesting Atlantic Puffin colony in North America with more than 600,000 pairs, along with similarly massive numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes, and Common Mures. Smaller numbers of Razorbills and Thick-billed Mures also nest here. We saw all but the Thick-billed. The numbers were just overwhelming, the sky full of these birds, as well as the random Black Guillimot, and Northern Gannet.

We went on O'Brien's Boat tours, they do a really nice job, not only of taking you close in and pointing out the habitats, but also chasing whales. We saw perhaps 25 Hump-backed Whales, over the course of maybe a little more than an hour..

July 20 - Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland

236. Atlantic Puffin
237. Common Mure
238. Razorbill

The next day, we drove around the "Irish Loop", as the Avalon Penninsula is known. We saw many of the same species as the day before, particularly from our picnic lunch at the Ferryland Lighthouse, where we were able to watch whales, seals, and flocks of juvenile Starlings out among the nesting Kittiwakes, Mures, and Puffins while eating a meal that I will remember for the rest of my life. Lots of great scenary, but only one new bird for the day:

July 21 - Tor Bay Pond, Newfoundland

239. Pine Grosbeak

[veagle]

Our plan for the following day was after some local birding in St. John's, to head down to St. Bride's on the southwest corner of the Avalon Penninsula, where we would spend the night. If the weather was good when we arrived in late afternoon, we would go directly to Cape St. Mary's. In any event, we had the next morning for a return visit.

So we first birded Mundy Pond in St. John's; lots of American Black Ducks, a few Common Terns, a Yellow Warbler or two, some Ring-billed and Herring Gulls, and a few Tree Swallows.

Next stop was Argentia, where we saw a few more Yellow and Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and a number of Boreal Chickadees. Then down the coast to St. Bride's. It's fairly cloudy, and threatening, but no rain, so off we go to Cape St. Mary's.

What an amazing place! Our goal, other than to simply enjoy this special place, was to find the Thick-billed Mure, which we missed on Witless Bay. But on the way to the visitor center, we get two great surprises. First a good look at one of two Short-eared Owls that are nesting nearby. And secondly a good look at a Merlin.

Finding the Thick-billed proved not to be a problem. The rangers know precisely where to find them, as the same birds return to the same tiny spots year after year. Cape St. Mary's is really a special place for birders. The proximity you get to the birds is amazing. Oh, and we also get another chance to see lots of American Pipits, a few Horned Larks, Savannah Sparrows, and a Bald Eagle creating absolute havoc on the breeding grounds.

July 23 - Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland

240. Short-eared Owl
241. Merlin
242. Thick-billed Mure
243. American Pipit

The next morning we return for another look at the Mures, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Gannets, etc.and try to locate the resident Willow Ptarmigan (no luck) before beginning our return trip to St. John's. The following day we embark on the long trip home, fittingly finding two trip birds (Bank and Cliff Swallows) from inside the terminal in Halifax, giving us a total of 84 species for our trip. This included 27 year birds and 21 lifers for me. Some experiences I'll long remember.

[veagle]

Back in South Dakota, went out yesterday to look at a couple of lakes in Pennington and Meade Counties to see if any shorebird migration has begun. Because of the amount of rain we've had this year, the level of the lakes is so high there are little in the way of mudflats for the shorebirds. One yearbird- Bullock's Oriole, which I needed to see for a second time this morning before being able to make an ID. Other highlights of our drive included Dickcissel, Upland Sandpiper, Field, Grasshopper, Savannah, and Lark Sparrow, several Red-tailed Hawks, 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse, Bell's Vireo, Northern Harrier, hundreds of Lark Buntings, two Loggerhead Shrike, and a single Chestnut Collared Longspur.

August 1, New Underwood Lake, SD

244. Bullock's Oriole

[veagle]

My wife and I went for a bike ride on the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills (SD) today. Saw some nice birds, including immature Red-naped Sapsucker, Black-headed Grosbeak, Pine Siskin, Vesper Sparrow, Least Flycatcher, an immature Spotted Sandpiper, and one bird that I've only seen twice before:

Aug. 9 - Mickelson Trail, SD

245. Gray Jay

[veagle]

Spending a long weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado with family. Had a good day today. Started off a little rainy. I went to Dillon Lake, where I saw Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, a number of Lark Sparrow, and a new bird:

August 14, Dillon Lake, CO

246. Bushtit

Next, walked along the creek in Breckenridge, where I saw Yellow Warbler, Cliff and Violet-Green Swallows, a White-crowned Sparrow, and my first Hummer of the year:

August 14, Breckenridge, CO

247. Broad-tailed Hummingbird

In the afternoon, we all went on a nice hike, where we saw a nice group of birds, including "Gray-headed" Dark-eyed Junco, House Wren, and the following:

August 14, Salt Lick Trail, Silverthorne, CO

248. Stellar's Jay
249. Rufous Hummingbird
250. Willow Flycatcher
251. American Three-toed Woodpecker
252. Western Wood-Pewee
253. Mountain Chickadee

[veagle]

Went on another hike today to the Alfred M. Bailey Bird Nesting Area. Saw many "Red-shafted" Northern Flickers, Hairy Woodpecker, lots of Juncos, a Stellar's Jay, a couple of House Wren, a Yellow Warbler, a number of Least Flycatchers, Mountain Chickadee, and one new bird, a couple of:

August 15, Alfred M. Bailey Bird Nesting Area, Silverthorne, CO

254. Wilson's Warbler

[veagle]

After dropping our son off at Denver International, we headed north to the Lower Latham Reservoir area. Our first stop was a small body of water, where we enjoyed views of Snowy Egret, American Avocet, some frenetic Black-necked Stilt, and American White Pellican, while being screamed at by a number of circling Swainson's Hawks. Our next stop was just south of the Reservoir, in a marshy area where we saw Great Egret, and three adolescent Marsh Wren, which were learning how to balance on barbed-wire fence.

Our next stop was along the same road where a small pond with extensive mud-flats found a group of 150 Franklin's Gulls, a female Great-tailed Grackle, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Baird's Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Northern Shoveler, and a White-faced Ibis. A great area. On our way back to the highway for the return trip to Rapid City, we came across a small pasture with cattle, about 15 Cattle Egret, and a dozen or so Great-Tailed Grackle.

Stopped at Pawnee National Grasslands to try to find McCown's Longspurs, but found only about 700 Lark Bunting instead. All in all, Colorado provided some really nice birding.

August 16, Lower Latham Reservoir area, CO

255. Black-necked Stilt
256. Marsh Wren
257. Great-tailed Grackle
258. Baird's Sandpiper

[veagle]

Went out to Bear Butte Lake this morning. Highlights included watching immature Northern Harriers play, Wilson's Snipe, Least Sandpiper, Belted Kingfisher, and a very early female Bufflehead. Had one other notable:

August 23 - Bear Butte Lake

xxx. Greater White-Fronted Goose

Well, I just found out the geese were "raised in captivity", so I won't count them. Sorry 'bout that.

[veagle]

After returning from Colorado, I consulted with some friends regarding a picture of a Sandpiper I took. After a number of people examined it, the consensus is that it was a Western Sandpiper, which I will now add:

August 16, Lower Latham Reservoir, CO

259. Western Sandpiper

I have also attached a shot of the Great-tailed Grackle, taken the same day. I apologize for the quality of the shots.

[veagle]

A quiet time of the year, I am discovering. Went to a few locations within the Black Hills National Forest yesterday, highlights includied two Osprey greeting me at Pactola Reservoir, a pair of House Wrens, Grey Catbird, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. No new birds.

Today, I went late afternoon to a small park within Rapid City. Very quiet, but I did get a really good look at a bird I've been looking for, and one that I had only seen twice before.

August 30, Hall Park, Rapid City, SD

260. Red-eyed Vireo

[veagle]

Drove to Hot Springs, SD early this morning. A cemetary there has the only Lesser Goldfinches in South Dakota, and I got several good views. Made a few other stops in the area, with highlights including lots of Mountain Bluebirds, a Hairy Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwings, about 60 White-throated Swifts, a Yellow-breasted Chat, and a number of Red-tailed Hawks. The icing on the cake was my first view of a bird I have been looking for all summer:

September 5 - Hot Springs, SD

261. Lesser Goldfinch
262. Prairie Falcon

[veagle]

I've been in central South Dakota for the last three days, for business meetings, and have managed to do some birding early and late. Visited a few locations, highlights included 75 American White Pelicans, hundreds of Western Grebes, numerous Great and Snowy Egrets, Long-billed Dowitchers, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, large numbers of Franklin's Gulls, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk, all seen at Red Lake. Visiting the nearby Boyer Game Production (a strange term) Area, I spotted a Red-headed Woodpecker, and a number of Bell's Vireos. White Lake yielded Barn Swallows, Black Terns and a White-faced Ibis, and had three sightings of Cattle Egrets, one of 200!

But the highlight for me was my first sighting of a great little Warbler. I was lucky enough to sit in my car 10 feet from a thicket where a handful of these birds gave me great looks. Unfortunately forgot my camera.

September 16 - Red Lake, SD

263. Nashville Warbler

[veagle]

A busy weekend. Yesterday I led a birding outing for our local club - my first time. It was reasonably sucessful, as I worked hard to produce great weather. And we saw one of our primary targets - Burrowing Owl, which live in Prairie dog villages. Also saw White-crowned, Clay-colored, and Field Sparrows, and Orange-Crowned Warbler and Common Yellowthroat.

Today, got a call from a friend tipping me to the presence of some shorebirds at Sevey Lake. I went over late in the day. It was so windy, I couldn't use my tripod, but rather took my scope off the tripod and used it propped up against the car window. Was able to see 7 Long-billed Dowitchers and:

September 27 - Sevey Lake, SD

264. Pectoral Sandpiper

[veagle]

Had some good birding this weekend despite ridiculously cold, wintry weather. It's been snowing most of the weekend, with temperatures in the 20s (F). Yesterday, I went out to Sevey Lake, found it mostly frozen over. Did get some good looks at a Prairie Falcon, and and a Northern Harrier. This morning, I went for a quick look at Canyon Lake, where some of the wintering birds are arriving. Saw my first Hooded Mergansers and Ring-necked Ducks of the season, along with Common Merganser, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Redhead, and a Pied-billed Grebe.

Then, late in the day, I drove to an area by the local airport that I had never visited before. Again the weather was miserable, but I lucked out with a Northern Harrier, some Horned Larks, a handful of Savannah Sparrows, a few Red-winged Blackbirds, which I thought had all left the area, and best of all, a new bird for me:

Oct. 11 - Near Rapid City Airport

265. Rusty Blackbird

[veagle]

Went to Bear Butte Lake in the morning, looking for Gray Partridge. Spent quite a while looking, then scanned the lake, finding Western Grebe, Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, among others. Then walking around a small pond, I flushed a group of about 10 Gray Partridges. Been looking for them for a while.

October 17 - Bear Butte Lake, SD

266. Gray Partridge

[veagle]

Got a call yesterday from a friend who observed a Surf Scoter about 55 miles east of Rapid City, in the wonderful town of Wall (of Wall Drugs fame). Drove out early this morning arrived at the sewage lagoon at dawn, and there it was. An adolescent, this bird has only been seen in Western South Dakota four or five times. Other birds seen included Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead and Northern Shoveler. Drove the hour back to Rapid City, and was in my office by 8:30. Great way to start the day.

October 19 - Wall Sewage Lagoon, SD

267. Surf Scoter :t:

[veagle]

I have been getting reports of sightings of Harris's Sparrows recently, and have been totally unsucessfull in finding it until today. Ironically, I was watching some football on the TV, and looked out under our feeders, and saw an unfamiliar sparrow. Sure enough, a first winter Harris's.

October 25 - Rapid City, SD

268. Harris's Sparrow

[veagle]

In California for a few days, split between business and birding. A more complete account at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1629375#post1629375.

October 27, 2009 Along the Palms to Pines Highway, California

269. Western Scrub-Jay
270. Acorn Woodpecker
271. Western Bluebird
272. California Quail
273. Oak Titmouse
274. Pygmy Nuthatch

[veagle]

At the Salton Sea, for a marathon day with Henry Detwiler from Southwestern Birding. A description of the day is at : http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1629375#post1629375

October 30 - Salton Sea, California

275. Anna's Hummingbird
276. Phainopepla
277. Abert's Towhee
278. Black Phoebe
279. Clark's Grebe
280. Gambel's Quail
281. Common Moorhen
282. Gila Woodpecker
283. Cactus Wren
284. Verdin

[veagle]

At the Salton Sea, for a marathon day with Henry Detwiler from Southwestern Birding. A description of the day is at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1635157#post1635157

October 30 - Salton Sea, California

285. Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
286. Brewer's Sparrow
287. Greater Roadrunner
288. Brown Pelican
289. Peregrine Falcon:t:

[veagle]

At the Salton Sea, for a marathon day with Henry Detwiler from Southwestern Birding. A description of the day is at http://birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=155532

October 30 - Salton Sea, California

290. Heerman's Gull
291. Yellow-footed Gull
292. Inca Dove
293. Common Ground-Dove
294. White-tailed Kite

[veagle]

At the Salton Sea, for a marathon day with Henry Detwiler from Southwestern Birding. A description of the day is at http://birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=155532

October 30 - Salton Sea, California

295. Greater White-fronted Goose
296. Sandhill Crane
297. Sora
298. Virginia Rail
299. Ross's Goose
300. Vermilion Flycatcher o:D

[veagle]

Had some first of Season birds this weekend: Bald Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, and Townsend's Solitaire. But the highlight was:

November 15 - Bear Butte Lake

301. Greater Scaup

[veagle]

I'm in Pierre, the state capital of SD for the weekend meeting of the South Dakota Ornithological Union. Had a short outing this morning - focused on locating a Red-throated Loon, that had been seen a bit north of here during the last few days, but maybe seen only half a dozen times in SD. A cold, blustery day, and the wind was making it difficult to scan the water, but shortly after arriving, several of us get a quick glimpse of the Loon, after wich we are unable to re-locate it. But we also see another lifer for me, as well as Eared and Western Grebes, and a Bald Eagle. Went back late in the day to try to re-locate the Loon. No wind, water like glass, but no luck. Good day anyway. Picture of the Grebe attached.

November 21 - Cow Creek Recreation Area, SD

302. Red-throated Loon
303. Red-necked Grebe

[veagle]

Today was the second day of the SDOU meeting. I drove down with a small group to the Big Bend Dam, south of Pierre along the Missouri River. Lots of gulls, and waterfowl, and a few surprises. Our first stop turned out to be the most productive, as we saw both Thayer's and Glaucous Gulls on the first visit, and picked up 5 Snow Buntings on the last stop of the morning. In between, we saw lots of Double-crested Cormorants, Bonaparte's Gulls, and Common and Hooded Mergansers, along with a handful of Bald Eagles. A nice morning.

November 22 - Big Bend Dam, SD

304. Thayer's Gull
305. Glaucous Gull
306. Snow Bunting