Hello from South Dakota (2 Viewers)

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LouAnn

Member

• Apr 19, 2004

• #1

One of the major migration routes go threw South Dakota its bordering states so we see many ducks, geese, bald eagles and other birds fly overhead each spring and fall. Some do stay in the wetlands about an hour west of Sioux Falls, where we live, so there are always a lot of birding areas to frequent. One of my favorite is the white pelican as I love watching them glide and soar overhead as they head to the area lakes and places north.

This spring I headed to Texas to visit my pregnant daughter and her husband. I wasn't able to get out birding too much, but did manage to go to a closeby state park and added scrub jays, roadrunners, northern mockingbirds, black vultures and great-tailed crackles to my bird list. All were fun to watch, but the roadrunners were especially fascinating. I also was able to stop at Grand Island, NE to see the sandhill cranes, both on my way down and my way back.

I usually bird in South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin (where we have a cabin on a river), but now will be adding North Dakota since we have a daughter moving there. Will be back in Texas off and on to visit our new granddaughter (due in June) and family and hope to bird there a little more too. Last summer we had Long-eared Owls nesting in our back yard and we had fun watching them. I will post some of the photos I took.

LouAnn

 

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Last edited: Apr 19, 2004

Steve

Member

Staff member

• Apr 19, 2004

• #2

Welcome LouAnn To BF

 

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 19, 2004

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peligirl

Active member

• Apr 19, 2004

• #3

Hi LouAnn, sounds like a wonderful and busy life with birding thrown in.

 

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helenol

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2004

• #4

Welcome to Bird Forum. I'm sure you will enjoy the forum as much as we all do.

Regards

 

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brazos2

New member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #5

Where abouts in Texas? Did you know the roadrunner is actually a memeber of the KuKu bird family?

 

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Beverlybaynes

Mod Squad

• Apr 20, 2004

• #6

Louann, here's another welcome from all of us on staff here at Birdforum.

Sounds like you have some wonderful birding opportunities, and I hope we'll be hearing about them here.

And what wonderful photos! Lucky you! I'm still waiting for my long-eared lifer!

 

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pburgers

Well-known member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #7

Hi LouAnn from Sioux Falls, SD. We have E Screech Owls that nest in our neighborhood in E SF each year, I have a nest box up trying to get them into our backyard but so far no luck. Long Eared Owls, You are a lucky one! If they nest there again this year let me know. If you wouldn't mind my son and I would LOVE to check them out. Welcome to Bird Forums, hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Paul Burgers
SFSD

 

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LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #8

Thank you.

Steve said:

Welcome LouAnn To BF

Click to expand...

It's good to be here. Thanks again.

LouAnn

 

L

LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #9

peligirl said:

Hi LouAnn, sounds like a wonderful and busy life with birding thrown in.

Click to expand...

Yes, birding, family and our cabin do keep us busy. I am leaving tomorrow for the cabin to do some work and some birding there. Seeing all of the birds and nature does add so much to life!!

LouAnn

 

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LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #10

helenol said:

Welcome to Bird Forum. I'm sure you will enjoy the forum as much as we all do.

Regards

Click to expand...

Thanks for the Welcome, Helen. It certainly does look like a great forum. I look forward to joining in again in a week or so when I return from the cabin.

LouAnn

 

L

LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #11

brazos2 said:

Where abouts in Texas? Did you know the roadrunner is actually a memeber of the KuKu bird family?

Click to expand...

Hi Brazos....My daughter and her husband are stationed at Fort Hood. I did not venture too far as they were busy at work most days, but I did manage to find Stillhouse Lake. My son-in-law has family in San Antonio and Corpus Cristi so I am hoping to go to those areas some time next year. No I did not know that the roadrunner was a member of the KuKu bird family. Actually, I am not even sure what KuKu are so will have to check on that. Thanks again for the welcome.


LouAnn

 

L

LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #12

Beverlybaynes said:

Louann, here's another welcome from all of us on staff here at Birdforum.

Sounds like you have some wonderful birding opportunities, and I hope we'll be hearing about them here.

And what wonderful photos! Lucky you! I'm still waiting for my long-eared lifer!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome, Beverly. Yes, we have many birding opportunities nearby and I try to take advantage of them as much as possible. Hope you find your long-eared lifer soon. I had been looking for mine for ten years so was amazed to see one fly right over my head while raking pine needles in the yard. It landed in a tree and stayed there and just a few weeks later we saw one baby owl and then a week later 3 more for a total of four!!

LouAnn

 

L

LouAnn

Member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #13

pburgers said:

Hi LouAnn from Sioux Falls, SD. We have E Screech Owls that nest in our neighborhood in E SF each year, I have a nest box up trying to get them into our backyard but so far no luck. Long Eared Owls, You are a lucky one! If they nest there again this year let me know. If you wouldn't mind my son and I would LOVE to check them out. Welcome to Bird Forums, hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Paul Burgers
SFSD

Click to expand...

Hi Paul...I hope your E Screech Owls come back to your yard this year. I have never seen one of those and would love to see one. We have not seen the Long-eared Owls since February and think that our new neighbor's dog (kept in a kennel behind our house and theirs) may keep them from nesting again. Will be sure to let you know if they do though. I had the former president of the Sioux Falls Bird Club out to see them last year and he and his friend got real good looks at them. Are you a member of that club? My daughter and I used to be, but after we found out more bird locations we decided to go on our own since schedules conflicted a lot. We had Great Gray owls in our neighborhood a couple of years ago....perched right on our neighbor's house across from us. Heard there were some by Tuthill Park too...we are in Pine Lake Hills. Bridgewater, SD is a great place to bird too...blue heron rookery and cormorant rookery very near the interstate and many wading birds in the wetlands nearby.

LouAnn

 

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brazos2

New member

• Apr 20, 2004

• #14

KuKu or Koo Koo, beats me

Actually, I think it's the latter. Like the bird in the Koo Koo clock. :h?: Yep, welcome, and welcome even more to Texas. If you go to Corpus, bring a rod and reel for the great fishing!