Blog #8. South Dakota!

     Rural and agricultural to the max--that's South Dakota

I drive 400 miles north to Aberdeen, South Dakota. Near Marion, South Dakota, I see black-breasted birds scattered across a stubble field to my left. I stop the car and realize it is a flock of breeding plumage American Golden-Plovers. They are all facing east, into the strong wing that is blowing.

    Four breeding plumage American Golden-Plovers in a stubble field in southern South Dakota

The flock is scattered widely across the field. A raptor going over sends the flock into the air and I photograph the compact assemblage, which later that day I count on my laptop screen—249 American Golden-Plovers, all in breeding plumage. That is the highlight of my stay in South Dakota, and probably a highlight of the trip…

    Here are the Golden-Plovers in flight, showing the all-black underparts

I also stop in DeSmet, South Dakota, where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent her Little House on the Prairie days…Have a friendly lunch in a little restaurant in the middle of town.

    In Houghton, SD, I find a flock of wet Cattle Egrets foraging right in town...

Terrible weather comes into eastern South Dakota, forcing me to hole up in a motel in Aberdeen for three days rather than hiding in my tent in the 25 mph wind, temperatures in the 40s, and heavy rains.

    Here is the flock of American Golden-Plovers in flight--249 birds...

On the 18^th of May I await the wind and low cloud. A quick tour of the environs in search of godwits and plovers turns up very few birds and none of the target species.

    Lots of grain storage in the state! Huge facilities.... These are towering beasts!

On 19 May I finally get out in the field at 2:30 PM and, after a lot of dry holes, finally find a wet stubble field with 3 Hudsonian Godwits (breeding plumage) and 3 Marbled Godwits, which look much paler, browner, and larger…. I see a Marbled chase off a Hudsonian at one point. Also see one Hudsonian ripping about over the field, perhaps scared up by a raptor (which I do not see)…

    Its not a Hudsonian Godwit, but it is a godwit--a Marbled Godwit....

I also see lots of songbirds grounded by the weather – looks like a fall-out with warblers right in the grass along the two lane road…  I see an eastern Kingbird near death (hypothermia) on the road bed… sad!

    Pitiful Cliff Swallow beating against the wind, going no where, probably not capturing many insects!

On one lake I watch a flock of Cliff Swallows flying into the headwind, just over the water, making no progress at all, just standing in place. These are brutal conditions for the songbirds arriving here in the state. In fact, rain and wind ruins my visit to SD.

Next stop, western North Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park!