Date: 5/3/25 4:41 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] WW to Orman and back plus WW sightings
We birded today from Whitewood to St. Onge then on to Belle Fourche Reservoir with return via Helmer Road and St. Onge Cut-off. The bird of the day was a BARN OWL on the Gaeden Loop Road at the Belle Fourche Reservoir. Attached is a picture of the Barn Owl. The owl was spotted by Donna and was our first ever confirmed West River sighting. Sightings today were much improved from previous trips and we logged 45 species. Shorebirds sightings included Killdeer, and FOS Solitary Sandpiper, Willet, and Wilson's Phalarope. We had 8 duck species including FOS Canvasback and Blue-winged Teal, lots of Canada Goose sighting with some goslings, and one Lewis' Woodpecker. Swallows were back with Tree and Barn Swallow sightings. Raptors were limited to Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrel. Other sightings included one Northern Shrike, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, Sparrows are still scarce with Vesper Sparrow our only sparrow sighting.
At our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood since last report, we had FOS Yellow-rumped Warblers, Spotted Towhee, and Brown-headed Cowbird.
