Date: 10/19/25 6:19 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] Birding today and Whitewood Report
We birded backroads to Bear Butte Lake today, then found US 79 closed both direction with long delays near Newell, so birded backroads to Nisland, BF reservoir, Crooked Oaks Rd, and to Whitewood. Bear Butte Lake had limited birds as there were hunters. Only 1 sighting in Nisland, but Belle Fourche reservoir was about like last week with 100's of ducks , Pelicans and DC Cormorants, all in the south area where diversion water comes in. Ring-billed Gulls and one Great Blue Heron were the only sighting on the water along the reservoir west side. Highlights of the day include 2 different sightings of Gray Partridge, 3 Lewis's Woodpeckers with two on Crooked Oaks Road and one on Eden Road. Ducks were numerous today and included Mallard, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Canvasback, Common Merganser, and Bufflehead. Raptors were 5 Red-tailed Hawks and our FOS 2 Rough-legged Hawks. European Starlings were the most plentiful bird with several hundred seen and sightings in many location. Other sightings included Mountain Bluebird, lots of Common Grackles, a few Lark Buntings, and a few Juncos. The Vesper Sparrow was not seen today and may have headed South and we had no other sparrow sightings.
At our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood we had two migrant sightings, White-throated Sparrow and Townsend's Solitaire. Our winter Dark-eyed Juncos returned 10/17 and we had a Sharp-Shinned Hawk and Bald Eagle on 10/15. We have our usual Fall species, but the total number of birds at the feeders is below average, maybe because of the good weather.
