Date: 4/27/24 6:11 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] North Country and Whitewood Report
We birded North on SD 34 and US 85 to Brooker Road today and returned via Orman Dam, Nisland, and WW Valley Road. Partly cloudy with sunny breaks and fairly light winds. Several FOS species for the area including Eared Grebe, Lesser Yellowlegs, Belted Kingfisher, Barn Swallows, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Chestnut-collared Longspurs (Brooker Road). Raptors were limited to a nesting Golden Eagle, Northern Harriers, and Red-tailed Hawks. No Kestrels today. Other species of interest included Western Grebe, 12 species of ducks, Pelicans, Cormorants, Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Great-horned Owls on the St. Onge nest, and lots of Common Grackles today. Forty-nine trip species.
We had several FOS sightings since our last report at our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood including Chipping-Lincoln-White-Crowned Sparrows, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Spotted Towhee. We have as many as 30 American Goldfinch sometimes at the feeders and the Evening Grosbeaks are still around.
