I’ve been checking out the area, picking up a few more new birds. Yesterday there was an eBird alert on a Cassin’s Kingbird just 20 miles away, so I went to look for it this morning. I did not find it and neither did another birder who came to look for it. Cassin’s Kingbird is quite rare in South Dakota but I saw lots of them in Arizona and New Mexico this spring. I did finally find a Mountain Bluebird though, which brought me up to 324 species.
I found a pair of Long-billed Curlews on the Park Road, they must have had young ones hidden in the grass as they kept harassing me. This may be the best flight shot I’ve ever got of a Long-billed Curlew. A mother Pronghorn with her twins. There are lots of Pronghorns around, this just happened to be close to the road and in nice light!I was at the pond in Deer Draw this morning, when I heard a slurping sound. I crept up to the pond and saw this cow Elk in the water, as soon as she saw me she took off. Photo in bad light. Yellow Avens (Geum aleppicum) with a visiting Nomad Bee. Yellow Avens is a common flower that is native across temperate North America, Europe and Asia. A Badger I saw way out on the prairie, I could not get closer. Weidemeyer’s Admiral on Woodbine. Wilson’s Snipe on a post by a small wetland. The 324th species for my year list, a Mountain Bluebird.
2 replies on “Slim Buttes”
Lots of good birds, looks like your count for the year is coming along nicely. I’m glad you avoided the storm with hail.
What a cool variety of sightings. That is a very good Curlew shot!!!!
2 replies on “Slim Buttes”
Lots of good birds, looks like your count for the year is coming along nicely. I’m glad you avoided the storm with hail.
What a cool variety of sightings. That is a very good Curlew shot!!!!