Day 12, Sunday June 19, 2022 Last day at East Bay, Devil’s Lake ND

Day 12, Sunday June 19,     2022 Last day at East Bay, Devil’s Lake ND

As the heat was already at 84 F when we left the trailer to go bird watching, we certainly used the AC in the truck. That helped until we had to roll the window down or get out to chase a bird.  Generally we headed in the same direction that we did yesterday (S and W) but took more side roads off of ND 53. This allowed us to see some of those ponds off the macadam highway. Some of the  gravel was good, but none as bad as the road (39th St) going into our campground.  Very wavy and rippled! ‘Washboard’ I think is the term.

A Lark Sparrow and  Willet on the same fence.

A lonetree shot by Ruth (the Plains!)

One of the roads we did not travel.

Back out?

 

There were more ponds but also more roadside trees where we did see some spectacular things. One: a Cooper’s Hawk, was being harassed by three Red Winged Blackbirds. One of them actually hitched a ride on the back of the Cooper’s Hawk for a ways before the Hawk could shake him. A rare sight , but fascinating.

Jim's usual lunch on the road  (and some yogurt)

A Shoveler duck

Bank swallow nests that were active (Other specias as well)

One of Ruth's favorites-Yellow Headed Blackbird

 There are many Red Winged Blackbirds out here, and they are the most numerous bird in the USA.  It shows here for sure. It is estimated that in North and Central America they number 250,000,000. As many as a million are often seen when migrating. In Tennessee one year, a flock of 11 million took over a roosting area of pine.

Today I am going to list many of the less common birds we saw, so you can get an idea of what we are seeing in the Upper Plains of the USA.

Yellow Headed Blackbird
Ruddy Duck
Willet
Redhead Duck,
Shoveler
Pied Billed Grebe
Coot
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Cooper’s Hawk
Eastern Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Bobolink
Cardinal !!
Western Grebe
Red Necked Grebe
Lesser Scaup
Black Tern
Lark Sparrow
Widgeon
Canvasback Duck
Grey Partridge
Bank and Rough Winged Swallow
WesternMeadowlark
Northern Flicker
White Pelican Herring Gull
A buck white tail deer, running for the forest.

These Geese had 11 young goslings

Sure, its big farmland , but we only saw one "traditional " barn.

 

A foot note about farming out here, There is no irrigation for the most  part, The farmers depend on their being enough rain to have good yield. Hence when we see "drought" on the maps, remember that there is no relief for them until it rains.

 Certainly there were few other “regular” common birds seen. The Grey Partridge and the Western Meadowlark we had waited a long time to see again.

Enjoy the photos as each tells a story of its own

Tomorrow we move to Minot ND for a 6 day stay. There are three large wildlife ares there with auto drive arounds, and that will help our ability to see the birds.—Jim