Thursday, June 30, 2016

NORTH DAKOTA BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY DURING THE NESTING SEASON


I had hoped to return to North Dakota during June for the past several years but was always sidetracked.  This year I set aside two weeks, packed up the camper and took the long way through the Upper Peninsula.  I planned on spending a couple days around Trout Lake but nothing was cooperating except the mosquitoes.  After 24 hours of shooting through a head net and dousing myself with repellent all I had was a couple of shots of a Black-throated Green Warbler.  I had had enough.  The rolling windswept grasslands and potholes of North Dakota's Kidder County beckoned me and within a day and a half I was setting up near Horsehead lake, one of my favorite photography sites.  Black Terns and Forster's Terns were flying a circuit along the shoreline while Western Grebes and even the similar looking Clark's Grebes were courting in large numbers near the road.  All seemed to want to perform for the camera rather than fly away.  Yellow-headed Blackbirds made a hideous racket while the shy Marsh Wrens stayed out of sight but made their presence known with constant singing.  An American Bittern walked out of the marsh into the road and watched me for a while before disappearing back into the cattails.  American White Pelicans seemed out of place on the prairie but they constantly flew over the lake in good numbers.  Wilson's Phalaropes and Marbled Godwits were constantly making an appearance.  It was hard deciding where to point the camera.
Black Terns are not gaudy but always a favorite anyway


Forster's Terns have a completely white belly unlike the Common Tern
Courting Western Grebes.  A more impressive side-by-side run across the water follows.


Common nap time position

Typical grebe foot


A much less abundant look-alike to the Western Grebe is the Clark's Grebe.  Note that the black hood does not cover the eye as in the Western Grebe.  The bill is also smaller and lighter in color.


Male Yellow-headed Blackbird

Female Yellow-headed Blackbird

Marsh Wrens make a lot of noise but often stay hidden.  Always look for the exhibitionist

Definitely an exhibitionist
A female Wilson's Phalarope.  The female is the most colorful of  the pair and the role-reversal extends to who takes care of the young.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

After leaving Kidder County I headed west again and arrived at the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora.  These "Northern Badlands" are known for their rugged beauty while birders know that they often contain the easternmost regiments of western species while still containing many of the eastern species.  



Wild horses are a crowd favorite.

Typical sight driving through the park

Western Meadowlark
The Little Missouri River meanders through both units of the park
An open air park structure overlooking the Little Missouri River
Red-headed Woodpeckers were breeding at Juniper Campground in the North Unit.


Medicine Lake National NWR, Lostwood NWR, and J Clark Salyer NWR.

I had visited these three locations in the past but if you are close they are worthwhile visiting.  Medicine Lake is just inside Montana while the remaining two are near the Canadian border in North Dakota.  Lodging is always an issue here since the driving distances are long and usually there are no motels or campgrounds anywhere near the refuges themselves.  I have found over the years that many of these tiny towns have a city park that will allow self-contained camping overnight free or for a modest charge.  When you have to be on location before sunrise the hospitality of these small towns are a god-send.  In one town the fairgrounds offered good accommodations with shower and electricity for $10. You often find yourself completely alone but sometimes that is a good thing. 

The Following images were taken at Medicine Lake NWR June 7, 2016.
Marbled Godwit

Least Flycatcher - a plain Jane bird with a monotonous voice.

Western Kingbird

American Avocet

Marbled Godwits seem to resent your presence even when their nests are a long ways away.  They relish flying at you with their best imitation of an attacking fighter plane.  After a period of time they fly away but if you begin hiking they come out of nowhere to continue harassing you

Proof that this area is one of the top duck producing areas on earth.  A mother Northern Shoveler.

An American Avocet which seemed to be in some foraging behavior rather than a killdeer-like "distract the predator behavior"

Lostwood is known for rare sparrows but also has enough water to attract large numbers of ducks. These images were taken June 8, 2016

The reason you get up in the dark.

Clay-colored Sparrow, a handsome fellow but very common

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow is much less common

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow on territory

J. Clark Salyer NWR covers a large area of mixed-grass prairie with plenty of water to attract a wide variety of wildlife.  These images were taken June 9, 2016.  There are many opportunities here but few that I hadn't had earlier in the trip.  I decided to head back to Michigan with a quick stop to capture images of Kirtland's Warblers that I knew to nest in the U.P.

White-faced Ibis

Franklin's Gull often fly over fields while "flycatching"

Franklin's Gull-very common here but still a handsome bird with black hood, red bill, and white eyering.












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