Red-eyed Vireo, Bullock's Oriole

I began taking a drive east toward the Badlands this AM, but halfway there really lost steam, so turned around and headed back to I-90. Decided to take a drive down one of the gravel roads E of the Hills...I stopped for the first time at a cluster of oaks and other trees along a tiny brook near a farm house, got out and walked back and forth slowly, over powered by countless birds chattering...it was a real bird paradise but overall they were not cooperating...

A red-eyed vireo, which would be a lifer as far as I know. Light is poor but I did play around w/ one photo and the eye does have a red tinge...speaking of vireos, I've updated my May 24th post under the photo of a possible willow flycatcher...don't know what I was thinking, geez...have relabeled the bird as likely a warbling vireo...

The man of the hour! I about freaked when I saw this large orangey-yellow bird zing by...I followed it, lucky to get a few shots before it disappeared. This was the best I could do. I knew it was an oriole, couldn't remember the full name...a Bullock's oriole, and a new lifer! Yesss!

A black-headed grosbeak, couldn't get a decent shot...

A squirrel scampering overhead...

A red admiral nectaring a chokecherry blossom. The admirals were all over this shaded creek-side spot.

I also saw a yellow bird I couldn't get a photo of or ID, and a house wren...

Back at the Pond

News flash via CNN: Almost 450 birds have died so far from the BP oil spill...very heart-breaking to say the least...few are being found alive and cleaned up...  :*-(

So, what I refer to as "The Big Pond" is actually a water hole for cattle, or at least it gets used in that way...yesterday it was almost 90 (and today, down to 60's F..typical Memorial Day weekend here) so summer is arriving like spring did, in spurts...I went back to the pond in hopes of a better shot of the eared grebes plus I needed to kill some time away from the house while a realtor showed it...

The duck with interesting markings on its head turned out to be a female ruddy duck...

Just as I snapped the eared grebe (above), it dove under...below, a slightly better shot of the eared grebe than ones taken Wed. ...every time it dived, I quickly snuck closer...

A female red-winged blackbird..the nearby male had bright orange wing patches, not red...

An American coot, cruising around... 

When I drove slowly by this sunken log on one end of the pond, two painted turtles slipped into the water from their perch...I soon turned around and came back, and found this turtle making a defiant stand on the same log...

Cottonwood fluff, anyone?? I had to go check around the farmhouse where I'd seen the azuli bunting...only thing I actually saw (heard tons of birds) was the cottonwood fluff along the side of the road...the stuff sinus misery is made of...

Bobolinks, Eared Grebes, Lazuli Buntings, Oh My!

I went for a round-about drive yesterday that totalled about 50 miles, E of the Black Hills out in the farming community, an area I really enjoy visiting this time of year. My head is still reeling from all of the amazing bird life I encountered, including three lifers! I've got it aaaaall here in one post, too, so grab a beer and get comfy..here goes...

Right off I encountered a male bobolink! I saw my first bobolinks last year at Bear Butte Lake, later in the year (they nest in the grasslands, not the Blk Hills)...the males looked ridiculous in the molting stage so it was on my wish list to see them during breeding w/ all their feathers still intact. Check!

After the heavy rain/hail we had a few days ago, there were many large rain puddles here and there in the dirt and grass along the roadside...I discovered a mallard hanging out on one...

As well as a blue-winged teal...

At the large (year-round) pond that one road splits in half, I stopped the car to get out, but before I could I realized that this brave killdeer was coming towards me, not running away as they usually do...got my best photos of a killdeer by far, hooray! Told you, there's one wacked bird in every crowd...

Lifer number one, the lesser scaup...this is a female coming for a landing at the large pond...had no idea what it was at the time...

Above is the main reason I went for the drive...in hopes to find the yellow-headed blackbird...I didn't get any great photos due to lighting and distance but you get the idea...also at the large pond...

The ruddy ducks are back at the pond, saw those last year...

Again, due to facing the 'wrong' way, I didn't get good shots of what I thought were merganzers...when I looked at the photos and saw the golden 'ears' on this cute couple, I was pretty excited...lifer no. 2, the eared grebe! Will have to go back to try to get better shots...

Moving on down the road, I saw several of the lark buntings...

Lots of butterflies are flitting about now, including the sulphurs...saw a pretty darker yellow and orange 'fly but unfortunately couldn't get a photo...(me in the car going one way, the 'fly in the opposite direction)...

Another large rain puddle, occupied by a lone Wilson's phalarope...I saw them last year, but didn't get as good of shots..the guide book actually shows the female in breeding plumage as she is colored more boldly than the male...this appears to be the female...she is standing, not floating...

I've been seeing the barn swallows for about 2-3 weeks now, but they are extremely difficult to take photos of...this one is near an older, abandoned house that many swallows were nesting in...

Ah yes, Mr. Mouthy...the grasshopper sparrows are back, as brash and vocal as ever...

Above/below: Two different red-headed woodpeckers, too far for good shots, but very exciting to see...I saw my first (and only) one last year...very striking birds with their bright red heads and black/white bodies...

Back at the large pond (long story...took a 'new' road that dumped me back near the pond)...managed to get this shot of the male lifer lesser scaup...thought it was a canvasback...the eye is yellow tho, not red...

Got a slightly better shot of the eared grebe...

...A piece of the view from the farming community E of the Blk Hills...there's a panoramic view of the Hills sweeping N and S...

I about fainted when I saw this bird (above/below) perched on fencing right by a farm house, lifer no. 3! The lazuli bunting!! Kazaam!

As if the lazuli wasn't hard enough on my heart...this golden eagle flew up from below the other side of a hill 'out of nowhere' and landed a good 200 yds from the road, so again no great shot...white patch means it's immature but lordie it was huge (they're bigger than bald eagles)...

A Swainson's hawk soaring overhead...

A great blue heron about 200 yds away, like the eagle...another bird taking advantage of the overly saturated grasslands...

I wish these gravel roads went on forever...actually some seem to...I venture E only so far...

Lastly...the upland sandpiper is one of few birds that tolerates intrusive birders fairly well...they go through a head-bobbing ritual that is amusing to watch, most likely a mating or territorial trait...the bird is considered the 'shorebird' of the grasslands.

Also seen but not photographed: yellow warbler (lifer last yr.), three American kestrels, Eastern kingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, other blackbirds, meadowlarks, robins. A great day!  :o)

Custer SP and Cobb Rd. (Sat. Part 3)

This is Part 3 of my drive on Sat. After checking out Ghost Canyon, I went partway down the wildlife loop at Custer Park, came back up and took LH Rd. E out of there toward Hwy 79...at the intersect for Cobb Rd., which goes N and then E to the hwy., I took Cobb Rd. for the first time...another dirt road I'd been curious about...

I saw two Eastern kingbirds swooping and just barely skimming the surface of this muddy pond by a farm house...presumably bathing themselves or drinking, I couldn't tell...

I stopped and got out of the car to take photos of this Western kingbird...it was very accomodating. Both kingbirds are abundant here during the spring/summer.

A chipping sparrow at quite a distance...also abundant this time of year...

Lots of lark buntings can be seen on barb wire fences this time of year...but getting a photo is tricky as they are pretty skittish...but, there's one in every crowd who is either really dense or really curious...

I saw lots of flocks of male and female lark buntings along Cobb Rd...

Another Eastern kingbird...they aren't so skittish...

Neither are the Brewer's blackbirds...

This little Western kingbird looks very curious...

Ditto with this Eastern kingbird...can you tell, I love the kingbirds...

It isn't easy to get a shot of one of the red-winged blackbirds that have really bright red wing patches (presumably for spiffy mating duds); I barely got this shot when it flew off...

Gonna throw this in...last year we had a goldfinch visit our backyard feeders...a very rare visitor...so I was doubly thrilled to see two goldfinches out there a couple days ago. They didn't stay long and this was the only passable shot I got. He wasn't really this dirty color, I had to really tweak the over-exposed shot.

Ok, after a severe hail storm last night (luckily we didn't get the golf ball sized hail, just pea and marble-sized)...and the threat of a tornado, which we have yet to experience thank goodness, but there was a big one near Faith about 125 miles NE of us...it is sunny and gorgeous today so I'm hitting the road....

Battle Creek

Before the drive through Ghost Canyon (no, didn't see any Warren ;o) ), I went partway up a county dirt road I came across somewhere S. of Rockerville...the road runs along Battle Creek, another new spot for me to have a look-see...

Battle Creek...

I have a real hard time getting clear shots of this little buggar, always way up above me in the trees...my best guess is it's a (update 5/31) warbling vireo. If I could just get a clear shot of it more at eye level...had the same problem last year.

Turned out there was a mate nearby...

The Mt. bluebells are in bloom, fairly common through-out the Black Hills...

Another Western pine elfin (hairstreak) was spotted...

If a woman screeches in the forest and no one hears her, did it really happen? I'm not afraid of snakes, really, but the startle factor when I almost stepped on this slithery fellow and it moved, caused me to go Eeeek!

I love the way bare oak trees look with their web-like network of branches...someone's got a nest in this one, possibly a woodpecker.