Tag: birding

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Sage Grouse: Living on the Edge

By Christian Begeman

Last Friday, I knocked off work an hour early and headed west with my camera. The weather outside finally agreed with the calendar — a warm breeze accompanied me as I made my way through the Badlands during the sunset hour. Driving with my windows down, I could smell the water from the snowmelt mixed with new grass growth on the breeze. It was a little bit of heaven on earth. But the Badlands weren’t my final destination. I was headed for the farther reaches of western South Dakota on the hunt for a special kind of bird.

On Saturday, I woke up at a hotel in Spearfish, ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off. Instead of my normal bleary-eyed, anti-morning mood, I was wide awake and ready to experience one of South Dakota’s lesser-known treasures. The Greater Sage Grouse were dancing in Butte and Harding counties and I was going to get to watch!

Chuck Berdan, a retired biologist for the Bureau of Land Management, agreed to show me an active lek in Butte County, but to get there without disturbing the birds we had to leave Belle Fourche at 4:30 a.m. I peppered Chuck the whole way there with questions about the birds, his job and the land. He answered patiently and with good humor. I learned that there are somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 sage grouse in South Dakota. The courtships on various leks start in late March and usually taper off by early May. Chuck told me that male sage grouse roost on the lek at night, unlike prairie chicken and sharptail grouse, who fly in to their leks in the morning.

The numbers of South Dakota sage grouse are in a slow decline both here as well as in other western states. The latest trial for the bird has been the West Nile virus. If a sage grouse contracts the virus, they usually only survive for two or three days. This relatively quick death has not allowed for much immunity to build up in the grouse population. It is a worrisome situation as our state’s population of grouse are already on living on the edge. Our birds live on the easternmost edge of the sage grouse’s naturally fragmented range, so it doesn’t take much to tip the scales against them.

Chuck has spent 30+ years studying sage grouse. He told me that counting and studying the bird here in South Dakota allows wildlife management to make plans and policies based on local data rather than from studies done in other states. I asked him if he could predict what the grouse population would be in 10 or even 20 years. He smiled and told me that more studies need to be done to answer those kinds of questions. Right now there are simply too many unknown factors in play to be able to predict the future of sage grouse with any certainty.

I feel lucky to have been able to witness the display. I didn’t even know we had the species in the state until I watched an episode of Planet Earth where they featured the bird’s mating dance that was shot in Wyoming. It’s just another example of our state’s wide range of natural phenomena.

Later in the day, I drove down to Custer State Park to see the spring buffalo calves. The whole way there, I kept thinking about the sage grouse and the magical morning in Butte County. I hope folks like Chuck continue to care about our wildlife resources, and not just because they make great photo opportunities. These animals and ranges are part of what makes our state great!

A Butte County Courtship

Christian also took video of the male sage grouse displaying for the females. Click to hear and view their mating ritual.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.


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Spring Migration

Migration is in full swing despite our recent winter-like weather. Mic Schweitzer took these photos of geese earlier this month near the US-12 bridge over the Missouri River near Mobridge. “They were all just resting in the water for quite some time until some other spectators came to view them and brought several dogs along,” Schweitzer says. “As soon as the dogs were released to run the riverbanks the birds took to the skies for several minutes of frenzy.”

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Spring’s Sweet Song

By Christian Begeman

South Dakota weather is a funny, fickle thing. Last year, we had almost a full month of spring by mid-April. It is obvious that Old Man Winter wants to stick around a bit longer this time around. The persistent icy and snowy weather has me antsy for spring to really get here. I think the wildlife is ready too. All last week, I’ve noticed robins and meadowlarks all fluffed up in the cold and snow, just waiting for spring to actually be sprung.

Three of my favorite things about spring are the smell of lilac on the breeze, the sight of pasqueflowers dancing on a hillside and the sound of a meadowlark’s song in the morning light. With that in mind, I gathered up some photos of meadowlarks I’ve captured the last few years while wandering all across our great state.

Meadowlarks are said to be sons of the south wind in some Native American legends. It makes sense — they arrive from the south, bringing the warmer weather that chases away winter’s chill. Lakota tradition also says that meadowlarks actually sang in the Lakota tongue.

I remember as a kid being outside working on the lawn or the garden for mom and hearing a rather boisterous meadowlark singing his tune over and over. I soon found myself adding words to his notes. They were silly kid’s words, but it shows how the birds can be persuasive enough with their melodies to make a good impression on humans.

My uncle spent a good deal of time helping our neighbor herd sheep along the Moreau River breaks when he was a young man. He was a good whistler and taught himself to mimic the birds he heard while killing time on the prairie. I remember when I first heard him whistle like a meadowlark. I was amazed at how good he was at it and every family gathering for the next few years, I tried to get him to do it again and again.

Meadowlarks have some serious pipes too. Last year when I was sitting in a prairie chicken blind somewhere in the Fort Pierre National Grasslands, a lone meadowlark decided to perch on the blind just after sunup. I was shocked at how loud his song was. I didn’t realize until I sat right under one just how much volume they produce. Now I understand why you can hear the song long before you see the bird on still spring mornings.

Their famous songs make them a pretty popular bird. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Western Meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. Only the Northern Cardinal is a more popular civic symbol, edging out the meadowlark by one state.

Well here’s to the sons of the south wind to start singing in spring for real. I’m ready. The calendar as well as my old bones says its time for the grass to turn green, the trees to bud and the wildflowers to bloom. All, of course, accompanied by the meadowlark’s sweet song. Bring on spring!

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.


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It’s Never Too Cold

By Christian Begeman

I’ve never claimed to be the smartest guy in town. I mean, one would have to be a few cards short of a full deck to pick the middle of winter to do a column on birding in South Dakota, right?!? It’s really cold out –nose hair frostsicle and toe-numbing cold. Even if there were birds out in the great wide open this time of year, what kind of numbskull would go out with hopes of photographing them? Well I guess that would be me. Actually I have a few good reasons. Although having these reasons probably doesn’t make me smarter, I think they are good reasons. They are Bald Eagles and Cardinals.

Each winter, our national symbol gathers below our dams on the mighty Missouri near the running water produced by the dam’s releases. This year, my goal was to actually photograph one of these majestic eagles catching a fish. It didn’t happen, but I had fun trying and got a few interesting images along the way.

The first time I ever saw a Bald Eagle in real life was along the Moreau River in Ziebach County back when I was in my early teens. My brothers and I were hurtling down Highway 65 in our green 1972 Pontiac Catalina when we saw something unusual in the far ditch. None of us knew what it was, so we turned around and drove back, only to discover an adult Bald Eagle cleaning the bones of an unlucky deer. Not necessarily a glorious and patriotic sight, but we were pretty excited nonetheless. Eagles were still rare in those days. Bald Eagles are primarily fish and fowl eaters, but will often supplement their diets with road kill or other types of carrion they discover. That is one of the reasons that DDT hurt them so badly in the 1960s.

These great raptors are more numerous nowadays and have become one of my favorite birds to try and photograph. My best shots are usually lucky shots — like on New Year’s Day when I was strolling through Yankton’s Riverside Park. I was intently looking towards the river for eagles and unsuspectingly walked right up to one perched high above me in a tree. Luckily my camera was up and shooting when we both realized how close we were to each other. It didn’t take long for it to lift off and fly to the Nebraska side of the river, but just after take off, it wheeled in my direction for a pretty cool eagle-in-flight shot.

The striking male Northern Cardinal, on the other hand, was simply a bird on my photography bucket list. According to South Dakota birding books, cardinals winter in the southeastern part of the state, so all I had to do was find one. I discovered on a birding website that cardinals had been sighted at Sioux Falls’ Outdoor Campus this winter so I decided to brave the cold and see what I could see. I purposely waited for a day with snow and/or flurries, as I love the contrast between the red of the bird and whites of winter. I found that if you simply go to the benches by the bird feeders and sit very still for 15 minutes or so, the birds take your presence for granted and return to eat. The most skittish was the male cardinal, so it took a little longer for him to fly in to grab a snack, but a little perseverance (and some numb appendages) was really all it took for him to be OK with me being there. The second day I was there I saw a second male. The two fellas squabbled a bit, as these birds are notoriously territorial. Their preoccupation with each other allowed me to get closer for a portrait or two amongst the tree branches. The lack of leaves on the tree allowed me to not only see them better but also follow their activity more accurately than I could have in the warmer months.

So to bird or not to bird in sub-freezing temperatures, that is the question. I say yes, if you have the patience and warm clothes. Of course, I never claimed to be the smartest guy in town.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.


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Into the Woods

By Christian Begeman

Just under a year ago, I was given the opportunity to be a contributor to South Dakota Magazine‘s website. It is hard to believe that this column will be my twentieth offering. I’m grateful for the experience. I have learned to be more focused on what I’m doing with the camera as well as working on better writing skills. The previous nineteen columns have been reactionary in the sense that I shared what I was currently interested in or images of the last place I visited in the state. This winter I decided to try something new. I decided to dedicate the warm months of 2012 to visiting and photographing a selection of our state parks. The plan is to take at least a full weekend to discover what each particular park has to offer a wandering photographer like myself. What follows is the first of my series featuring Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in extreme southeast South Dakota.

Growing up in Ziebach County, my only experience of a forest was a wooded creek bottom. The dark, brooding forests of fairytales and children’s literature had to be something totally imagined. I remember being fascinated by stories and photos of the Amazon rain forest as well as any movie scene that featured majestic forests. Scenes from Return of the Jedi come to mind immediately. (Yes, I was a Star Wars addict as a kid.) I remember my best friend and I pretending to fight storm troopers in their family’s tree belt out beyond the barns just like Luke, Leia and Han Solo did on the forest planet of Endor. I’ve been to real forests since then, but my sense of awe and appreciation for the woods have not diminished. I can only imagine how I would have felt experiencing one of South Dakota’s largest stand of cottonwood trees (nearly 450 acres) at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve as a kid. It is impressive even as an adult.

The preserve is located in the most southeasterly corner of South Dakota along the mighty Missouri River. There are 13 miles of trails through cottonwoods, open areas of tall grass and along the river itself. The park also features Mud Lake, which is an oxbow lake created by an older channel of the Missouri. This lake is a magnet for waterfowl and all sorts of other birds and wildlife. I photographed my first Orioles and Blue Jay while there. I also saw Cardinals, Red-headed Woodpeckers, wild turkey and a variety of ducks, geese and other waterfowl. There are three blinds set up along Mud Lake which allow you to watch the action if you are patient enough to sit and wait for the wildlife to come by. It was also the start of butterfly season when I was there in early May. Often I’d be riding along on my bike accompanied by momentary blurs of orange and yellow colors.

The preserve also has historical significance. The granddaughters of the original homesteader donated the land to the park system in the 1980s. There are restored buildings on site that take you back to an earlier time. What interested me the most was a narrow lane cut through the cottonwood forest called Mary’s Avenue. According to the plaque on site, this lane was cut by Mary Adams’s father in celebration of her birth and used by the family in years to come to enjoy the forest from a new perspective. This clearing was done by hand and was made wide enough to fit a car through. What a labor of love!

Although I’m past imagining storm troopers emerging from the trees, I did witness countless deer do so as I rode on the trails. To be honest, much of my time at the preserve was spent simply riding my bike through the cottonwoods feeling young at heart again. There is just something special about the woods for a kid who grew up on the windswept prairie. Something I’ll go back and enjoy again when I get the chance. Hopefully you can too.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog. To view Christian’s columns on other South Dakota state parks and recreation areas, visit his state parks page.

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Enticing the Oriole

By Rebecca Johnson

Now is a great time for birding in South Dakota — it’s the peak of spring migration. Baltimore orioles are a favorite for backyard birders in Yankton. I know many people who put out jelly to attract them. The couple we bought our house from had great luck simply spooning the grape variety onto small plates in the yard.

Ruth Steil, administrative assistant at the magazine, says orioles started coming to her yard just last week. She and her husband, Mark, keep a large stash of jelly just for the birds.”One time our kids came home to visit and found all the jars,” says Ruth.”They wondered what in the world we were doing with all that jelly.”

Ruth and Mark have a special feeder with two nails to hold orange wedges and two small cups for the birds’ favorite treat. And don’t think you can skimp on quality.”A friend of mine bought a whole bunch of grape jelly at the dollar store and they wouldn’t touch it,” Steil says.”I think it’s because it didn’t have as much real fruit juice.” Ruth recommends Welch’s.

If you’re wondering what other birds you might attract to your yard, South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks department has a free booklet. Backyard Birds of South Dakota has color photos and descriptions of nearly 80 species you may find. You can contact SDGF&P to request a copy.

Terry Sohl’s web site, sdakotabirds.com, also has a great checklist showing what seasons birds can be expected and how common they are. You can also check out Terry’s table showing favorite foods of common birds.

I plan to put out some jelly tonight to see what I can attract. Hopefully I’m not too late. What are your tricks for attracting birds?

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The Booming Grounds

By Christian Begeman

I never liked chickens all that much. Live chickens, that is. I’ll happily dine at KFC when the mood takes me, and what would breakfast be without eggs scrambled or over easy? What I mean is that the chicken coop doesn’t bring up very good memories for me. First of all, I was deathly scared of one of the meanest creatures on earth: the cackling hen sitting atop her clutch of eggs. I seem to remember beaks like curved scimitars awaiting my outstretched hands as I reached for those eggs. Of course, a seven-year-old’s imagination tends to greatly exaggerate reality as I can’t ever remember getting pecked. As I grew older, the dreaded chore of cleaning the coop was added to my resume. There are not a lot things that smell worse than a ripe chicken coop on a hot summer’s day. I’ll kindly spare you the details.

Why this reminiscing about chickens? Well, I did something early in April that I have never done before and it involved chickens in the wild. Greater Prairie Chickens to be exact. The good folks that manage Fort Pierre National Grasslands set up three blinds during April and May to view the”booming grounds” or”leks” that the prairie chickens use to dance and woo their wily hens. Sharp-tailed grouse also use the high flat areas in the grasslands to display and attract mates. I recently got a new telephoto lens and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try it out. I wasn’t disappointed.

As the sun came up, the sounds of the roosters scuffling, dancing and”booming” filled the air already accented by the happy song of the meadowlark. It truly is one of nature’s wonders that everyone in the state should experience in real life. Don’t believe me? The dance of the prairie chicken has inspired the”chicken dance” in Native American culture. The dance also has some really interesting stories associated with it. In one of the stories attributed to a Crow legend, Old Man Coyote created the prairie chicken to show the rest of the animals how to dance. A Blackfoot legend tells of a hungry hunter who kills and eats some prairie chickens only to have the birds’ spirit return to him in a dream to tell him he must learn the chicken dance or he would be killed by the angry spirits of the chickens he murdered. The story I like the best is how a warrior was out hunting on a foggy morning and climbed to the top of a hill to wait until the fog lifted. He soon fell asleep. When he woke up he was surrounded by dancing prairie chickens. He watched and learned the dance and taught it to his tribe.

Our family friend and photographer, Stu Surma, who now resides in Java, SD told me of his experience shooting photos of the sharp-tail dancers on a lek near Isabel when a coyote jumped the party looking for breakfast. Stu told me that he was quite annoyed with the coyote and wished he had a rifle handy. The closest thing I saw to that kind of drama was a large hawk flying low over the lek on the second morning I was in the blind. All the grouse and half the prairie chickens scattered. Within the next 10 minutes all were back and dancing again. Not to say there isn’t drama to the dance. The males carve out their little areas and when they aren’t dancing, they are squabbling over the borders with their neighbors. What was really interesting was that the grouse and chickens who share the same leks fight like this as well. I witnessed a grouse defend his ground all morning against prairie chickens larger than him. I nicknamed him Little Jerry from one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes and found myself cheering him on silently. When Little Jerry and the rest of the crew flew off at about 9 a.m., the show was over. But what a show it was. Was it wrong that I enjoyed fried chicken for dinner later that day?

If you are interested in reserving one of the blinds, you can call the Fort Pierre National Grassland Office at 605-224-5517 to set up your reservation and receive information regarding grouse blinds and maps showing the location of your reserved blind.

If you can’t make it to the National Grassland in person, have a look at Christian’s video of the prairie chickens in action.

Prairie Dancers from Christian Begeman on Vimeo.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he’s not working at Midcontinent Communications he is often on the road photographing our prettiest spots around the state. Follow Begeman on his blog.

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Chicken Dance

By Rebecca Johnson

Spring has sprung and love is in the air. Well, it’s hormones really and now’s a great time to see the mating dance of the prairie chicken. I asked outdoor photographer Les Voorhis and he said the best place to view them is Fort Pierre National Grasslands.”They have blinds you can reserve on prairie chicken leks and [Fort Pierre National Grasslands has] one of the highest population densities in the state,” Voorhis says.

What is a lek, you say? Oh, it’s just the name for an assembly area where animals carry on their courtship behavior. The area looks no different than the rest of the prairie until the birds get together and start strutting around. Lek can also be used to describe the group of animals courting. During courtship, the males inflate air sacs on the sides of their necks. They also emit a very distinct call that you can hear in this video.

Three blinds are available to use at no charge on the Grasslands’ leks. You can make reservations for viewing times in April and May. The 8-foot long, plywood structures hold up to four adults and have small square windows for viewing and photographing. Blinds aren’t insulated, so dress accordingly for crisp morning air. You’ll want to get to your viewing spot a half hour before sunrise. If you arrive late, the birds will see you, flush, and may not return that day.

Call the Fort Pierre National Grasslands at 605-224-5517 to secure your spot. They’ll send a map so you know where you’re going. Ruben Mares, Wildlife Biologist with the Fort Pierre National Grasslands, recommends finding the blind the day before your viewing time. It can be hard to locate before the sun comes up. Mares says if all three blinds are full there are still several places people can view the birds from a distance. Just call the Grasslands office and they will recommend locations.