Last Tuesday evening (heading West on 195th St,  about a mile W. of the
Sioux River crossing) I thought it was a snowy owl that flew up out of the
roadside ditch to my right and almost hit my pick-up as I passed under it .
I turned around at the next intersection (163rd Ave) and came back with my
lights out till I neared where the black-marked white owl had surprised
me... turned on the high beams... and there it was to my right on a low
branch of a roadside box elder.  NOT a snowy, but the white-est subarctic /
taiga great horned owl I've ever seen. Without the prominent ear tufts and
its choice of a tree as its refuge I'd probably have been happy with my
"snowy sighting".

  This is the first subarctic GHO I've seen since coming back to SD in 2000.
How often do others see them, or are they just noted as "just another GHO?"
They were "not uncommon" in Iowa during the late 60s and thru the  70s when
they comprised a bit more than 5% of the GHOs that came into our raptor
rehab facility (mostly thru the State Wldf Exhibit at the Ledges State Park
East of Boone, IA.). They were usually a very light grey (close...but not
really white) with black or dark sepia / burnt umber markings.  But at night
...in the lights of a car... they can sure look white!  Another interesting
observation was that their occurrance in Iowa was independant of the
periodic incursions of snowy owls and goshawks.

Dave, west of Estelline in Hamlin County

--
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest
of the world."
                              John Muir

"Einstein was wrong!  The God I hold in consummate awe does, metaphorically,
“...play dice....”   The laws - the facts - of probability / chance / luck /
fortune are as real and immutable as is the speed of light through different
media and its role in the interrelationships among energy, and mass, and
space, and time. Therein is my God.found."

  D.L.Graham, 2002


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My mother said she saw one snowy owl Friday afternoon, 15 miles south
of Eagle Butte along Hwy 63.

I have had a raptor come over every day after the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs(up to
about 200 now)and today I finally got a look at it.  The Merlin is back.  Also,
an Adult Bald Eagle and a very nice intermediate Red-tailed Hawk not far down
the road from us.  Jean, Sundance, Wy.

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Rick just called, they found the red-throated loon again, same location, Lake
Oahe, Cow Creek, boat ramp area. Take Hwy. 1806 north from Pierre, past Oahe
Dam, and go about 7 miles past the dam and take the left to Spring Creek/Cow
Creek. Follow the signs.

Doug Backlund
Pierre, SD

Ron Martin asked me to pass this info on.

Dan Svingen has set the date for the Shadehill, SD CBC.  It will be held
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009.  If you would like to participate please contact Dan
at DSvingen@..., or call 701-250-4443.


Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Birds seen in the Faulkton area in recent days:

Snow Goose--1000's, many on a SW heading
Great Blue Heron--2 near L. Faulkton today
Rough-legged & Red-tailed Hawk
Merlin (several times)
Cedar Waxwing
Brown Creeper &
  Golden-crowned Kinglet--both at L. Faulkton today
Common Grackle (1)
Rusty Blackbird (15)
W. Meadowlark
Lapland Longspur
American Goldfinch--many

Michael Melius
Hermosa

We have some volumes of this series that we're willing to donate to a
school, library or other group that is interested. I'd prefer that it be
all or nothing. One of the volumes has a broken binding, but the others
are in good shape for their age.

Here's the list:

Life Histories of... North American Gallinaceous Birds - Bulletin 162
			 North American Cuckoos, Goatsuckers,
Hummingbirds, and Their Allies - Bulletin 176
			 North American Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, and
Their Allies - Bulletin 179
			 North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice -
Bulletin 191
			 North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and
Their Allies - Bulletin 195
			 North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their
Allies - Bulletin 196
			 North American Wagtails, Shrikes, Vireos, and
Their Allies - Bulletin 197
			 North American Wood Warblers - Bulletin 203
			 Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Towhees,
Finches, Sparrows, and Allies - Bulletin 237, three parts

Don't hesitate too long. I will probably bring these to the SDOU meeting
this weekend for distribution, unless someone wants them for a group
purpose.

Thanks.
Eileen Dowd Stukel, SDGFP



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What a difference a day makes here. Yesterday barely 100 gulls. Today several
hundred gulls. Weather etc all play roles.

Today many Bonaparte's, a breeding plumaged Mew Gull, a breeding plumaged Lesser
Black-backed, tons of Ring-billed, a few Herrings & Thayer's and 1 winter adult
California Gull.

Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Yesterday there was a snowy owl 1.5 miles east of HWY 81 on 223rd st (Nunda
road).   The owl was perched on a fence post right off the road.  I was
surprised to see a snowy owl and it did stand out with a corn field back
ground!  My kids got to see the owl as well!

Kyle Kelsey
Wildlife Biologist
Madison Wetland Management District
23520 SD Hwy 19
Madison, SD 57042
605-256-2974
605-256-9432 fax
605-480-3810
Kyle_Kelsey@...

When we talk among ourselves, all we get back are echoes.  But when we talk
with others of a different mind, we are made to think.  And it is in
thinking that we learn, and in learning that we grow.  -- Romeo LeBlanc

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Records for SD can be viewed at our online database found at
http://homepages.dsu.edu/palmerj/sdousbor/ and then selecting the Public
Entry link J



Jeffrey S. Palmer

College of Arts & Sciences

Dakota State University

Madison, SD 57042



(605) 256-5190

jeff.palmer@... <mailto:jeff.palmer@...>

http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/palmer/
<http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/palmerj>



sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura



From: sd-birds@yahoogroups.com [mailto:sd-birds@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Rob Parsons
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 4:50 PM
To: sd-birds@yahoogroups.com; Ricky D. Olson
Subject: Re: [sd-birds] Pacific Loon





Ricky,

You definitely are a lucky birder, but you also put in a huge amount of
birding time. Question for you or anyone else on SD-Birds--how often are

Pacific & Red-throated Loons seen in SD? Here in Southern Manitoba, I
have
seen Red-throated Loons twice in spring and once (possibly twice) in
fall in
nearly 30 years of birding, and one fall sighting of Pacific Loon. To
see
both in one day sounds mind boggling!

Cheers,

Rob Parsons
Winnipeg, MB
CANADA
parsons8@... <mailto:parsons8%40mts.net>





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Hello,

I have received two checks as a tribute for Deb Palmer of Vermillion who passed
away recently. They are from Colorado and California. Deb was a member of a
group on-line called Eaglet Momsters--a Bald Eagle cam and group of the NCTC in
Virginia. And her love of birds seems to have ben well-known.

Deb was a member of SDOU and an important member of the Osprey re-introduction
team in Yankton.

I am bringing a card to Pierre for anyone who wishes to sign. I will give the
card to Deb's sister Pam, who lives here in Sioux Falls, for the family.

Doug Chapman
Sioux Falls, SD

Waterfowl Estimates for Sand Lake NWR - 11/17/2009

Canada Geese - 1600

Snow Geese - 185,000

Ducks - 48,000

Swans - 450


Snow geese continued to move into the Sand Lake area this past week.  There
are several hundred thousand snow geese using Putney Slough and snow geese
are also being reported on Scatterwood Lakes, southwest of Aberdeen.  Some
of the smaller wetlands throughout Brown County are freezing up overnight,
but are thawing during the day.  Some of these wetlands continue to hold
many ducks.

The tundra swans on the refuge remain in the same areas, which are near the
south end and in an area about 1 mile south of State Highway 10.  Swans are
still using some wetlands throughout northern Brown County.

The weather during the past week has been good for the harvest.  The
soybean harvest is nearing completion, and the corn harvest is getting into
full swing.


Waterfowl Estimates for Sand Lake NWR - 11/10/2009

Canada Geese - 800

Snow Geese - 42,000

Ducks - 30,000

Swans - 350


More snow geese have moved into the Sand Lake area this past week.  Besides
Sand Lake, there currently are snow geese on Putney Slough, using an area
near the James River along Highway 12, and also in an area south of Groton.
There are several hundred thousand snow geese total between these areas.
Some wetlands in Brown County continue to hold many ducks, but they are
shifting around between wetlands throughout the area.

The tundra swans on the refuge remain in the same areas, which are near the
south end and in an area about 1 mile south of State Highway 10.  Swans are
still using some wetlands throughout northern Brown County.

Farmers are making good progress on the soybean harvest, and a few more
fields of corn have been harvested in the area since last week.



Bill Schultze
Wildlife Biologist
Sand Lake NWR
39650 Sand Lake Dr.
Columbia, SD  57433
(605)885-6320

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Ricky,

     You definitely are a lucky birder, but you also put in a huge amount of
birding time.  Question for you or anyone else on SD-Birds--how often are
Pacific & Red-throated Loons seen in SD?  Here in Southern Manitoba, I have
seen Red-throated Loons twice in spring and once (possibly twice) in fall in
nearly 30 years of birding, and one fall sighting of Pacific Loon.  To see
both in one day sounds mind boggling!

Cheers,

Rob Parsons
Winnipeg, MB
CANADA
parsons8@...

Believe it or not mark Otnes called again and he is looking at a Pacific Loon at
Bear Butte Lake in Meade County.

Mark has had a terrific trip to SD. Already picking up 3 had to get target
birds: Mew Gull, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch and Pacific Loon. He also picked up a
Bonus Bird the Red-throated Loon!!

And people say I have all the luck.


Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Mark Otnes just called and he observed a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch about half way
up Bear Butte in Meade County.


Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Mark Otnes saw a Mew Gull on LaFramboise Sandbar yesterday afternoon. Mark also
saw 7 or 8 loons near Lower Brule, but they were to far away to tell if one was
a Pacific Loon.

Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Ah, yes, I understand that arrows enter  human flesh much less painfully.

lol

Doug Chapman
Sioux Falls, SD

On Nov 16, 2009, at 10:03 PM, Doug Backlund wrote:

> This morning I saw 4 white-winged scoters off the causeway to Laframboise
> Island. They flew down river shortly after I spotted them. I looked for the
> red-throated loon this afternoon but did not see it. The red-necked grebes
> were gone too. I have hopes that the loon is still there, it can be very
> difficult to find when it is diving a lot.
>
> FYI on field trips this coming weekend. The east and west river rifle deer
> seasons will be open. Most places we will go on field trips will not be
> where deer hunters can or will hunt, but be aware if you plan to hike in the
> river breaks or shelterbelts, bring some blaze orange clothing. Farm Island
> and Laframboise Island are closed to rifle deer hunting, only archery
> hunting is allowed.
>
> Doug Backlund
>
> Pierre, SD
>
> www.wildphotosphotography.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

This morning I saw 4 white-winged scoters off the causeway to Laframboise
Island. They flew down river shortly after I spotted them. I looked for the
red-throated loon this afternoon but did not see it. The red-necked grebes
were gone too. I have hopes that the loon is still there, it can be very
difficult to find when it is diving a lot.



FYI on field trips this coming weekend. The east and west river rifle deer
seasons will be open. Most places we will go on field trips will not be
where deer hunters can or will hunt, but be aware if you plan to hike in the
river breaks or shelterbelts, bring some blaze orange clothing. Farm Island
and Laframboise Island are closed to rifle deer hunting, only archery
hunting is allowed.



Doug Backlund

Pierre, SD

www.wildphotosphotography.com





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I received the neck collar info back from one of the trumpeter swans that I saw
last month in Brookings County. Female. Banded in 2006 near Oskaloosa, IA.

Here is the list of presentations for this weekend's fall SDOU Meeting in
Pierre.  I hope to see everyone there!





South Dakota Ornithologists' Union Fall Meeting and Paper Session
November 21, 2009
Ramkota Inn (605) 224-6877
Pierre, South Dakota


Saturday, November 21

7:00-10:00                  Field Trips (destinations to be announced, meet at
Ramkota)

10:30-12:30                                                Morning Paper Session

10:00 - 10:30              Jeff Palmer - An Age-structured Model for the
American Dipper Population in the Black Hills of South Dakota

10:30 - 11:00              Nancy Drilling - Estimating Detection Probabilities
in the SD Breeding Bird Atlas

11:00 - 11:30              Mick Hanan, Bob Klaver, and K.C. Jensen - Land Cover
Change and The Breeding Bird Survey: Rates of Change in Relation to Roads

11:30 - 12:00              V. Woody Walstrom, John Klicka, Garth M. Spellman,
and Marjorie Barrick - Speciation in the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta
carolinensis): a multilocus study of diversification in North American pine and
oak woodlands.

12:00 - 12:30              Dave Swanson - Metabolic Capacity and Passerine
Biogeography

12:30-1:30                  Lunch on your own

1:30-3:30                                                    Afternoon Paper
Session

1:30 - 2:00                  Eileen Dowd-Stukel - TWW, SWG and WAP - Deciphering
the acronyms for wildlife conservation

2:00 - 2:30                  Joseph D Manthey, John Klicka, Garth M Spellman,
and Marjorie Barrick - Phylogeography of the Brown Creeper (Certhia americana).

2:30 - 3:00                  R. D. Mettler and Garth M. Spellman  - A hybrid
zone revisited:  molecular and morphological analysis of the maintenance,
movement, and evolution of a Great Plains avian (Cardinalidae: Pheucticus)
hybrid zone

3:00 - 3:30                  Nancy Drilling -  Results of the 2009 Black Hills
Owl Survey

3:30-4:30                    General Membership Meeting Ramkota

4:30-5:30                    Board of Directors Meeting Ramkota

6:30-7:30                    Dinner at Ramkota


K. C. Jensen, Ph.D.
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
SPB 138D, Box 2140B
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD  57007

(605)688-4781 (office)
(605)690-6104 (cell)
(605)688-4515 (FAX)
wfs.sdstate.edu/wfsdept/faculty/kcjensen.htm<http://wfs.sdstate.edu/wfsdept/facu\
lty/kcjensen.htm>

100% of the shots you don't take don't go in - Wayne Gretzky



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On Nov. 13 I observed a Short-eared Owl along Railroad Buttes Road, which is SE
of Rapid City. The bird was near the high point of the buttes and was harassing
a Rough-legged Hawk perched on a fence post. It's the first Short-ear I've seen
in this area since June.

Michael Melius
Hermosa

The Red-throated Loon was still at Cow Creek when I left at 3 PM. Some poor
quality photos at the link:

http://wildphotosphotography.com/WildPhotos/links/Red-throated_loon.htm



Doug Backlund

Pierre, SD

www.wildphotosphotography.com





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In addition to the common birds found at Canyon Lake, the following were present
today, November 15:  Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye (14),
Hooded Merganser and Pied-billed Grebe. Bald Eagles are also being seen
frequently. Jocie Baker
JOCELYN LEE BAKER
RAPID CITY, S.D.






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Cow Creek Rec Area is about 15 miles north of Pierre SD off HWY 1804.  Doug
called and the Loon was still there at  noon. It had disappeared for awhile.


Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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Ricky Olson called me Doug Backlund  found a juvenile red-throated loon at cow
creek by the boat ramp.  Todd



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

Todd Jensen, Mick Zerr and I birded the day around the SIoux Falls
Area and found 47 species--pretty good considering how sparse it's
been around here lately.  Not large numbers of anything but starling,
but some good birds were seen.

Best:

Great Egret--1, this is the latest date I found on the SDOU website,
but all three of us found it. Previous late date seems to be Nov. 9.

Rusty Blackbird--small flock 5-7, just west of town.
Harris's Sparrow--1
Golden-crowned Kinglet--1
Snow goose flock--distant in flight
Am. White Pelican--small flock in flight
Few numbers of ducks seen except Mallards. But 1 or 2 of each of
these: Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Merganser,
Ruddy Duck, N Shoveler, Gadwall.

Sharp-shinned Hawk--1
Red-tailed Hawk--3
Harlan's Hawk--1, adult
Horned Lark, Lapland Longspur, AM. Tree Sparrow--Small flocks of each.
Brown Creeper--2
Lincoln's Sparrow--1
Yellow-headed Blackbirds, small numbers in large flock of Red-wingeds.
Common Grackle--1, in same flock.

Doug Chapman
Sioux Falls, SD

Four members of the Northern Hills Bird Club (NHBC) birded Newell, Newell
lagoons, Newell Lake, Twilight Road, and backroads to Bear Butte Lake and
Sturgis lagoon.  It was a nice sunny day with large numbers of deer hunters
everywhere.  Previous years have produced 9-16 Rough-legged Hawks in the area
North of Newell, but this year there were none and the only sighting of a
Rough-legged Hawk was Southwest of Vale.  Twenty-seven species were seen and
Eagles were the bird of the day with four Golden Eagles and 3 Bald Eagles
sighted.  Other raptors included Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, and two
Red-tailed Hawks.  Duck sightings included Mallard, Gadwall, and Green-winged
Teal in the Newell area.  Bear Butte Lake had Canada Goose, Bufflehead, and
Greater Scaup plus lots of Coots, 2 Pied-billed Grebes, and 1 Eared Grebe. 
Sturgis lagoon had lots of Common Goldeneyes which was a FOS for that area. 
Birding around Newell included 30+ EC Doves, American Robin, Blue Jay, House
Sparrow, Starlings, and a few Cedar Waxwings which were feeding on apples. 
Newell Lake was full of hunters and the only bird seen was a single American
Tree Sparrow.  One Northern Shrike was found along old 79 Southwest of Vale and
we had a few sightings of Horned Larks, but no huge flocks.

The trip today is the only field trip in November because of the Thanksgiving
holiday.  The next event for the NHBC will be the regular meeting on December 3.

Vic Fondy-NHBC

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Kenny & I saw a Pacific Loon on the Missouri River about a mile south of Lower
Brule SD.  We also saw a Red-necked Grebe in Good Soldier Bay at Big Bend Dam.
Snow Buntings were seen at the dam also.
Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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There is a Mew Gull off Marion's Point today.


Sharing is half the fun of birding.

Ricky D. Olson
Fort Pierre, SD

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There were two Red-necked Grebes in Cow Creek bay this morning.  They are in
with some western's just past the boat ramp.  Seems like they should turn up
more often here, but these are the first I've seen in the Pierre area and I'm
aware of only a handful of other sightings.



Kenny Miller

Pierre


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