Date: 1/17/25 6:21 am From: Ricky Olson via groups.io <olsonr088...> Subject: [sd-birds] Ft Pierre
Kenny & I birded the prairie in Stanley & Jones Counties. Our conclusion, in area large numbers of prairie grouse, good numbers of pheasants & Horned Larks . In some areas mega flocks of Lapland Longspurs.
Raptors in low numbers and very local. Surprisingly Golden Eagles most common raptor seen Only one Red-tailed Hawk seen.
Amazingly a very large area where small rodents are not cycling, not having years of population explosions. Apparently not much reproduction happening. Small rodents are a major part of the prairie ecosystem. Some. Raptors eat the game birds & song birds etc .But small mammals are the bread& butter life sustaining food source for many owls & raptors.
To me this is our Canary in the coal mine and we should be finding out what is happening!!!
The Surf Scoter & Short-billed Gulls are still present.
