Date: 1/11/26 6:06 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] WW to Harding County
We birded St. Onge, Crooked Oaks Road to BF Reservoir (Orman Dam) then Arpan Road, Harding Road to Collins Road, returning via Camp Crook Road, MDU cutoff, Belle Fourche and to Whitewood. We were hoping recent colder temps and snowfall would bring raptor migration, but we had only one Rough-legged Hawk on today's trip. We did have other raptor sightings including 2 Bald and 1 Golden Eagle, 3 American Kestrels, and one Prairie Falcon. Orman Dam is completely iced over except for one small lead and that's where the Bald Eagles were. The frozen dam probably contributed to our "bird of the day" which was several thousand Canada Geese feeding in fields on both sides of Arpan Road. We picked up a Great-horned Owl at the walk in shed area at the North end of MDU cutoff road. Horned Larks were seen at various places in the North country and we had 3 late season Red-winged Blackbirds.
Sightings at our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood are about the same except for a Golden Eagle flying south of the house on 1/10 and an increase in the number of EC Doves.
We received a copy of the Old Farmer's Almanac which included bird proverbs and prognostics for predicting weather based on bird behavior. For example: "If Crows fly in pairs, expect fine weather; a crow flying alone is a sign of foul weather" and "Birds singing in the rain indicates fair weather approaching."
