Date: 10/3/26 5:21 pm From: Vic Fondy via groups.io <treasurecreek...> Subject: [sd-birds] Whitewood to Orman/return and WW Sightings
We birded today from Whitewood to Belle Fourche Reservoir via Whitewood Valley and Crooked Oaks and returning via East of Belle Fourche, NE of Spearfish, and Crook City Rd.,. Weather was warm and windy. Belle Fourche reservoir has been lowered to about 37% with lots of shoreline visible and only a low-water platform to launch boats. BF reservoir sightings were limited with no ducks or shorebirds seen, but numbers of Ringed-billed Gulls, American White Pelican, and DC Cormorants. Raptors today were 4 Red-tailed Hawks, and 2 American Kestrels. Other sightings today included large numbers of Wild Turkeys in many locations, one flock of 15-20 Western Meadowlarks probably migrating, plus quite a few Mountain Bluebirds. Sparrows sightings were Vesper, Chipping, and White-crowned. Most all of the roadside ponds were dry, but we had 7 Wood Ducks on St. Onge cutoff road and a few Mallards and Gadwalls on a couple of small ponds with water.
At our feeders 1.5 miles south of Whitewood, Summer migrants including Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Brown Thrasher, and Mourning Dove have departed and we have had only a few Chipping/White-crowned Sparrows as new Fall arrivals. Hairy Woodpeckers were also absent most of September, but showed up again yesterday. We still have lots of year around birds including Turkeys, BC Chickadees, Red and White-breasted Nuthatches, EC Doves, Blue Jays, House Finches, Goldfinches, and Downy Woodpeckers. Our Spotted Towhees are also still around but will probably leave soon.
