10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2012

The first resurrection, or more properly resurfacing, of the black-footed ferret happened in 1964, in Mellette County, South Dakota. When the South Dakota ferret numbers began dropping, they captured nine animals in hopes of starting a captive breeding population. But the ferrets kept dying.

Ferrets 215

Ferrets South Dakota Wyoming Captive Animal 215

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

I found these beauties at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, one of the many locations the Black-necked Stilt breeds in the California Central Valley (map courtesy of Terry Sohl at South Dakota Birds ). Black-necked Stilts will wade in water of any depth up to the height of their breast.

South Dakota 218

South Dakota Sacramento Jordan North America 218

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2015

They fly from extreme northern North America to the southern tip of South America and are seldom seen perched during migration. Another cool fact was learning that the Barn Swallows has started to breed in South America since the 80s. Swallows have migrated north to south along the Americas for millennia.

South Dakota 178

South Dakota South America North America Wyoming 178

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

The truth is that Lewis’s Woodpeckers , named after the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame a few years after being discovered in 1805, are found in the United States mainly west of the great plains (range map courtesy of Terry Sohl at South Dakota Birds ).

Woodpeckers 236

Woodpeckers South Dakota Jordan United States 236

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2012

In North America, the Greater White-fronted Goose breeds in open tundra areas of the low Arctic from Point Barrow, Alaska to northeastern Keewatin, Northwest Territories, and it winters south to Chiapas, Mexico, thus having the broadest latitudinal range of any arctic-nesting goose 1.

Geese 177

Geese Wildlife Sacramento South Dakota 177

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Map courtesy of Terry Sohl at South Dakota Birds and Birding. The Ross’s Goose is the smallest variety of the white geese that breed in North America. They look like a small Snow Goose but they have a shorter neck and a rounder head.

South Dakota 158

South Dakota Sacramento Geese Arkansas 158

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

Their population is currently stable among the arctic regions where they breed. This species has three populations that reside in the northern tall-grass prairies ranging from South Dakota up though the Canadian prairies. Not so much anymore, but certainly this is a specialty species anywhere within it’s range.

South Dakota 182

South Dakota Florida Sparrows Wildlife 182