10,000 Birds

APRIL 20, 2012

Russell National Wildlife Refuge , more than a million acres of prairie, badlands, coulees, and the massive Fort Peck Reservoir on the Missouri River. Like the Rockies, though, this is a harsh beauty, not an ideal climate for the human animal by any means. The tussocks are badgers, the stones are grouse until they fails to fly away.

Ferrets 210

Ferrets Wildlife Montana Prairie Dogs 210

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2013

Ground squirrels, to those who are not used to them, are more curious beasts, caught in a taxonomic middle ground between the larger marmots and prairie dogs and their smaller chipmunk cousins. But to many humans they are just a pest, eliciting endless recommendations from the internet on how to trap, gas, shoot, and poison them.

Chipmunks 199

Chipmunks Squirrels Rodents Montana 199

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2011

Ferruginous Hawks are native to our western short-grass prairies and their diet comprises almost completely of prairie dogs. Well, the ongoing issues of land development, sport shooting, and the rancher’s war on these animals keeps prairie dog populations from ever booming. Not too bad eatin’, huh?

Prairie Dogs 167

Prairie Dogs Colorado North Dakota Soreing 167

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

And, Essay #195, “Our Human Values: The Ugly,” describes the standoff between catfish loving Double-crested Cormorants and catfish farmers in the Missouri Valley. I’m not sure if “the Ugly” refers to the cormorant itself or human reaction (catfish farmers are officially allowed to shoot the birds).

North America 117

North America Birds Prairie Dogs Barn Owls 117