I have just returned from six days in the beautiful Driftless Region, an area of rugged hills straddling the Mississippi River and spanning the corners of southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northwestern Illinois, and northeastern Iowa. (The lobes of ice that moved southward during the last glacial incursion missed this section, thus sparing it the filling and planing that flattened much of the Midwestern landscape.) Specifically, I was engaged in bird surveys on the Prairie Island Indian Community near Redwing, Minnesota. My friend Andy Sigler accompanied me, and we had an enjoyable and productive time as we covered a variety of habitats under the guiding hands of Brad Frazier, the Community’s Environmental Specialist, and his able summer intern Kelsey Voth.
Since it is about a five hour drive from Westmont, IL to Redwing and we needed to meet Brad by a certain time, I was a bit surprised when Andy suggested we start birding only 45 minutes into the trip. He had a few specific wet fields he wanted to check for shorebirds that were not too far off the main road so we made the detour. And a good thing too- he spotted two female red-necked phalaropes, a species I had never before seen in this area in the spring. For Andy, who is an inveterate lister, it was a Kane County (IL) bird.
Brad had commissioned a study of the birds last year, during which 72 points were established. The tribal property consists of the formal reservation created in the 1930s as well as additional land subsequently purchased by the tribe. (I should say too that the tribe has a thriving casino resort complex- they call the casino their new buffalo, a resource that supplies the community with all of its needs.) The habitat represented is extremely varied and includes a stunning section of wooded bluffs (getting to the final point, up an incredibly steep trail, left me huffing and puffing while Andy and Kelsey bounded up with nary a care), a variety of grasslands from restored prairie to old field, islands in the Mississippi that are subject to flooding, riparian woods, and a savanna kept in nice condition by the herd of bison maintained by the tribe to provide meat.
Probably the most exciting find were the numbers of cerulean warblers that inhabited both the bluffs and the islands. This canopy dweller has been declining markedly and was considered for federal listing as a threatened species. It has a distinctive buzzy song but is a challenge to see as its perches on some twig obscured by layers of leaves. Brad managed to spot one bird that provided great views.
Joel, Kelsey, and Andy listening
I was also impressed by the range of grassland birds. The one of greatest interest to me is the clay-colored sparrow. This species is a rare nester in the Chicago region and uncommon migrant. But here it is quite common, with its wonderful buzzy song audible at most grassy points. We found a total of nine sparrows, including the lark, a strikingly colored species that is very local in Minnesota. I would have expected bobolinks, but we failed to find any.
The islands were accessible only by boat. Because they are inundated on a regular basis, the ground flora is limited in most sections. But two plants do thrive in great quantities: poison ivy and tall nettle (Urtica procera). At this point, the plants are only at shin height, but I shudder to think of how much they will grow by the end of June, when we return. There was also a muddy swale that almost claimed my shoe. Despite the challenges, however, the islands offered their own charms. Few Homo sapiens visit, a circumstance that bestows quality on most any place, in my book. Prothonotary warblers graced us with superb views twice, including a male that leisurely explored a small cavity in a tree stump. All the while the cries of bald eagles accompanied our activities.
Much beyond mid-morning, bird activity tends to slows down considerably so we were left with a lot of free time. On one day we decided to drive to South Dakota. As we proceeded west, we encountered more and more marshy lakes, some with many birds and others with few. But the wind also increased, so by the time we reached Salt Lake (straddling the state lines), it was up to 40 mph, making the use of scopes almost impossible. We came to one lake which harbored Aechmophorus grebes. Two individuals were close and one was far. I made the mistake of looking first at the close birds which were western but Andy focused on the more distant bird which had the orange bill of a Clark’s (as well as lighter flanks). By the time I located the Clark’s in the scope, it had gone to sleep and with the wind, there was little I could do. A long drive with negligible rewards but it sure beat watching the weather channel or Fox news.
We are scheduled to return at the end of the month for another round of surveys. If we are lucky, we will arrive at the same time as the mayflies take to the air in a spectacular display of unbridled life. That would be hitting the jackpot.
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Clay-colored sparrow photographed by John Cassady at Whitefish Point, Michigan.
