The beautiful state of ND is still brown, yet I love wandering and exploring in the early spring. Migrating birds overhead and the return of resident ducks in the ponds and lakes draw me out into the sunshine.  Sandhill Crane, Duck and Snow Goose migration continues overhead. In the water I observed endless species including, Plovers, Cormorants, Ducks of all kinds. My backyard visitors include Robins, Great-Tailed Grackles, and Nuthatches. Singing Red-Winged Blackbirds awaken me every morning. Birds of Prey (Northern Harriers, Red-Tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, Eagles) are so common, I have stopped oooohing and ahhhhing each time I see one.

The prairies here are not flat. I sit on the Missouri Coteau— a plateau topped with rolling hills and literally thousands of prairie potholes (ponds, lakes). To the west of me, the plateau levels off at the Missouri River. The Badlands are further west.  To the east, the plateau drops off into the Red River Valley.

A friend of mine (see below) is a lifelong resident of Wishek. He asked a landowner if we could hike on his land. Yes, yes, yes! We have taken several hikes through the still-brown hills, where there is more to see than I imagined. We inadvertently flushed out grouse while hiking. Further on, we scared off a Great-Horned Owl who was hunting from a hill-top. In one area we found lots of coyote scat and just down the hill from there, lots of bleached bones. Pasque flowers greeted us on our second outing there.

This first image shows the layout of the prairies here. Small, rolling hills, and the abundant lakes. You can see one in the foreground, and another over the hills. This goes on forever. Now those small bodies of water are filling up with waterfowl and shorebirds. Migrating flocks stop for a rest and a drink. Soon, this view will be lush and green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a professional photo that depicts the subtle light and great beauty here:

 

 

 

 

Farmers use old school buses as cow shelters! The back-end is cut out and cows go inside to find shade and/or protection from blizzards. Some hills are dotted with the buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below, lovely pasque flowers, which the locals call crocus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A first-of-the-season picnic at a camping area about 10 miles from town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning to camp at the spot below this coming Sunday/Monday

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other side of the park, beaver are decimating old trees

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below: Tango sniffs around another beaver-felled tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another day, my friend and I drove over to the James River to scout out put-in/take out places for his small boat. Years ago he paddled the river, so he knew we had to exit the river before approaching a small spillway. We wandered up and down the LaMoure Scenic Route, finding a put-in. Later, we found the spillway and then a place above it to take out the boat. The plan is to park the van at the takeout, then drive up to the put-in spot in his truck (with the boat).

Below, the spillway we want to avoid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking with a local about the river:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer plans include a camping adventure up near the Canadian border (Turtle Mountains), including a visit to the International Peace Gardens.  After all, North Dakota is the “Peace Garden State”.

And, working on getting my blogging mojo back!