Northern Harrier-King of the Prairie

Bird life on the prairie is more abundant than I expected. A few days ago I drove to a small town about 35 miles west. Oh look, huge Northern Harriers swooping down on rodent prey every few miles. Another dozen or so Prairie Falcons. The cattails surrounding the ponds are full of Yellow-Headed Blackbirds. On the open shores Avocets and Sandpipers forage. Oh, another raft of Wood Ducks. I cross several small bridges and clouds of small swallows fly out. Pheasants families run/fly across the road, always in a panic.  In my backyard, unusual visitors come and go each day looking for a free meal. Western Kingbirds hover on the utility lines. I stop at McTwist for ice-cream (twist cone for those who remember the old days) and discover a bird nest inside a tree trunk. I walk most days and spot an unknown bird over there, another over there, and another over there. Birds rule the prairie.

Wood Duck

I am not really bored, despite the yawn in my post title. I am amazed. The great paradox of the prairie–what seems so plain, even sterile at times, is simply teeming with bird life and the critters they feed upon. Deer, coyotes, wild turkeys and more roam endlessly. The soil is rich and fertile.

Soon, I will be up on the Canadian border and am expecting lots of birds up there too. I look forward to setting up my spotting scope and sitting for hours. However, I have not packed a thing yet, and I leave tomorrow. Time to get moving.

Western Kingbird