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June 9th scheduled field trip. This trip had a target bird of the rare Prairie Warbler at Newton Hills. Along with the beautiful warbler, we visually observed the following 57 species. TURKEY VULTURE CANADA GOOSE WOOD DUCK WITH DUCKLINGS BLUE-WINGED TEAL MALLARD COOPER'S HAWK RED-TAILED HAWK RN PHEASANT WILD TURKEY KILLDEER ROCK PIGEON MOURNING DOVE EC DOVE GH OWL C SWIFT RT HUMMING BIRD MALES AND FEMALE RED HEADED WOODPECKER N FLICKER RED BELLIED WOODPECKER YB SAPSUCKER E WOOD PEEWEE E PHOEBE GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER EASTERN KINGBIRD RED-EYED VIREO BLUE JAY CROW HORNED LARK TREE SWALLOW BARN SWALLOW BC CHICKADEE SEDGE WREN HOUSE WREN BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER EASTERN BLUEBIRD A. ROBIN GRAY CATBIRD E.STARLING CEDAR WAXWING PRAIRIE WARBLER YELLOW WARBLER BLUE WINGED WARBLER (SEEN LATER IN THE DAY) KENTUCKY WARBLER (SEEN LATER IN THE DAY) A. REDSTART EASTERN TOWEE FIELD SPARROW CHIPPING SPARROW HOUSE SPARROW RB GROSBEAK INDIGO BUNTING BOBOLINK RW BLACKBIRD W. MEADOWLARK C. GRACKLE. COWBIRD BALTIMORE ORIOLE A. GOLDFINCH     May 12 field trip to Newton Hills State Park and Worthing wetlands with 12 birders, found over 70 species. Trip photos are above. Species include:    Wood Duck, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Coot, Mallard, Canada Goose, BW Teal, Sora, Greater Yellowlegs, White-rumped, Baird's and Semipalmated Sandpiper, at least 5 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Marsh Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, a flock of Cedar Waxwing, Tennessee  Nashville Yellow, Yellow rumped, Mourning; A Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, C Yellowthroat, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, M. Dove, Scarlet Tanager, E Towhee; Field, Vesper, Song, and Swamp Sparrow; Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, RW, and Yellow-  headed Blackbird and Baltimore Oriole. April 14 field trip to wetlands North and West of Sioux Falls. Members present 12. Species List: Pied-biled Grebe Double Crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Snow and Blue Goose Canada Goose Wood Duck Gadwall Mallard Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Ring-necked Pheasant American Coot Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Franklin's Gull Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Great Horned Owl (adult and fledge) Downy Woodpcker Hairy Woodpecker Yellow-shafted Flicker Blue Jay American Crow Horned Lark Tree Swallow American Robin (plus an albino) European Starling American Pipit American Tree Sparow Song Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Red-winged Blackbird Weastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird House Sparrow On the way home A. Goldfinch, House Finch, BC Chickadee   Christmas Bird Count 2006 Sioux Falls area birders had a very enjoyable day surveying birds for the 58th Sioux Falls Christmas Bird Count. Mild temperatures and low wind made for almost perfect weather. Everyone was eager to walk, and the count logged more miles walking than any count in memory. Many noteworthy observations were made. Both a Sioux Falls Count record for species and individuals were recorded at (52) and (14,703) respectively. A first for the count: Bufflehead (1). Record high numbers for Snow Goose (12), Canada Goose (7035), Ring-necked Duck (15), American Kestrel (16) and Red-bellied Woodpecker (22) were recorded. A Pied-billed Grebe was observed for only the second time and Ring-necked Duck and Carolina Wren were recorded for only the 3rd time. Of note also would be the absence of Horned Lark. Many thanks to all who helped make this count a success. Robb S. 2006 CBC Compiler FIELD TRIP SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 7, 2006 SFBC members made a scheduled field trip to Beaver Creek Nature Area, where 35+ species were found, plus beautiful Fall scenery (see photos below). Species List: Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, probable Cooper's hawk, Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck, Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, N. YS Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, E. Phoebe, Blue Jay, Crow, BC Chickadee, possible winter Wren, RC Kinglet (many), E. Bluebirds, A. Robin (many), Yellow-rumped Warbler, possible Ovenbird, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow,House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, DE Junco, N. Cardinal, RW Blackbird, Starling, W. Meadowlark, House Finch, A. Goldfinch, and RN Pheasant. Photos below from the trip can be clicked on for larger size. On a very sad note, SFBC member and friend Jim McKenzie passed away on Thursday. Oct. 5. Jim was a dedicated birder and made many of our field trips more interesting and productive with his good eye and experience. We will miss Jim. Mick Field Trip Summary for September 16, 2006 58 species were seen: highlights were a very close out in the open  Wilson's Snipe,several peep at the one mud flat we managed to find  intact; many Vesper Sparrow; huge numbers of flocking blackbirds;  good numbers of egrets and herons, including a Black-crowned Night- heron; an adult Bald Eagle few immature Red-headed Woodpecker (no  adults strangely); Franklin's Gulls in several stages of winter/ summer plumage and Sedge and Marsh Wrens. Reported by President Doug Chapman   FIELD TRIP SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 18, Five membersof the Sioux Falls Bird Club went west and north of Sioux Falls  today looking for shorebirds and whatever else might be found.   We found 69 species: few of which were shorebirds and with very small  numbers of any single species except Killdeer. Best bird was at the site near  Humboldt (Hwy. 38 and 258th St.): a single Buff-breasted Sandpiper among many  Killdeer. It was a life bird for 3 and we had good long scope views of it.   Also seen: Dunlin (1), Killdeer (75), Baird's Sandpiper (1); Spotted & nbsp; Sandpiper (1); Solitary Sandpiper (1); 2 or 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper and 2 or 3  Pectoral Sandpiper.   Other highlights:  2 circling Swainson's Hawks in migration; several  kingfisher at 3-4 locations; a raft of White Pelican (40) at Grass Lake; many  Great Blue Heron and 2 Green Heron, plus 2 Black-crowned Night Heron.   There was also a mystery bird at Grass Lake. When it first flew over we  thought it was a light colored Great Blue Heron. Goose-bellied and very large  with rowing wingbeats. As we walked to the shore and saw it again, it was not so  surely a heron.  It was pure white--Great Egret white--and had an orange  (but not yellow or even yellow/orange) bill. It was most like a Great White  Heron from The Florida keys--odd. Way too large for a normal Great Egret and  shape and flight much different. We all concluded it was a mystery.   American Redstart, Grasshopper Sparrow; Purple Martin; and several  Red-headed Woodpecker (4 ad.--5 juv.); Franklin's Gull.   We saw an early flock of c. 6 Pintail at Grass Lake and a very early 1st  year Forster's Tern at Scott Lake. Searching Newton Hills Click for large photo   The Eurasian Collared Dove sighting from the birds' point of view. Peopleing on 2-19-06 Dear fellow peoplers, it was cold today, but there was plenty of grain at the Corson feed lot. We were hoping for some birders to add to our life lists, since peopleing has been rather slow due to the weather, and of course, the constant danger from the Red-tailed ones who could care less about us Peoplers.  We flew near every people’s car that came by, but none seemed interested in us. That is a slam, since we feel that we are a rare and unique group of flyers, at least in South Dakota.  I can’t wait till spring when many People Birders (PB’s) will be out, even though the competition with the non-residents, especially those fair weather peoplers, the Warblers, will be intense.  We were about ready to give up when a silver car filled with people came by very slowly. We quickly checked our field guides, and discovered it was a Honda CRV, a common car for PB’s. If we would be lucky enough to have PB’s in it, it could be a life-PB for most of us, especially if it contained more than one PB. One of our newer members asked how we could tell a PB from a human who has stopped for another reason, and we quickly opened our field guide and showed him the telltale trait. The Binoculars! But we reminded him that not all PB’s have the same behaviors, for some have Cameras (p. 32 in the guide), and people who stop and have GUNS, mean fast flying away for us. Anyway, we were flying all around the silver car and finally it stopped, and lo and behold, PB’s stepped out. We were so thrilled we Cooed at them, and let them get a good look at us before flying away to tell others about our sighting.  (boy are those Rock Pigeons going to be jealous), Our new member exclaimed, “I’m hooked, peopleing is fun, and a lot less dangerous than teasing hunters for thrills!”  I was really happy for him because it is really difficult to get younger birds interested in Peopleing.   From your Friendly Eurasian Collared Dove Peopleing Club Missouri River Lookout at Adams Nature Preserve Common Merganser were seen in this part of the River Male Red-breasted Nuthatch 12-30 The 2005 Sioux Falls area Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday, 17 Dec. in 5 degree weather. Nasty anti-? sign. www.flickr.com This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Sioux Falls. Make your own badge here. click on the thumbnail for full size photo Snowing out 3-19 Thursday, Feb. 24 at the Outdoor Campus a Rehabilitated Golden Eagle was released. SFBC members witnessed the event. We wish the majestic bird well. Photo taken during the GBBC 2-21-05 Discussing the mortality of Mankind. Saturday, the eleventh, the SFBC went to Newton Hills looking for late Summer migrants. . The total list of species includes 46. If you also appreciate butterflies, the field trip had around a dozen species seen, including the Great Spangled Fritillary. Some photos are below the bird photos.   Click here for a map. Map of Newton Hills State Park  Newton Hills offers many of nature's beautiful creatures. Oak Ridge GPA looking NE 5-22-04 Pelican Island on Grass Lake

____________________________________________   Click on the seagull to go to the Big Sioux River site with photos of birds, animals, and scenes on the Big Sioux. Happy Birding! For information on this website, contact webmaster at zerrmick@yahoo.com Website Copyright 2005 Sioux Falls Bird Club Background scene is Arrowhead Park looking SW

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