North-central United States Trip ~ June 13, 1995

I drove north on Route 281 to Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge.

Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge near Edmunds, North Dakota.

I stopped at the headquarters for information and, unfortunately, found out that their auto tour road was also closed because of the Spring's high water levels. As a result, I was only able to bird the southern part of Arrowwood Lake. Still, I managed to find Western Grebe, American White Pelican, Northern Harrier, Marbled Godwit, Franklin's Gull, Black Tern, Chimney Swift, Willow Flycatcher, Eastern and Western Kingbird, Horned Lark, Purple Martin, Tree and Barn Swallow, Grasshopper and Clay-colored Sparrow, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbird, and American Goldfinch.

Western Grebe at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota.

Since the auto tour route at Arrowwood was closed, I decided to drive to Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in order to witness the largest nesting colony of American White Pelicans in the world. Access to the lake is very limited and only by special permission, so I had to scope it from about a half-mile away. The islands in the middle of the lake were crammed full of what appeared to be thousands of pelicans. Mixed in with them were large numbers of California Gulls. The only way I was able to identify them was because groups of them left the lake and flew overhead on their way to nearby feeding areas. Armadas of pelicans constantly flew in and out of the lake area and were seen in several nearby ponds.

American White Pelicans near Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota.

I worked my way over to the marsh above Tappen that I had visited the day before. I stopped the car and heard Yellow Rail calling at the same spot as before. Once again, I put on my "Swamp Thing" outfit and headed out into the marsh. Since the bird was calling in daylight, my hope was to get a photo. I got closer and closer to the call when it suddently stopped. I played the tape of its call, but what I heard was the sound of something moving beneath the layers of short grass. I tried a few more times, but a Virginia Rail answered instead. Then, I noticed something tugging at my shoestring! It was the Virginia Rail. Within seconds of attacking my shoestring, it flew straight up beside me to waist-level and then powered off to another section of the marsh. Birds not seen in the area the day before included Sedge Wren, Swamp and Vesper Sparrow, and Bobolink.

I hopped back on I-94 and drove east towards my next motel in Moorehead, Minnesota, located just across the border from Fargo. I checked into "Motel 75" just in time to see the Flyers lose their last game of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I then called a local birder who gave me some information about Gray Partridge sightings and directions to the Felton Prairie area outside Moorhead.

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