Once again, we headed out very early this morning so we could get to the lek blind on the Cimarron National Grasslands. It had rained overnight and the dirt road to the lek was very muddy and slippery like that when driving in slushy snow. As first light, we could hear the birds, but we couldn't see anything through the thick fog. Eventually, the fog mostly burned off and we were able to get nice looks at 13 Lesser Prairie-Chickens.
Eventually, the last few birds flew off and we left the blind. We drove the short distance south into the Oklahoma panhandle since none of us had ever been in that state before. Roadside birding there netted Horned Lark, Loggerhead Shrike, Vesper Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark.
Back inside the Cimarron National Grasslands, stops at and around the Cimarron River produced Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawk, Ring-necked Pheasant, Scaled Quail, Say's Phoebe, Rock Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Brewer's, Vesper, Savannah, and Grasshopper Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, and Brewer's Blackbird.
We reluctantly headed northeastward toward home. The night was spent at the Motel 6 in Blue Springs, Missouri.
April 23, 1999
The entire day was spent driving back home. The driving was long and tedious, but we were rewarded with good looks at most of the birds, especially the two 'lifers'.
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