Enter June

Things have really begun to pick up around here, nesting-wise. June is our busiest season, as the majority of the birds around here begin laying eggs this month. As if to emphasize this point, my crew found 15 nests on June 1st! We've now found a total of 76 nests, 59 of which we are monitoring. We have 4 more plots to drag, then we'll be done with the first round of nest searching. Last year we only managed to complete two rounds, but I'm hopeful that this year we'll at least be able to start a 3rd one. We complete "a round" once all 26 plots have been dragged, then the next round begins right away. Obviously the more times each plot is searched, the more nests we will find, especially as the season progresses and new nests are begun.

Sometimes we find nests of species other than 7 species of songbirds we're monitoring. The other day, Amy and I managed to find this nest of an Upland Sandpiper. There's always the possibility of finding all kinds of nests out here, including shorebirds, ducks, and sometimes even raptors!

On Monday night, Bonnie, Chris, Amy, Barb, and myself decided to head to Mankota for dinner. Even though it's a 40-minute drive, sometimes it's nice to get out of the house for a little while. Things like restaurants and being waited on are definitely luxuries during the field season. On the way back, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

We've definitely had some strange weather the last few days. Every time it isn't forecasted to rain, it does. When it forecasts rain, we get sunshine. It definitely makes it difficult to plan ahead. The problem is that weather out here is extremely regional. It may be raining in one pasture, but not in the next one. It all depends on where the clouds are heading.

This morning it was raining, so we waited until the afternoon to check nests. One of my favorite things about this job is seeing the progression of the nests from start to finish. I almost feel like a proud mother when I see the chicks getting bigger and more developed by the day. This is the same nest of Chestnut-collared Longspur chicks. In the top picture, they are approximately 2-3 days old. In the bottom picture, taken today, they are about 6-7 days old. Most of the songbirds out here fledge within 8-12 days of hatching, so they need to grow up fast!

Sometimes I get a nice surprise, like I did in this nest. The last two times it was checked, four chicks were seen. But today I noticed there were five. The chicks are so fuzzy and bundled together when they're young, sometimes you can't tell how many there really are.

Almost everywhere I go, there are cattle. The cows and calves spook easily, and generally keep their distance. The steers (castrated males) are much more curious though, and will sometimes follow me around. It's amusing until they begin investigating an area where I just checked a nest, then I get nervous they'll step on it.

Of course, the cattle aren't the only ones that are ever-watchful. Today I was lucky enough not to scare off this male pronghorn antelope, who was relaxing on a hillside.

It's amazing how much wildlife you can see right from the roadside. Many people may look at this landscape and think it barren. But take a walk or even a drive through it, and immediately you find yourself surrounded by critters of all shapes and sizes, like this Richardson's ground squirrel.

There is wildlife surrounding our house as well. Though the bird migration is all but over, some of the locals have decided to settle down. I have no farther to walk than my own front porch to find nests, as this robin nest proves.