41 Species

After two weeks counting Western Meadowlarks in the prairie, where on a typical survey I might detect a dozen species, my first survey in the Custer was in a riparian area along the Tongue River where I detected 41 species.

It was a wall of sound.

I felt overwhelmed and decided to make it a practice day.

But, luckily, I couldn’t find a way across The Tongue, and so finished the 7 points on my side of the river before 10:30.

The last point I thought I could get to was 80 meters across a bog. Instead of wading, I decided to walk around.

It took me an hour to walk around and I had to wade anyway.

Beautiful ranch house with nice people inside.

Red-winged Blackbird