Things are getting quiet

I have been in Grandville, North Dakota for this week. It is just east of Minot. We have been birding morning and most evenings. I have some great recordings of prairie birds. The Upland Sandpiper makes a sound that can be described as a wolf whistle. It is great. It is very special to stand out on the prairie in the evening and listen to all the birds calling and singing. It gets dark after 10 pm and some nights we have stayed out there till dark. I will see if I can post some sounds. I do not know if it is do-able. The sandpipers are the birds that I photographed on the fence post. I also got sora, Chestnut-colored Longspur and many other sparrows. Fun! We found a longspur nest about 10 feet on the other side of a fence. Jim and I have stood there and photographed him for hours. They do not pay us any attention. The nest is on the ground by a short plant about 6 inches high. There is a thistle near it that the male sits on and declares his territory. What a sight. I saw a curious thing happen at the nest. Two males were flying together very low to the ground starting near the nest and going in a zig zag pattern away from the nest pecking at the ground. They were very aggitated and frantic acting. I wondered if it was a snake. The fact that it was two males was curious. They are territorial. I could not see any thing from where I was. The land is private so I could not hop over the fence. The male and female both bring in worms etc so there are babies. I would love to see them fledge but I move on tomorrow, Sunday. I am heading east. The birds are starting to feed young and as a result are becoming quiet. I will have to work hard to get them from now on. I have been taking so many pictures that I have not even processed them. That will slow down now. Anyway, new adventures ahead. Take care. Donelda

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T