Site Report: Chase Lake NWR

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)

Some potholes in North Dakota

2012-07-10: After driving through Arrowwood NWR, my plan was to hit Chase Lake before continuing west. I still had not seen an Upland Sandpiper, and now I was feeling like I could dip on all the North Dakota specialty birds. I drove around on various dirt roads for awhile in an attempt to follow the poor map that I had. You can really get yourself into trouble by following the "gray" roads on the road atlas. After some time, I finally found an entrance to Chase Lake..., but the road was closed! Now, I found myself driving aimlessly and generally to the west (again) in the North Dakota farm country. On the way, I nearly ran over an Upland Sandpiper! Then there were a bunch of Sharp-tailed Grouse on the road! I dipped on the Chestnut-collared Longspur and the Sprague's Pipit. Birds 8, Scott 4

Kingdom: Animals (23 records)

Phylum: Chordates (23 records)

Class: Birds (22 records)

Order: Anseriformes (2 records)
- Family: Swans, Geese, and Ducks
- Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
- Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- American Coot (Fulica americana)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

Order: Pelicans (6 records)
- Family: Cormorants
- Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
- Family: Herons
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Family: Pelicans
- American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
- Family: Sandpipers and Allies
- Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)
- Willet (Tringa semipalmata)

Order: Perching Birds (7 records)
- Family: American Blackbirds and Orioles
- Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
- Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
- Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
- Family: Larks
- Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
- Family: Old World Buntings
- Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
- Family: Tyrant Flycatchers
- Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya)
- Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Order: Shorebirds and Allies (3 records)
- Family: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
- Family: Plovers
- American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
- Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Order: Turkey-like birds (2 records)
- Family: Grouse, Turkeys, and Allies
- Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)

Class: Mammals (1 record)

Order: Rodents (1 record)
- Family: Squirrels
- Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)