Site Report: Theodore Roosevelt National Park - South Unit

Visits

• 2012-07-11: I arrived in the park early in the afternoon. After securing a campsite, I had planned on walking up to the "Big Plateau" area, but it was much too hot to try that hike until later in the day. Finally, I got around to starting the hike. Nothing was too exciting in the lower elevations, but one I arrived on the top, I found myself in a prairie dog town the size of a small city. Prairie dogs were barking away in every direction. I looked around for a couple of hours for any predators, but they were not hanging around during the day time. I was pretty tired and hot, and I had already drunk nearly a gallon of water, but I decided to keep pushing up toward the high point in the area. I am glad that I did. Above the prairie dogs was a prairie with longer grass in which I found a few grouse. I saw a bird off in the distance hovering, and upon a closer look, I actually found three Upland Sandpipers that were repeatedly doing a crazy flight display. I stayed above with the Upland Sandpipers almost until night time at which point a lightning storm passed through. I was most definitely the likely lightning rod in this treeless area, so I high-tailed it back into the valley. Just before I reached the car, a juvenile Great-horned Owl was screeching about on a bluff. Its calls were answered by some "whooping" calls below. The owl led me toward the parking area, flying in front of me as I walked toward the car. Back at the campsite, I had several bed-time cocktails in preparation for a long drive the next morning. Birds 12, Scott 5

Species Seen

Lifelists

• North America
• United States
• World

Trips

• Moving the Car