These are all birds that have visited our backyard in west Rapid City.
Most of the photos were taken through our back window.
Many of the birds live in the neighborhood, and many are regular visitors during different parts of the year.
Western Tanager
Tanager and Robin songs are similar, maybe they hang together...
Robin
Blue Jay
Red Breasted Nuthatch
White Breasted Nuthatch
Chickadee
Cedar Waxwing
Catbird
Lazuli Bunting
Junco
Bullock's Oriole
Dove
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
House Finch
Goldfinch
Black-headed Grosbeak
Grackle
Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
Starling
Towhee
Red-Wing Blackbird
(Female) Red-Wing Blackbird
Red Crossbill
bird killer! (Northern Goshawk)
Part 2: South Dakota Birds
All but two of these were taken in the Black Hills.
(The Pelican and Great White Egret were taken in central SD.)
Canadian Geese
Mountain Bluebird
Bald Eagle
Great Blue Heron
Osprey
Fledgling Herons being harrassed by an Osprey
Common Yellowthroat
Golden Eagle
House Wren
Gray Jay or Canadian Jay
Great Horned Owl
Great White Egret (central South Dakota)
Grouse
Red-tailed Hawk
Killdeer
Belted Kingfisher
Magpie
Mallard Ducks
Tree Swallow
Western Meadowlark
Pelican (central South Dakota)
Red Headed Woodpecker
Red-Naped Sapsucker
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Seagull (passing through?)
Turkey Vulture
Wild Turkey (common and some rare brown wild turkeys)
Yellow Headed Blackbird
We've just recently (2024) ID'd these next birds in the Black Hills using the phone app, "Merlin" from Cornell University.
The Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Pine Sisken, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Warbling and Plumbious Vireos,
Townsend's Solitaire and the American Redstart - all birds we were previously unfamiliar with - other than their songs,
which we can now put faces with. Many of the birds are often heard but rarely seen because they are so small.
The app listens and tells you what birds it hears. Then, from its data base, you can play that bird's songs back
which calls them over to you in many cases!
All these ID'd birds responded to calling back to them, some getting close enough for a photo.
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is as small as a hummingbird with a loud song from such a tiny bird.
It occasionally displays a red crown that is barely visible in the photo.
American Redstart
Warbling Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Song Sparrow
And finally,
"Miles" was the neighborhood Peacock in Cleghorn Canyon
Conspicuously absent is our South Dakota state bird, the Ring-Necked Pheasant.
We're still waiting to be in the right place at the right time for a good photo!
More to come!
Comments, corrections and inquiries welcome
EMAIL:
All these birds were brought to you by the creator of Classic Radio Gallery.
Visit the radio museum for a trip into the past...
