NORTH DAKOTA
June 16 - 24, 2013
Custom Tour for Firelands Audubon Society
FULL!
Price varies depending on group size, starting at $1954 for a group of 8 birders.
Potholes and Prairies
Come with us to see why the Prairie Pothole Region in North Dakota was listed in two best-selling books, "Fifty Places to Go Birding Before you Die" and "1000 Places to See Before you Die: A Traveler's Life List".
Dotted with thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, North Dakota is part of one of North America's most important areas for duck reproduction. Although the Prairie
Pothole Region, which extends into other Great Plains states, contains only about one-tenth of North America's habitat area for breeding waterfowl, the region accounts for more than 60% of the breeding populations of Mallard, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Redhead, and Canvasback Ducks. Millions of
waterfowl nest in the grasslands each year. It is also home to a myriad of grassland
species such as Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, McCown's
Longspur, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Smith's Longspur, and Chestnut-collared
Longspur, among many others.
Designed to concentrate on finding the most difficult and most sought-after species, our tour will provide opportunities to see many of the other 350+ fascinating species of birds in the area as we travel the width of the state.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1, Sunday, June 16: Plan to arrive in Bismarck before noon, where your tour leaders will meet you at the airport. Once the entire group has arrived, we will drive west to Medora, a small town (permanent population 100) on the outskirts of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We will bird en route and in the south unit of the national park as time permits. A visit to Cottonwood Campground could yield Western Wood-Pewee,
Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-headed Grosbeak, Say's Phoebe, and Rock Wren, among
other species. We plan to check in at the historic Rough Riders Hotel in time to have
dinner in Theodore's Dining Room. Our accommodations in this newly-renovated 19th-century hotel will provide a glimpse into the history of the area. Called the Metropolitan when it was built in 1884, the name of the hotel was changed in 1903 to honor Roosevelt's Rough Riders and their service in the Spanish-American War. That same year, Roosevelt returned to his beloved Badlands as the first US President to ever visit Medora.
Overnight Rough Riders Hotel, Medora (L)
Day 2, Monday, June 17: We will bird the area around Medora in early morning and then make our way south via the East River Road with birding stops at Burning Coal Vein, Amidon, and the Stewart Lake area. We'll finish our day with some birding around Logging Camp Ranch, where we will spend the next two nights. Surrounded by
6000 acres of virgin Ponderosa Pine Forest featuring 300-year-old trees, Logging
Camp Ranch is home to breeding Long-billed Curlews, Burrowing Owls, and Common
Poorwills. We might be able to find other stunners like Lark Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Mountain Bluebird, and Golden Eagle, to name but a few.
Overnight Logging Camp Ranch (BL)
Day 3, Tuesday June 18: We will spend the day birding in the southwestern corner of the state, heading west on US 12 to Rhame, and then on to Rhame Prairie where we should get McCown’s Longspur and other grassland species. From there we will cross the Little Missouri River and go to a black sage area to try for Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Grouse. On our way back to Logging Camp Ranch, we’ll stop in the unique town of Marmarth to bird. Nestled in a cottonwood grove beside the Little Missouri River, this small town of 140 people still retains some of the historic buildings from its role as a railroad town. There, dinner at the Pasttime Club& Steakhouse will give us a taste of the real west.
Overnight Logging Camp Ranch (BL)
Day 4, Wednesday, June 19: We will drive to Bismarck, birding along the way. With plenty of time to reach our destination, we will be flexible and assess which species we might still need while in the southwestern corner of the state. We'll make a stop at a
tract of school trust land to try for Sprague's Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow. Another stop will feature a reliable spot for Burrowing Owl along US 85. We will also try for Least Tern and
Piping Plover along the Missouri River in Bismarck.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Bismarck (BL)
Day 5, Thursday, June 20: After some early morning birding and breakfast, we'll head north toward the Canadian border. Birding stops along the way at hot spots like Long Lake NWR, DeWald Slough, and Horsehead Lake should yield several target species.
Long Lake is a natural lake of limited depth by reason of its location in a shallow alkaline basin. Grasslands adjoining water areas provide nesting sites for several species of dabbling ducks, Upland Plovers, Marbled Godwits, Willets, and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Over 200 species have been recorded on or near Long Lake NWR since 1940.
We hope to see Western Grebes perform their fascinating mating displays while we are there. DeWald Slough is a series of sloughs, lakes, and wet fields where we should be able to find nesting colonies of Cattle Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons as well as lots of shorebirds, White-faced Ibis, over a dozen species of duck, Yellow-headed
Blackbirds, some gulls and terns, and plenty of typical grassland species. This is reportedly the best place in North Dakota to find Clark's Grebe, and Wilson's Phalarope is a possibility. Horsehead Lake is known as a good fishing lake, but birds don't mind sharing it with anglers, so we should see lots of waterfowl there. We'll finish the day in Rugby, just a little more than an hour away from Turtle Mountain, our birding destination for tomorrow.
Overnight Northern Lights Inn, Rugby (BL)
Day 6, Friday, June 21: We'll leave early to drive to an area called Turtle Mountain near the Canadian border. Turtle Mountain is a forested 800 square-mile plateau that is 300-400 feet higher than the surrounding countryside. Here we will witness the unexpected concurrence of dead-ice moraine, glacial till, prairie grasslands, boreal
forests, deep lakes and shallow potholes. We will concentrate on woodland species that like aspen-dominated forest such as Philadelphia and Red-eyed Vireos and multiple species of Woodpecker, Hawk, and Grouse. Red-necked Grebes are rare breeders in the lower 48 states, but they are at home in the sheltered bays of nearby School Section Lake. Other birds of interest are the other four species of Grebe, White Pelicans, and Common Loon. Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye breed in the small lakes and wetlands found among the beautiful rolling hills covered with aspen, oak, paper birch, elm, and ash trees.
Overnight: Quilt Inn near Lake Metigoshe State Park (BL)
Day 7, Saturday, June 22: We will bird our way to Carrington via Lord’s Lake (near Bottineau) and the Devil's Lake area. The general area around Devil's Lake boasts a list of 267 birds. Expect a wide variety of waterfowl, shore and marsh birds as well as grassland birds. Many upland birds nest near Carrington, including Sharp-tailed Grouse,
Gray Partridge, and Ring-necked Pheasants.
Overnight Cobblestone Inn & Suites, Carrington (BL)
Day 8, Sunday, June 23: We will bird Chase Lake NWR and the surrounding area before returning to Bismarck late in the day. Chase Lake NWR boasts the largest White Pelican population in North America with a nesting colony of 10,000 - 12,000 birds.
Other species of interest include Piping Plover, Baird's Sparrow, and Sprague's Pipit, to name a few.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Bismarck (BL)
Day 9, Monday, June 24: You will be transported to the Bismarck Airport for your flight home, either by your tour leader or via hotel shuttle (TBA).
(B)
Note: There are many historic sites in the areas where we will be traveling, and we will include stops based on the preferences of the group. While this is a birding tour, and the majority of each day will be spent birding, we will attempt to incorporate points of interest if deemed appropriate by group concensus and as time permits.
PRICE INCLUDES:
~ All ground transportation while in North Dakota
~ Lodging in comfortable hotels
~ Breakfasts and lunches as indicated on the itinerary
~ Bottled water throughout the tour
~ Services of a local birding guide and two tour leaders
~ Entrance fees to parks
~ Customized checklist
~ Welcome gift package
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
~ Roundtrip airfare to Bismarck, North Dakota
~ Dinners (Evening meals will be self-paid to allow for personal tastes)
~ Alcoholic beverages
~ Items of a personal nature such as laundry, extra snacks and soft drinks, phone calls, souvenirs, etc.
~ Tips
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Deposit of $500 with registration. Balance is due on or before April 11, 2013.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancellation should be made in writing (email or snail mail).
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at
this website:
http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Please contact us to see if room is available on this tour. We will send you a registration form after we confirm your spot.
Come with us to see why the Prairie Pothole Region in North Dakota was listed in two best-selling books, "Fifty Places to Go Birding Before you Die" and "1000 Places to See Before you Die: A Traveler's Life List".
Dotted with thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, North Dakota is part of one of North America's most important areas for duck reproduction. Although the Prairie
Pothole Region, which extends into other Great Plains states, contains only about one-tenth of North America's habitat area for breeding waterfowl, the region accounts for more than 60% of the breeding populations of Mallard, Gadwall, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Redhead, and Canvasback Ducks. Millions of
waterfowl nest in the grasslands each year. It is also home to a myriad of grassland
species such as Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, McCown's
Longspur, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Smith's Longspur, and Chestnut-collared
Longspur, among many others.
Designed to concentrate on finding the most difficult and most sought-after species, our tour will provide opportunities to see many of the other 350+ fascinating species of birds in the area as we travel the width of the state.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1, Sunday, June 16: Plan to arrive in Bismarck before noon, where your tour leaders will meet you at the airport. Once the entire group has arrived, we will drive west to Medora, a small town (permanent population 100) on the outskirts of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We will bird en route and in the south unit of the national park as time permits. A visit to Cottonwood Campground could yield Western Wood-Pewee,
Yellow-breasted Chat, Black-headed Grosbeak, Say's Phoebe, and Rock Wren, among
other species. We plan to check in at the historic Rough Riders Hotel in time to have
dinner in Theodore's Dining Room. Our accommodations in this newly-renovated 19th-century hotel will provide a glimpse into the history of the area. Called the Metropolitan when it was built in 1884, the name of the hotel was changed in 1903 to honor Roosevelt's Rough Riders and their service in the Spanish-American War. That same year, Roosevelt returned to his beloved Badlands as the first US President to ever visit Medora.
Overnight Rough Riders Hotel, Medora (L)
Day 2, Monday, June 17: We will bird the area around Medora in early morning and then make our way south via the East River Road with birding stops at Burning Coal Vein, Amidon, and the Stewart Lake area. We'll finish our day with some birding around Logging Camp Ranch, where we will spend the next two nights. Surrounded by
6000 acres of virgin Ponderosa Pine Forest featuring 300-year-old trees, Logging
Camp Ranch is home to breeding Long-billed Curlews, Burrowing Owls, and Common
Poorwills. We might be able to find other stunners like Lark Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Mountain Bluebird, and Golden Eagle, to name but a few.
Overnight Logging Camp Ranch (BL)
Day 3, Tuesday June 18: We will spend the day birding in the southwestern corner of the state, heading west on US 12 to Rhame, and then on to Rhame Prairie where we should get McCown’s Longspur and other grassland species. From there we will cross the Little Missouri River and go to a black sage area to try for Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Grouse. On our way back to Logging Camp Ranch, we’ll stop in the unique town of Marmarth to bird. Nestled in a cottonwood grove beside the Little Missouri River, this small town of 140 people still retains some of the historic buildings from its role as a railroad town. There, dinner at the Pasttime Club& Steakhouse will give us a taste of the real west.
Overnight Logging Camp Ranch (BL)
Day 4, Wednesday, June 19: We will drive to Bismarck, birding along the way. With plenty of time to reach our destination, we will be flexible and assess which species we might still need while in the southwestern corner of the state. We'll make a stop at a
tract of school trust land to try for Sprague's Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow. Another stop will feature a reliable spot for Burrowing Owl along US 85. We will also try for Least Tern and
Piping Plover along the Missouri River in Bismarck.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Bismarck (BL)
Day 5, Thursday, June 20: After some early morning birding and breakfast, we'll head north toward the Canadian border. Birding stops along the way at hot spots like Long Lake NWR, DeWald Slough, and Horsehead Lake should yield several target species.
Long Lake is a natural lake of limited depth by reason of its location in a shallow alkaline basin. Grasslands adjoining water areas provide nesting sites for several species of dabbling ducks, Upland Plovers, Marbled Godwits, Willets, and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Over 200 species have been recorded on or near Long Lake NWR since 1940.
We hope to see Western Grebes perform their fascinating mating displays while we are there. DeWald Slough is a series of sloughs, lakes, and wet fields where we should be able to find nesting colonies of Cattle Egrets and Black-crowned Night-Herons as well as lots of shorebirds, White-faced Ibis, over a dozen species of duck, Yellow-headed
Blackbirds, some gulls and terns, and plenty of typical grassland species. This is reportedly the best place in North Dakota to find Clark's Grebe, and Wilson's Phalarope is a possibility. Horsehead Lake is known as a good fishing lake, but birds don't mind sharing it with anglers, so we should see lots of waterfowl there. We'll finish the day in Rugby, just a little more than an hour away from Turtle Mountain, our birding destination for tomorrow.
Overnight Northern Lights Inn, Rugby (BL)
Day 6, Friday, June 21: We'll leave early to drive to an area called Turtle Mountain near the Canadian border. Turtle Mountain is a forested 800 square-mile plateau that is 300-400 feet higher than the surrounding countryside. Here we will witness the unexpected concurrence of dead-ice moraine, glacial till, prairie grasslands, boreal
forests, deep lakes and shallow potholes. We will concentrate on woodland species that like aspen-dominated forest such as Philadelphia and Red-eyed Vireos and multiple species of Woodpecker, Hawk, and Grouse. Red-necked Grebes are rare breeders in the lower 48 states, but they are at home in the sheltered bays of nearby School Section Lake. Other birds of interest are the other four species of Grebe, White Pelicans, and Common Loon. Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye breed in the small lakes and wetlands found among the beautiful rolling hills covered with aspen, oak, paper birch, elm, and ash trees.
Overnight: Quilt Inn near Lake Metigoshe State Park (BL)
Day 7, Saturday, June 22: We will bird our way to Carrington via Lord’s Lake (near Bottineau) and the Devil's Lake area. The general area around Devil's Lake boasts a list of 267 birds. Expect a wide variety of waterfowl, shore and marsh birds as well as grassland birds. Many upland birds nest near Carrington, including Sharp-tailed Grouse,
Gray Partridge, and Ring-necked Pheasants.
Overnight Cobblestone Inn & Suites, Carrington (BL)
Day 8, Sunday, June 23: We will bird Chase Lake NWR and the surrounding area before returning to Bismarck late in the day. Chase Lake NWR boasts the largest White Pelican population in North America with a nesting colony of 10,000 - 12,000 birds.
Other species of interest include Piping Plover, Baird's Sparrow, and Sprague's Pipit, to name a few.
Overnight Holiday Inn Express, Bismarck (BL)
Day 9, Monday, June 24: You will be transported to the Bismarck Airport for your flight home, either by your tour leader or via hotel shuttle (TBA).
(B)
Note: There are many historic sites in the areas where we will be traveling, and we will include stops based on the preferences of the group. While this is a birding tour, and the majority of each day will be spent birding, we will attempt to incorporate points of interest if deemed appropriate by group concensus and as time permits.
PRICE INCLUDES:
~ All ground transportation while in North Dakota
~ Lodging in comfortable hotels
~ Breakfasts and lunches as indicated on the itinerary
~ Bottled water throughout the tour
~ Services of a local birding guide and two tour leaders
~ Entrance fees to parks
~ Customized checklist
~ Welcome gift package
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
~ Roundtrip airfare to Bismarck, North Dakota
~ Dinners (Evening meals will be self-paid to allow for personal tastes)
~ Alcoholic beverages
~ Items of a personal nature such as laundry, extra snacks and soft drinks, phone calls, souvenirs, etc.
~ Tips
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Deposit of $500 with registration. Balance is due on or before April 11, 2013.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancellation should be made in writing (email or snail mail).
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at
this website:
http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Please contact us to see if room is available on this tour. We will send you a registration form after we confirm your spot.