Birding and visiting Mount Rushmore in South Dakota seemed like the perfect way to spend the July 4th weekend. We went straight to see the monument after crossing the state line. It’s almost surreal to stand in front of something you have seen in pictures and media your entire life. Luckily we had time to visit the Crazy Horse monument which has been in the works since 1939. We hope to see the completed monument in our lifetime. A difficult task with only private funding.
South Dakota
Crazy Horse Monument
The next morning we were up early to take the Custer State Park Wildlife Drive in hopes of seeing some mammals before the crowds arrived. We had a close encounter when one buffalo walked within inches of our car. A little while later a herd of buffalo standing in the road created quite a traffic jam. Pronghorn, mule deer and prairie dogs were easy to find along this highly recommended drive.
Buffalo
Pronghorn
The open plains were great for wildlife but not so great for birds. The best spot for birds is the Oak Draw Road that rewarded us with Western Tanager, Mountain Bluebird, Warbling and Plumbeous Vireo, and Yellow-breasted Chat. We located an impressive 33 bird species on the wildlife drive.
Western Tanager
Mountain Bluebird
Our next adventure was the 14 mile drive on the Needles Highway, named for the needle-like granite formations along the route. The road includes several tunnels cut through the mountainside and the views were spectacular. We stopped at the Sylvan Lake Day Use Area where the crowds were heavy. We hiked the Little Devil’s Tower Trail #4 and lucked into nesting Red-naped Sapsuckers. Other great birds included Northern Flicker, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Cordilleran Flycatcher.
Needles Highway
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Red-naped Sapsucker
Montana was our next destination and another new state for both of us. Storms were moving in quickly so we pulled off on Ridge Road with plenty of open field. First birds were Upland Sandpipers, one of our target birds. Nice to also see Bullock’s Oriole and Common Nighthawk.
Bullock’s Oriole
Montana Big Sky
On the way back to the hotel we took another famous scenic drive, the Iron Mountain Road. This drive through the Black Hills includes pigtail bridges and a tunnel that frames Mount Rushmore. Shortly after passing Bridal Veil Falls we found another target bird, the American Dipper. There were two recent sighting posted on eBird and we found it in the exact spot at US Highway 14A and Long Valley Lane.
Bridal Veil Falls
American Dipper
Our final birding trip in South Dakota was to look for the Lewis’s Woodpecker on the Elk Mountain Tower Lookout Road. On the drive in we saw what looked like a calf nursing on a bull but I guess the female Longhorns also have horns. Great looks at North Rough-winged Swallow and Yellow-headed Blackbirds.
South Dakota Longhorns
Northern Rough-winged Swallows
It was about a 30 minute drive on a dirt road to reach the tower. An SUV is recommended but we made it in a cheap rental car and only bottomed out a couple times. The drive is through some nice farm fields and even passed a pond with some unexpected American Coots. We stopped at an area with a small corral fence and saw many woodpecker holes in the trees. A beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker was a good sign. We walked the area (dodging cow pies) and saw a bird fly by in the distance which we identified as a Lewis’s Woodpecker before entering a hole. Time to sit and wait for it to emerge which didn’t take too long. Great looks at this lifer Lewis’s Woodpecker.
Lewis’s Woodpecker
This trip was phenomenal and cannot be given justice in a single post. Stay tuned to read about the fantastic Nebraska and Colorado birding.
Trip Birds: 54 Life Birds: 1 Lewis’s Woodpecker
Next up: Nebraska Birding