Broken Kettle Grassland and More!

saturday 22 March 2025

Fourteen birders met at the lower parking lot of Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center for a morning of birding in the northern Loess Hills led by Tucker Lutter of the Nature Conservancy in Iowa. The woodland birds like Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, and White-breasted Nuthatches surrounded us as we discussed our plans for the day.

We drove north on Highway 12 and saw many Bald Eagles along the Big Sioux River and Red-tailed Hawks along the roadside. Our first stop was River's Bend Wildlife Area south of Akron. We were greeted by 11 species of waterfowl, including a beautiful male Canvasback, Ruddy Ducks, and many Bufflehead. A pair of Greater Scaup provided a nice opportunity to compare them with the more common Lesser Scaup nearby. Greater Scaup are more common on the coasts or larger bodies of water, so seeing them was a treat.

After viewing waterfowl, we headed to Broken Kettle Grasslands for a hike into the ranch formerly owned by the Clint Lineberry family, now part of The Nature Conservancy. We hiked up to a pond and found a Great Horned Owl being mobbed by American Crows. The owl was flushed out into the open which provided great viewing opportunities. The morning sunlight made the red and yellow epaulettes of displaying male Red-winged Blackbirds stunning and we were able to watch them showing off for the females up close. Other highlights were watching a male and female Wood Duck fly into the tops of cottonwood trees; hearing both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks singing; and the first singing Song Sparrows of the spring.

We then proceeded to the Broken Kettle Grasslands office in search of the Harris's Sparrow which spent the winter there, however, they were nowhere to be found. A consolation prize was finding a Lincoln's Sparrow, the second earliest date one has ever been recorded in the state. There were also many raptors soaring above the Loess Hills ridgetops including wonderful views of Bald Eagles and a passing glance at a speedy Merlin.

Next, we wound our way up Butcher Road where we saw the bison herd. The bison were reintroduced to Broken Kettle Grasslands in 2008. The bison originated from the Wind Cave National Park herd, one of the most genetically pure bison herds in the nation (free from cattle genes). A Belted Kingfisher was heard but not seem at the ponds long the road.

We had lunch at Camp Joy Hollow and were treated to up close views of Eastern Bluebirds and a very close flyover Pileated Woodpecker while we ate! The Pileated Woodpecker has been expanding its range north, following the encroachment of hardwood forests into what was once predominantly prairie. The crow-sized woodpecker was first discovered at the camp in 2024.

After lunch we called it a day. While the watching the birds was fun, the company we kept was even better and we hope you can join us on the next outing.

Tucker J. Lutter

3-22-2025 Birds—TNC HQ, River’s Bend Wildlife Area, 234th Street, Butcher Road, Joy Hollow, and related areas—60 species.