Birds of Clay County, South Dakota 333 



the one most frequently visited was " Rose Lake," situated 

 some nine miles northeast of Vermilion. 



The trees of the area are: (1) numerous planted groves of 

 Cottonwood, ash, elm, box-elder, plum, and maple; (2) na- 

 tive groves of the same species (except the maple) on the 

 bottoms; (3) woods in the ravines where bur-oak, basswood, 

 hackberry, and coffee-tree supplement the species just men- 

 tioned. 



The more abundant birds nesting in the treeless portion of 

 the upland are the Western Meadowlark, Marsh Hawk, Ben- 

 nett's Nighthawk, Bobolink, Cowbird, Western Grasshopper 

 Sparrow and Dickcissel. 



The birds most frequently found nesting in upland groves 

 are the Western Mourning Dove, Sparrow Hawk, Flicker, 

 Red-headed Woodpecker, Kingbird, Least Flycatcher, Crow, 

 Bronzed Crackle, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Gold- 

 finch, Lark Sparrow, Chipping- Sparrow, Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak, White-rumped Shrike, Yellow Warbler, Catbird, West- 

 ern House Wren, Brown Thrasher, Robin. 



In addition to those found in upland groves, the following 

 nest commonly in the groves along the rivers : Western 

 Red-tailed Hawk, Screech Owl, Black-billed and Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoos, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, Blue Jay, 

 Towhee and Cardinal. The more conspicuous birds of the 

 city of Vermilion are the i Bronzed Crackles, Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeaks, Robin, Blue Jay, Chimney Swift, Western House 

 Wren, Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Baltimore Ori- 

 ole, Warbling Vireo, Wood Thrush, Wood Pewee and Pur- 

 ple Martin. 



In the more densely wooded ravines. Wood Thrushes, Scar- 

 let Tanagers, Screech Owls, Oven-birds, Wood Pewee and 

 Indigo Bunting nest, while many migrants, especially war- 

 blers, stop here. 



The water birds observed nowadays in this area are chiefly 

 migrants, though many species formerly nested here. Among 

 the water birds most frequently seen in summer may be men- 

 tioned: Pied-billed Grebe, Franklin Gull, Black Tern, Least 



