Ortonville MN and Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

Our trip through Minnesota would last three weeks and despite nearly daily rain, sometimes very heavy, we managed to see a lot of interesting places and of course take a few pictures along the way.  We started in Ortonville MN, just across the state border with South Dakota. We stayed at Lakeshore RV Park and had a spot on the shore of Big Stone Lake. The campground was nice and featured countless nest boxes for Purple Martins and swallows which were darting around all the time. They did not, however, seem to put a dent in the voracious mosquito population!

Purple Martins coming and going

Probably a Barn Swallow tending a nest in a gazebo roof.

We took a day trip to nearby Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge and were pleasantly surprised with the variety of birds and animals we saw.

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1976 and consists of nearly 12,000 acres of tallgrass prairie, wetlands, granite outcrops and river woodlands. Eleven miles of the Minnesota River flow through the refuge. The valley floor, nearly 4-miles wide in places, was carved by glacial action a very long time ago.

Here is an example of the eroded granite remaining  after the glacier.

Prairie grasses fill in where soil allows.

Water is everywhere in the form of streams, ponds and small lakes.

Tall grasses dominate this view.

While we did not see any beavers, they have been busy as seen above and below.

And even though it was mid-day when we visited, we saw a deer just off the road walking through the brush.

A few turtles were also spotted...

And last, but not least, we saw a new bird or two and also spotted a few old favorites.  Enjoy...

A couple of Anhingas were drying off on a rock far out in a pond.

We had to ask the Naturalist about this one and she said it is likely an immature Bald Eagle.

This is the Eastern Kingbird.

An Ibis and a gull also chillin' far away.

The Red-winged Blackbird is very common along the roads and in the fields.

The Female, Yellow-headed Blackbird.

And the Male Yellow-headed Blackbird above and below. 

We had seen this bird initially a few years ago when we were driving through Nebraska but had no photo.  Now we do!