DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge - 06 Jul 2022

Directly north of the Boyer Chutes NWR, NE along the Missouri River lies the DeSoto NWR, IA. With the success of yesterday's drive I was anxious to check out this place. In short, it was even better!

The DeSoto NWR is a much larger version of Boyer Chutes NWR with a 5+ mile wildlife drive that allowed for dozens of Dickcissels to be seen up close without another soul around. It was mostly cloudy with scattered rain showers, but temps were cooler and ideal for a morning at the refuge. Too bad I left my binoculars and digiscoping camera in the hotel room; I wouldn't need them.

As I drove slowly along the main road through the refuge I had gorgeous views of Dickcissels, Eastern Kingbirds, and Red-headed Woodpeckers throughout the entire length. 

Also seen during my drive were more Orchard Orioles, Baltimore Orioles, House Wrens, Song Sparrows, Indigo Buntings, Field Sparrows, Wild Turkeys, Lark Sparrows, Warbling Vireos, Great-crested Flycatcher and American Robins. 

Heard were Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler. 

The only frustrating part of the place was the extreme refusal of the Red-headed Woodpeckers to cooperate for images. They liked to fly along the right side of the car or fly off after perching just feet away whenever I raised the camera from inside the car.

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Harrison, Iowa, US
06/07/2022 9:30 AM - 11:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
40 species

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)  12
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  6
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  6
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2
Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)  12
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  4
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  2
Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)  2
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)  2
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  4
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  6
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  2
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  2
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  4
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  4
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  4
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)  1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  5
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  2
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)  2
Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)  2
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)  6
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  2
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  12
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  2
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  2
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)  1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  2
Dickcissel (Spiza americana)  24

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S114614522

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)