J. CLARK SALYER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
The 58,693-acre J. Clark Salyer NWR is located along the Souris River and extends from the Manitoba border southward for approximately 45 miles in an area which was once glacial Lake Souris. Considered one of the best birding spots in the country, this wildlife refuge, the largest in the state, is a rich combination of woodlands, mixed-grass prairie and wetlands. Breeding birds include vast numbers of grebes, coots, terns, and an active Franklin's Gull colony. The refuge also shelters Nelson's Sharp-tailed and Le Conte's Sparrow, Sprague's Pipits, blackbirds, Upland Sandpiper, Long-eared Owls, and Chestnut-collared Longspur. In addition to birds, the refuge is home to many common mammals such as white-tailed deer, mink, muskrat and coyote.

LOSTWOOD AND DES LACS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES
This pair of wildlife refuges in the northwest corner of North Dakota harbors a wealth of breeding birds. Lostwood NWR, a glacial moraine comprised of mixed-grass prairie, lakes, prairie potholes, and pockets of deciduous woods, has the diversity of species to match the varied habitat. We sill find an incredible variety of birds including Piping Plover, Sprague's Pipit, Baird's Sparrow and Sharp-tailed Grouse. In fact, more than 250 species have been documented on the refuge! Des Lacs NWR complements Lostwood nicely with its mature woodlands – home to Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird, Veery, warblers and grosbeaks. The grasslands and marshes of Des Lacs teem with sparrows and other small songbirds, and its wetland river valley, formed by glacial melt, provides a haven for waterfowl and wading birds.

GARRISON DAM
On the south shore of Lake Sakakawea, Garrison Dam is the 5th largest earthen dam in the world. Created as part of a flood control plan for the Missouri river, the open water and hordes of fish around the dam make it a hotspot for waterfowl, pelicans, cormorants, and gulls. Expect to find Common Tern, California Gulls, and also passerines such as Lazuli Bunting and Spotted Towhee in the adjacent wooded areas.

THE TURTLE MOUNTAINS
This small, unique region of North Dakota consists of a tertiary bedrock, high capped by glacial dead-ice moraine. The plant community is northern deciduous forest dominated by Quaking Aspen, and the hundreds of lakes and small wetlands dotting the terrain add to the great variety of bird life. Here we might find breeding Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye. In the woodlands we'll look for Broad-winged Hawk, Ruffed Grouse, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Veery, and ten species of breeding warblers. The Turtle Mountain area also is host to a small population of Philadelphia Vireos.

MINOT
With its location in the middle of five National Wildlife Refuges, the city of Minot is, not surprisingly, a bird rich place with publicly accessible habitat in parks, walking trails, and open space. In addition to Oak Park, a very birdy natural area with stands of Bur Oak and pools along the Souris River, the Minot sewage lagoons provide some fabulous birding. Common nesting species in the Minot area include Wood Duck, flycatchers, finches, Gray Catbird, and Baltimore Oriole, and the lagoons hold various species of ducks and shorebirds. Birding the Minot area will also give us a chance to re-visit and review birds found earlier during the YBC and to perhaps fill in a few checklist gaps.