Sully's Hill National Game Preserve

Monday, August 10

After spending the night at Devil's Lake, we chose a route to visit National Wildlife Refuges as we explored North Dakota.  

We arrived at Sully's Hill National Game Preserve  early in the morning, while it was still cool. Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, prairie dogs always delight me with their activities. 

Sully's Hill's bison are being managed to conserve their genetic diversity.

There was a beautiful wooded nature trail that seemed filled with singing birds. There were a number of yellow warblers. The trail led to a vista over the lake where there were white pelicans in the distance. I saw 12 species of birds within the preserve.

Some birds I photograph to be able to identify later. I was most pleased to identify this one finally as an American Redstart, a life bird for me. The Merlin bird App was very helpful in this identification process.

A thirteen lined ground squirrel was also out and about. He ran right past me at one point.

Sully's Hill was created as a National Park under Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.  During the Great Depression it was transferred to Fish and Wildlife Service.  Interestingly it is one of seven National parks to be be disbanded. Some were turned into National Monuments or merged with other national parks. One, Mackinak National Park, became a state park.