The best habitat is marshland behind locked gates. By asking at the headquarters, you may be able to obtain a key. Besides passing through marshland, these roads thread brushy pastures and wooded areas.
Some of the species on the marshes include Pied-billed, Eared, Horned, Western, and Red-necked (uncommon) Grebes; American White Pelican; Double-crested Cormorant; Great Blue Heron; Black-crowned Night Heron; American Bittern; all of the ducks, geese, shorebirds, gulls, and terns normal to the sector; American Coot; Virginia Rail; Sora; all of the state’s swallows; Marsh Wren; Common Yellowthroat; Yellow-headed, Red-winged, and Brewer’s Blackbirds; and Song, Sharp-tailed (uncommon), and Le Conte’s (common) Sparrows.
In the brushy pastures and wooded areas, you may see Eastern Kingbird, Willow Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Pewee, Sedge Wren (tall-grass areas), Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Bobolink, Northern Oriole, and Song and Clay-colored Sparrows. These wooded areas are especially productive during migration for transient passerines.
f) [Divide] County
Upper Souris Refuge
One of the better places is a large alkaline lake near Westby on the Montana-North Dakota line. To find it, start in the center of town (by the large grain elevator), and drive east on State Highway 5 for 2.3 miles before turning left (north) on a gravel road. Watch for Chestnut-collared Longspurs. After 2.0 miles you should be able to see the south end of the lake on the left. The main portion will be visible for the next few miles, and the whole distance should be driven.
This is the site of one of the few active California Gull colonies in North Dakota. Ring-billed Gulls also nest, so care should be exercised in identification. Most of the grebes, ducks, waders, and shorebirds common to the western half of the state can be found—often in good numbers. Sprague’s Pipits and Baird’s Sparrows should be watched for in grassy areas.
If you still need McCown’s Longspur, get back on State Highway 5 and head east to Crosby. Check the stubble fields adjacent to the highway for several miles on all sides of town.