Adjacent to many of the marshlands are wet, grassy meadows, which harbor some of the species found in the marshes and a few of their own, such as Yellow Rail, Short-eared Owl, Willow Flycatcher, Sedge Wren (very common), and Savannah, Le Conte’s, Sharp-tailed, and Song Sparrows. The Yellow Rail is rare but has been turning up with increasing frequency in the past few years. Because of its accessibility, this refuge is one of the best places to look for it.
A unique habitat found along the scenic tour is the sandhills. These tall ridges of sand, now covered by grasses and shrubs, were once a beach of glacial Lake Souris during the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. Some of the birds to be seen while walking the sandhills (or any other open areas of the refuge) include Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, American Kestrel, Sharp-tailed Grouse (There is a photo blind near a dancing ground on the refuge. To use it check with refuge personnel.), Ring-necked Pheasant, Gray Partridge, Mourning Dove, Common Nighthawk, Common Flicker, Eastern and Western Kingbirds, Say’s Phoebe (rare), Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Mountain Bluebird (Most common as a spring migrant, but a few nest in the aspens.), Loggerhead Shrike, Brewer’s Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, American Goldfinch, Rufous-sided Towhee, and Vesper, Lark, and Clay-colored Sparrows. Sandhill Cranes often pass overhead in migration.
One thing which distinguishes J. Clark Salyer from the other refuges to the west is the large amount of wooded area. Most of it is composed of American elm, box elder, and green ash in stands on the bottomlands along the Souris River. However, there are large mixed stands (mostly aspen) scattered across the uplands. These woodlands (especially those along the river) are natural migrant traps for transient passerines.
Some of the regular migrants are Olive-sided Flycatcher; Red-breasted Nuthatch; Brown Creeper; Hermit, Swainson’s, and Gray-cheeked Thrushes; Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets; Bohemian Waxwing; Black-and-white, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Mourning, and Wilson’s Warblers; Ovenbird; Northern Waterthrush; Rusty Blackbird; Purple Finch; and Harris’, White-crowned, White-throated, Fox, and Lincoln’s Sparrows.
Several species nest in these wooded areas. Two of the more interesting are the Wood Duck and the Hooded Merganser. Both nest either in natural cavities in trees along the river or in boxes provided by the refuge personnel. The Wood Duck is fairly common in similar habitat over the whole eastern half of the state, but this is about the only area where the Hooded Merganser may be expected.
Other woodland nesting species include Red-tailed and Cooper’s Hawks; Mourning Dove; Black-billed Cuckoo; Common Screech, Great Horned, and Long-eared Owls; Belted Kingfisher (along the river); Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers; Great Crested and Least Flycatchers; Eastern Phoebe; Eastern Pewee; American Crow; Black-capped Chickadee; White-breasted Nuthatch; House Wren; Gray Catbird; Brown Thrasher; American Robin; Cedar Waxwing; Yellow-throated, Red-eyed, and Warbling Vireos; Black-and-white (rare) and Yellow Warblers; American Redstart; Northern Oriole; Brown-headed Cowbird; Rose-breasted Grosbeak; and Chipping Sparrow.
Grassland Tour Salyer Refuge
The second tour is the grasslands trail, which crosses 5 miles of mixed-grass prairie. It is usually passable from May 1 to September 15, but it should not be driven in wet weather, although you may still walk it. Precise directions may be obtained from the map at the headquarters, or you may find it by going east from Newburg ([Bottineau] County) for about 4 miles and turning north. The trail is marked.
Although not very long, the trail is great for finding the prairie specialties. Watch for Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks; Northern Harrier; Sharp-tailed Grouse; Gray Partridge; Marbled Godwit; Upland Sandpiper; Eastern and Western Kingbirds; Horned Lark; Sprague’s Pipit; Loggerhead Shrike; Bobolink; Western Meadowlark; Dickcissel; Lark Bunting; Grasshopper, Baird’s, Savannah, Vesper, and Clay-colored Sparrows; and Lapland (migration), Smith’s (rare—migration), and Chestnut-collared Longspurs.