Piedmont, South Dakota

I participated in the Piedmont, SD (nw of Rapid City) Christmas Bird Count today. A beautiful day, but some of the roads were still ice-covered from the big ice-storm last Thursday, when the count was originally scheduled. Temperature in the 40s, blue sky. Highlights for me were Townsend's Solitaire, Black-billed Magpies and Sharp-tailed Grouse, but nearly the rarest bird on the count for this area was the Northern Cardinal that our group got to see!