We meandered west to Minnesota’s Pothole Prairie Region last weekend. Russ’s daughter had planted roots — bought her first house in a small town there. Naturally, we were eager to witness her new beginning.

The Prairie Pothole Region is an expansive area in the northern Great Plains, primarily located in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and parts of Canada. It’s known for its thousands of shallow wetlands, commonly called potholes, formed by glaciers about 10,000 years ago. Depressions in the ground left by glaciers fill with water from snowmelt and rainfall, creating a diverse habitat for various species.

The region is often called “America’s Duck Factory” because it supports over 50% of North America’s migratory waterfowl. These wetlands provide essential breeding, nesting, and feeding grounds for many bird species, making them one of the most important migratory bird habitats in the Western Hemisphere.

We enjoyed our visit not only to the house and stepdaughter, but also with our two little white “grand dogs.” They are energetic and wonderful hikers. We wore them out on the first day with two hikes. The second, where I took these images, was on the Edwards Waterfowl Production Area Trail. The first part of the trail was paved, then a longer section (about a mile) was mowed.

The trail sports a photography blind on one of the pothole ponds. We entered, but the ducks were far away, and I don’t have one of those fancy telephoto lenses on my camera, so the blind was wasted on me. But, we saw and heard many redwing blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, tree swallows, killdeer, Canada geese, yellow warblers, and song sparrows.

The clouds put on a show – the kind only available in wide open spaces. I loved the oak stands that graced the hillsides.

We left the wetlands full of wood ticks and wonder. I hope you enjoy this virtual tour.