The two islands in the lake are home to the refuge's primary attraction, its thousands of nesting white pelicans, gulls, and cormorants. The white pelican breeding colony at Chase Lake numbers between 10,000 and 12,000 birds and is the largest colony in North America.

The refuge has become a favorite spot for birds of all descriptions to stop on their migrations north and south. More than 300 species of birds have been observed since the refuge was established.

Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge lies in the beautiful Souris River Valley of north western North Dakota and extends for nearly 30 miles along the River. This 32,000 acre Refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is an important unit in a series of national wildlife refuges in the great waterfowl migration corridor known as the Central Flyway.

working cattle ranch for one hundred and twenty years. For eighty years it was owned and operated by the Schnell family. In 1993, the land became public property through the combined efforts of the Bureau of Land Management, the Conservation Fund, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Schnell family. There are 2000 acres of native mixed-grass prairie, hardwood draws, and former pasture land available for public use. It is a non-motorized area with good opportunities for bird watching, hiking, nature study, camping, picnicking and wildlife viewing. 

to information on:
• Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge - Pingree, North Dakota
• Audubon National Wildlife Refuge - Coleharbor, North Dakota
....  Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge - Woodworth, North
Dakota
• Crosby Wetland Management District - Crosby, North Dakota
• Devils Lake Wetland Management District - Devils Lake, North Dakota
....  J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge - Upham, North Dakota
....  Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management
District - Moffit, North Dakota
• Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge - Kenmare, North Dakota, Colorado
• Sully's Hill National Game Preserve
• Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge - Cayuga, North Dakota
....  Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge - Foxholm, North Dakota

• Cedar Ridge 
....Chase Lake NWR 
• Cross Ranch Nature Preserve 
• Forest River Biology Area 
• Gunlogson Arboretum Nature Preserve 
....J. Clark Salyer NWR 
• John E. Williams Memorial Nature Preserve 
• Johnson Gulch WMA 
• Lake Metigoshe State Park 
• Limber Pines 
• Little Missouri State Park 
• Lostwood NWR 
• Mirror Pool WMA 
• Oakville Prairie 
• Pembina Gorge 
• Smith Grove WMA 
• Sullys Hill National Game Preserve 
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park 
• Wakopa WMA 

hotspots is Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. The best months to visit are May, June, and July when sought-after species are present

including
• Cross Ranch Nature Preserve
• John E. Williams Memorial Preserve
• Pigeon Point Preserve
• Sheridan Preserve 

are available from Blake Maybank's "Birding the Americas: Trip Report and Trip Planning Repository".

From the remote coniferous forests along the Gunflint Trail, to the sedge marshes and tamarack bogs near Duluth, and west to the rolling grasslands and alkaline wetlands near Jamestown, North Dakota, this tour offers a wide variety of habitats that are home to many sought-after birds. Here as well is a multitude of more familiar species in full song, in colorful breeding plumage, and on their breeding grounds--aspects unfamiliar to those birders who see these birds only in winter or during migration. In all, as many as 200 species are typically recorded on this trip. 
• Minnesota & North Dakota June 17 - June 26, 2002 (9.0 days - Limit 16) with leader Kim Eckert and Marshall Iliff
VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.

....3nd Annual Sully's Hill Birding and Nature Festival - August 1 - 4 

2002 in Devil's Hill, North Dakota. The Sullys Hill Annual Birding and Nature Festival is a summer celebration of birding and the outdoors. Participate in workshops on waterfowl banding, birding by ear, bird, nest and egg identification, butterflies, bats and more. Enjoy morning and evening guided bird walks, birdwatching tours of two other refuges, evening amphitheatre programs on live birds of prey, living history presentation of Pierre Botineau, Native American dancers. Kayaking, 
Native American Pow Wow, and much more. Over 100 bird species found at last year's festival... This website contains information about the success of last year's festival, pictures of the festival and Sullys Hill, bird lists for Sullys Hill, specific information on workshops offered at the 2001 festival, a downloadable pre-registration form and much more. Contact: Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce: 1-800-233-8048, Sullys Hill National Game Preserve PO Box 286, Fort Totten, ND 58335.