thunder-pumps
Morning freshness was in the air. Meadow larks were singing, and up from the Big Slough rose the thunder-pumps with long legs dangling and long nexks out-stretched, giving their short, booming cry.

I finished reading Little Town on the Prairie for the eleventy-seventh time yesterday, and I made note of a couple of things that I honestly didn't remember from other readings. LIW's mention of "thunder-pumps" was one of them: see Chapter 5, "Working in Town."

The bird is the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), an endangered species of the heron family. They inhabit wet, marshy areas - like the Big Slough - and their song is described as a booming "ooooom-a-lunk" that carries for long distances.

You can google to hear the call of the American Bittern. Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks has a wav file linked to their online field guide. After listening to the call, I don't think I've ever heard one at the Big Slough all the times I've been there (and all the nights I've spent on the Ingalls homestead). But there are recently-taken photos online of bitterns in Brookings, so hopefully they're still hanging out in De Smet as well.
- posted by pioneergirl at 1:17 AM