Visited the Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge near Malta. The prairie areas on their 15-mile auto tour route are beautiful this time of year, a mix of grasses, wildflowers, and cactus on the verge of blooming. Above, female pronghorn elk with two young ones born in May. On driving through northeast Montana, have occasionally seen pronghorns. No large groups, just one or two on prairie or farmland.

A young marbled godwit. They initially don’t know what to do when they are on a road and a car approaches. They either don’t move and cry for help, or just walk slowly ahead of the car. They learn fast though.

Breeding American avocet

A young killdeer

Yellow warbler

Ring-necked pheasant

On the road near the refuge, saw these beautiful horses standing still as stone. Realized they were sleeping. Have never seen a group sleeping before. Must have had a hard day.

Drove down U.S. Route 395 again, going south. A fellow camper once made the comment that you should always take the 395 when traveling between Southern California and Northern California. The road is a lot better and there is less traffic than the I-5, and the I-101. The road is better because it doesn’t get all the damaging truck traffic. When you get to Inyoken, however, you have to choose between taking highway 14 to get to the Los Angeles freeways, or to stay on the 395 where it becomes a two lane highway through the desert until it meets the I-15. There is again heavy truck traffic in this stretch and always the threat of sandstorms. Not sure why they don’t create more turnouts. A truck or car is always breathing down your neck and there are very few places to pull over to let them pass.

The first time I  drove the 395 I stayed at an rv park near Lone Pine. Next time I discovered Inyo County’s inexpensive parks. This trip I drove 6 miles west of the town of Independence to Upper Grays Meadow, a National Forest Campground, at around 6,000 feet (picture above). The creek that flows through it can be heard throughout the campground. There is a trail the runs along the creek between Upper Grays Meadow and Lower Grays Meadow. Lower Grays Meadow Campground is for smaller rv”s and has a tight turnaround.

Mono Lake from a vista point with the 395 heading towards Lee Vining.

A yellow-rumped warbler and two American avocets seen at Mono Lake. Not a large number of birds there this visit.

Below, a butterfly at Upper Grays Meadow. The birds around the area were really good a hiding in the brush. They know if they are out in the open they could be targeted by predators.

Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in a high mountain valley (6400 feet) in southeast Idaho. It is a large, shallow marsh, rather than a lake. Water that should go to it is diverted to farms. This is where sandhill cranes and many other migrating birds pass through or stay in the spring migration. In the fall, it is a staging area for birds migrating south.

The weather has been more significant here, with clouds and intermittent rain. My mud shoes have been put back into use. There has been a 4 or 5 hour window of sunshine every day that has allowed me to go to the refuge. Visitors are not allowed into it’s interior, but can circle the periphery on a dirt road. One article I read said the refuge is a great bird habitat, but not so great birding spot because of this. I have had great luck though. As the summer goes on, however, the grass will get taller and birds will be harder to see.

The sandhill cranes above were seen on ranchland adjacent to the refuge. The second picture shows courting behavior. In the bottom picture there is a crane fledgling between the two adults.

I can hear and sometimes see cranes in the refuge, but you really need at least a 600 mm lens to get pictures of them.

Came across some American avocet fledglings.

Breeding Wilson’s phalarope

Northern shovelers

Drove from Sutherlin to Tulelake, California, to visit the Wildlife Refuge there. Have been here a number of times. Along with great bird viewing, the fairground rv park gives a Passport America discount and it’s located just a few miles from the refuge. Just one other rv is here now. Last time I was here it was full of duck hunters.

Saw the eagle above at the same spot where I have seen eagles during other visits.

A breeding pair of American avocet’s defend their territory from a stilt.

Breeding eared grebe.

White faced ibis

Meadowlark with a worm. Saw a small flock of them. They are supposed to be a common bird, but this is the first picture I’ve gotten of one.

Below, a tern.

After leaving Prado Park, traveled a little over 100 miles north to Red Rock Canyon State Park. It is on highway 14, just before it merges with 395. The no hookup campsites are up against red rock formations. There were a lot of yucca plants about to bloom.

June 5: Drove up 395 to a little north of Little Lake, about 40 miles, to Fossil Falls BLM campground. I had it to myself. . .there are only 3 campsites for rv’s. The one mile dirt and gravel road is really bad, with a lot of embedded rocks sticking out. I was lucky, it was a nice day in the 70′s or low 80′s the day I was there. The next day, when I left, it was in the 90′s, and without any trees, it would be pretty warm. There were a lot of spent wild flowers around that were probably very pretty in April/May.

The name “Fossil Falls” comes from where volcanic flow and water combined to form a cascade of rocks that rock climbers and kids enjoy climbing.

June 5: Independence, California is a nice little town just above Lone Pine. Stayed at a small Inyo County Campground about a mile west of town. They have a lot of campgrounds along #395 that are really a bargain. For people 55 and over, a 15 day stay at any combination of their campgrounds can be had for $70.

June 6: Horten Creek BLM Campground just above Bishop is incredibly beautiful, with lots of hiking, biking, and off road opportunities. This BLM camp also had very bad roads:  half asphalt and half large potholes. The white speck, left of center above, is the last rv site before the road turns around.

Above is the view looking down from Horten Creek. On the left side is #395 as it starts its steady incline up to more than 7,000 feet. On the right side of the picture is Owen’s River Gorge.

Flowers along the creek at Horten Creek.

June 7: Went on to Mono Lake. Stayed at an rv park in Lee Vining. The first time I’d had hookups since leaving Prado Park.

Above, a violet-green swallow. They nest in the tufa towers.

American avocet

One of my blurry pictures of a yellow warbler.

After leaving Mono Lake, a little north of Bridgeport, passed two large herds of sheep. Each were tended by a sheepherder and 4 dogs, 2 Australian shepherds and 2 large white dogs (their breed escapes me for now).

Beautiful wildflowers that were near where the sheep were. Later saw the same flower throughout the Northern California forests. Don’t know if it’s an invasive species or indigenous.

Mono Lake and the whole area along the 395 highway is really beautiful and worth a visit.

Think these are American avocets, at least by my bird book.