Traveled through Yellowstone, staying one night at their Mammoth Hot Springs Campground, then headed through Boseman, Butte and Missoula, Montana. At Missoula, turned north towards Flathead Lake. There are some wildlife refuges between the small town of St. Ignatius and the lake, one being the National Bison Range. I considered not going to the Bison Range, as I have seen bison before. So glad I changed my mind. They have a 19 mile dirt road through the refuge that rises 2,000 feet. The views are spectacular!

The top picture is looking from the refuge towards the town of St. Ignatius and the Mission Mountains. The picture below it shows some of the refuge road going uphill, with Flathead River in the background. I don’t even have any pictures of bison so far. They haven’t been that interesting.

A lazuli bunting. The first one I’ve seen and gotten a picture of. In trees along one of the streams that goes through the refuge.

A sage grouse came out onto the road, then rushed back into the brush when It saw me.

House wren

A bighorn sheep seen while it was raining.

Pronghorn with a baby looking over it’s neck.

I stopped by a small rv park near the refuge to check their prices. The owner showed me a pair of swans that have nested in one of his ponds for the last six years. The red band around the neck of the adult is a Fish and Game banding.