Archive for the ‘grouse’ Category

Lolo National Forest

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Have been in Lolo National Forest for most of the past few weeks. Highway 12 goes up to Lolo Pass, where you enter Idaho and the Clearwater National Forest. In Idaho it’s called the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. This is the route Lewis and Clark, and Indians long before them, used.

Above, two gray jays. The first ones I’ve ever seen. They are very elusive and were in my campsite area only a few minutes.

Highway 12 follows along a number or streams and rivers. I saw lots of  stellar jays while driving, but only a few in my campground.

A kestral in farmland in the town of Lolo.

A blue-grouse (I think) seen along a forest service road.

A red-breasted nuthatch (top) and a red crossbill (lower).

A red squirrel that buries nuts that bears often dig up. It, like many of the birds, is not interested in handouts from humans. They generally run and jump quickly away from you.

There were a huge number of these moths (?) flying around one campground for a few days.

Above, an adult and fledgling yellow-rumped warblers. They were seen near Big Sky in the Gallatin National Forest.

Made one quick trip to Spokane, Washington, to get my trailer serviced. Was surprised to see a pair of marmots in the industrial area.

Posted in American kestrel, grouse, jay, Lolo, marmot, red crossbill, Spokane, squirrel, warbler | Comments Off

Glacier National Park

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

Have been in the St. Mary area of Glacier National Park for almost two weeks (without hookups). It is really incredible, lots of waterfalls and wildflowers. Coming at the end of June this year, it seemed less crowded than last year. Part of this is due to roadwork on Going-to-the-Sun Road, where access over Logan Pass is closed at 9 p.m. There was very little traffic on the road at 7 p.m.. There is still snow at Logan Pass. People were using their skiing gear on my first visit there. The snow is melting fast though, creating waterfalls everywhere

The first two photos above were taken on the way to Logan Pass. The third one is from Many Glacier. It’s the first time I’ve visited that area. Wish I could stay at the campground there, but my rv is too long. The bottom picture is the Two Medicine area. You can see the variety of weather I had.

When stopped near Logan Pass waiting to drive through a one lane road where work was being done, saw the sheep in the top picture. On another visit the sheep in the bottom picture was in the Logan Pass parking lot. He was licking the pavement. Perhaps salt was there from snow removal. There were people all around him taking pictures and he was oblivious to them. It was just when some people let their two dogs out of their car that he looked up.

Sharp-tailed grouse

On one drive down Going-to-the-Sun Road passed people watching a black bear. Went back the next evening thinking it would probably return, and it did. This time park rangers were also on hand. The ranger above was going to shoot it with a rubber bullet and aim a firecracker over it’s head to scare it away, but I think the bear got away that night. I didn’t go back the next night.

A white tailed deer was grazing while keeping an eye on the bear. The bear eventually gave a half-hearted lunge towards the deer and it took off.

The large variety of wildflowers at the park is amazing. There are a mix of prairie and alpine flowers. Bear grass (beargrass?) is shown below in an area hit by fire in the past.

Wikipedia:

X. tenax is an important part of the fire ecology of regions where it is native. It has rhizomes which survive fire that clears dead and dying plant matter from the surface of the ground. The plant thrives with periodic burns and is often the first plant to sprout in a scorched area.

Posted in bear, deer, goats, grouse, National, St. Mary | No Comments »

National Bison Range

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

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.

Posted in bison, bunting, elk, Flathead Lake, grouse, sheep, St. Ignatious, swan, wildlife refuge | No Comments »