The Other Fauna At The National Bison Range

Have had a delightfully lazy day.

A couple more photos from the Bison Range

A Pronghorn antelope


A White-tailed deer


I think I have provided links to most of the galleries of photos over on the photo site, but I thought I would put them all together in one place.

State galleries
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Nebraska Sandhills

National Parks and National Grassland
Badlands National Park
Buffalo Gap National Grassland
Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Wildlife Refuges
Bowdoin NWR
Fort Niobrara NWR
Lacreek NWR
Lake Ilo NWR
Medicine Lake NWR
National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge
Valentine NWR

Since folks seem to have enjoyed this blog, I will most likely do it again when Miz Winnie and I hit the road again.

Scenery of the National Bison Range

Arrived home this evening. It's good to be home. Miz Winnie seemed to be happy to have a yard again. I watched her interaction with the neighborhood dogs with interest. Alex, who always try to come through the fence, stayed in character and gave Miz W a normal welcome home. She just stood and watched him for a few moments and then walked away. The two white dogs came out and did a normal barky welcome home. She wandered over and looked at them, then continued about her business. So, it appears that we didn't lose any ground on the home front. That was a relief.

A couple three photos from the Bison Range. It was a beautiful place to spend a couple of days. There is a nineteen mile auto route through the refuge. It goes uphill and then back downhill. The folks at the visitor center say it is a two hour drive. I went through the refuge three times and it always took me far longer than two hours.



This is the Flathead River




The rest of the scenery pictures are here

I'll do one more post tomorrow about some of the rest of the critters at the Bison Range.

Wildflowers at National Bison Range

I'm back in the state of Nebraska. Scottsbluff is my home for the evening. Tomorrow night, I will be in my own house, Miz W will be in her own yard, and we will be in our own bed.

There were lots of wildflowers in bloom at the Bison Range.

I think these are some sort of Aster


Daisys and Asters


Daisys and a few Asters

More Bison At The National Bison Range

I'm in Sheridan, Wy tonight, will be in Scottsbluff tomorrow night, and home sweet home Thursday night. Got up this morning and decided it was just time to head home.

Some adult Bison photos


These two guys tussled briefly. Ended just as quickly as it began


The rest of the Bison photos are here

Internet connection is cranky, so I don't think I'll even attempt to put up the rest of the photos from the National Bison Range.

Fresh Out of the Camera-A Rainbow

I was sitting at the computer typing the post on the bison calves, and I looked out the motel window and saw a rainbow. Quickly took a couple of photos through the window. Then decided that wasn't going to cut it, so I quickly leashed up Miz W, and headed outside.

National Bison Range Wildlife Refuge

Plans are what you make until you know what you've done.

I had planned to spend only one day at the National Bison Range. Since plans had already been totally upended, after yesterday at the Bison Range, I extended my stay in Missoula for one more day. So instead of heading east today, I will now head east tomorrow. Plans will be adjusted as I go.

Last year I decided I wanted to go to Theodore Roosevelt NP so I could try my hand at photographing Bison calves. That trip didn't work out. Did make it this year, and although I saw the calves, they were well out of camera range. Well, I hit the jackpot at the Bison Range.

I love the little nubs where the horns will be and the tongue, too


This little guy had an itch he just had to scratch


Walking with dad or mom

Scenery Enroute to Missoula

Saw some beautiful country today. Headed up into the Rocky Mountains. It's been awhile since I have seen mountains, so I really savored the scenery.


Crossed the Continental Divide at an elevation of 5610 feet. Not quite a mile high. Kept humming John Denver's Rocky Mountain High. Good thing Miz Winnie doesn't mind my off pitch, out of tune singing!


Love the rivers that run along side the roads in this part of the country. This is the Blackfoot River.


Would have loved to have taken more photos along the way, but hopping out of the car on a highway where the speed limit is 70 has to be at least semi-suicidal. The rest of todays photos are here

Bowdoin NWR

Don't have a lot to show for the last couple of days. Weather and lighting haven't been particularly cooperative.

Did get a few shots of this American avocet. Notice the blue legs. Don't they contrast nicely with his other colors?


Black-necked stilts always seem so ungainly


These are the skies that kept me moving last night.


On to Missoula tomorrow, will be there for the 4th weekend. Then will head back east in the general direction of home.

There's not many more pictures, but the rest of them are here

Medicine Lake NWR

First of all, both Miz Winnie and I are okay. A brief explanation of last nites cryptic comments are in order.

I obtained Miz Winnie from a Beagle rescue group. She is about five or six years old. The rescue group told me that she wasn't real good with other dogs, that they had had to separate her from the other dogs they had in rescue. We discussed it a bit and they thought, and I thought with the proper handling, she could get over whatever had caused the problem. I have worked with her and felt she was to the point of being introduced to other dogs up close and personal. Had I not felt that way, I would have never made the plans to go to Seattle, as the friends I planned to stay with have a dog. The last night we were in Dickinson, I was going to take Miz W out for a stroll and get some ice for my cooler. The motel room had a screen door. I let Miz W out and realized I didn't have the ice bucket, so stepped back in the room to get it. I heard Miz W and other dogs barking. The owner of the motel had three dogs and they were in the courtyard and the four dogs were going at it big time. Got things settled down and Miz W and I had our walk. When I went to bed I noticed some little spots of blood on the sheets and that is when I realized that one of the dogs had managed to bite Miz W. It's a superficial wound, she had cleaned it up and it looks to be healing just fine. The upshot is that I am back to square one, or even possibly square -10 in dealing with this problem. So we will not continue on to Seattle.

Now on to photos from Medicine Lake NWR

An Eared grebe


An Eared grebe and her little one


Little one all by him/herself


Notice how far back the back legs are. Grebes are divers and are never seen on land. The legs are strategically placed to accommodate their diving. Something I didn't know before last night, Eared grebes are flightless nine months of the year, they only fly during migration.

I love the tongue on this Marbled godwit


More Eared grebe photos and the rest of the photos from Medicine Lake NWR are here