Thursday, October 17, 2024

Day Trips from Livingston, MT

 

High up in the Bridger Mountains where Ty tagged along on a Dusky Grouse 
hunting trip with Daryl and friend John.

Moss covered trees

Old stump points heavenward.

Snow Berry - good grouse food

Canada Jay, new bird for the year!

Pishing brought it in closer

Trip south to Yellowstone Park, temperature 19 degrees

Riverside geysers steam 

Yellowstone River Gorge downstream of the falls

Yellowstone cliffs rise high above the river

Road followed the river for many miles.  Now closed for winter.

Lone coyote crosses the grassland

Grizzly Bear feeding up for hibernation

Very big bear, slowed down traffic to a standstill

A ride down Divide Road, south of Livingston, produced large stand of Juniper Trees

Loaded with berries and had attracted many birds, Am. Robins, Cassin's Finch,
Clark's Nutcrackers and as we had hoped......

A beautiful song caught our attention.
Townsend's Solitaire

Checking us out, then resumed singing

We think there were over 25 Solitaires in this small area.
We will return to see if the birds overwinter.

Farther down the very bumpy gravel road to Trail Creek Rd. we saw in the distance Chimney Rock

One last Mountain Bluebird that didn't head south yet.

Enjoying the golden yellow leaves of the Aspen which will fall soon

Another trip out Swingley Road east found a herd of 16 Pronghorn Antelope

They headed up the hill to the cattle watering tank for a drink

Pronghorn Buck with some of the largest horns we've seen

He leads his harem back down the hill.



Common Raven

Back home at the feeder, a Black-billed Magpie displays iridescent feathers

White-crowned Sparrow returns 

House Finch numbers declining

White-tailed Deer, one of 11 visit daily eating boxelder leaves 
checking bird seed under feeders and drinking out of our bird bath.

Younger buck on left sizing up competion

Let's do a little jousting!

Bigger buck wins!  Third buck says "maybe next year"

Checking back on our cemetery Great Horned Owls

One alert and one sleeping.

It seems this may be our last day of Autumn.
Ten to eighteem inches of snow will arrive in the mountains in the next 24 hours.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏 
Ty & Ida Baumann