Montana to Wisconsin

We left Livingston, Montana on August 1st and headed to Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge in the northeastern corner of Montana.  We drove around the auto tour and found lots of upland birds.

Bald Eagle watches over the lake

Lark Bunting

Loggerhead Shrike

Northern Harrier cleaning off the remnants of a gopher skull.

Sharp-tailed Grouse young of the year

Vesper Sparrow

Eastern Kingbird

American Avocet Family

Horned Lark singing

Swainson's Hawk, our first bird in North Dakota. 

We drove past acres of Sunflowers, heads following the sun.

We then drove the auto tour of Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge.  A variety of waterfowl broods were sighted in the many ponds along the route.

Canvasbacks and Eared Grebes, plus a Tree Swallow photo bombed the picture.

Ruddy Duck Drake still in Spring attire.

Ruddy Duck hen with ducklings

Red-necked Grebe with two food begging chicks

An unusual find for August this far south, Snow Geese, White and Blue phases.

Driving past golden fields - Canola Oil plants

In Red Lake Minnesota, we added Hooded Mergansers for the year.

American White Pelicans feasting on fish at Red Lake spillway

A stop at Sax Zim Bog produced many singing Alder Flycatchers

White Turtlehead in bloom

Nesting American Goldfinches harvesting thistle seeds

Our first stop in Wisconsin was the four mile spit along Lake Superior - Wisconsin Point.

We encountered an adult and two young Sharp-shinned Hawks on the road.  Of course a car came along and scared them off.

However, the adult expressed it's displeasure with scolding and frequent flybys.

We then drove to the Pine River in the Nicolet National Forest east of Three Lakes where we spent the night.  We found quite a few warblers and thrushes to add to our year list.

Bunch Berry

Butter-and-Eggs (Yellow Toadflax)

Closing in on Green Bay we stopped on Van Patten Road - Young Pied-billed Grebe

Pair of Peregrine Falcons on high tower watching the demolition of the coal-fired power plant

We spent some time at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary (our former home), enjoying the birds, visiting with staff, meeting the new Sanctuary Superintendent, and recalling many good memories.

Wild fawn along the trails....

Sandhill Cranes in the exhibit....

And observing the Timber Wolf pack interaction behavior...

Wolf serenading.

We are staying at the Celebration Church parking lot, helping out with yard maintenance, and enjoying  "animal like" thunderhead sunset.  We think it looks like our Coastal Brown Bears that we saw last August in Alaska.

Love & Prayers,

Ty &Ida Baumann