Thursday, January 30, 2025

Frosty Montana

 

Ten below zero by the Yellowstone River along Paradise Valley on our way to church.

Yellowstone River stays open along the snowy banks.

Icicles build up on rocks

 
A few Mallards are over-wintering...

And large flocks of Canada Geese which fly out to grain fields to feed.

Flocks return to the river to roost for the night

Belted Kingfisher perching over the river

Mountains in every direction from Livingston

Sun reflects on the clouds and mountains

It's very windy here, at least 2-3 days a week.  (80 mph winds blowing snow off  peaks)

One American Kestrel decided not to migrate.

Bald Eagle perched on irrigation wheel

Eagle flies back to deer carcass

White-tailed deer flashes his white flag

Eurasian Collared-Dove cautious before coming to feeder


Black-billed Magpie gets first dibs in the snowstorm


Red-shafted Flicker loves the white suet.

Someone else has come for dinner - a Merlin, took out a dove which is almost the same size.

One House Finch showed up after weeks of absence.

Big sursprise in our back yard - a flock of Gray Partridge.

Stratching for grass seeds.

Cedar Waxwings flocking to Red Cedar berries.

checking below for other birds feeding..

A large flock of American Robins also attracted to the berries.

Elk have come down from the snowy mountains to find grass to eat.


Not easy digging through the snow to find food

 

Coyote hunting for mice, jumping into the snow at any movement or sound.

Frosty branches sparkling like diamonds in the sun.

Black-capped Chickadee

Bighorn lamb scratches the snow away exposing the grass

Bighorn young ram chomping on some grass

Bighorn Ram running to the river for a drink.
We drove back down to Corwin Springs to see how the sheep were making it through the winter.

Mountain scene outside our "Mountain Bible Church" last Sunday morning.

Enjoying our first winter after 13 years of going south for the winter.
❤️  Love & Prayers 🙏 
Ty & Ida Baumann



































































Saturday, January 4, 2025

Out with the old - In with the New

 

We finished 2024 with 420 bird species, probably our last "Big Year" since we won't be traveling far away  from home anymore.  We were very blessed in this last year making our  home here in Livingston, Montana.

Over easy!

We took a ride south to Paradise Valley to Corwin Springs near the "Big Slide", a natural rock formation.

A gathering place for the Bighorn Sheep in the foothills of the Gallatin Range.
We spent several hours observing and photopgraphing.

385 plus photos, (but you don't have to suffer through them all).

Rams were wandering all over, checking out the competition and the ewes.





Also grazing on the grass at lower elevations

Rams challenging each other

We could see and hear heads butting!

Two Rams came right down within inches of our car..
We were hoping he wouldn't butt his reflection.


Full curl on this ram.

About a mile south a large herd of elk were also grazing.

There were over 100 in this herd

Across the road, a herd of Pronghorn Antelope.

Great place for wildlife watching.

A differnt day we went to Chico Hot Springs and found a feeder past the resort area.
Colorful Steller's Jay enjoyed bountiful food.

Great coloring with white "eyebrows" 

A flock of Clark's Nutcrackers came in for peanuts.

And suet.


Mountain Chickadees were active at the feeders.


Four Cassin's Finches came in 

White-breasted Nuthatch

Townsend's Solitaire

Within a half mile of our home, there are over 180 White-tailed and Mule Deer grazing daily.
Our first light snowfall in the valley.

Eurasian-collared Doves crowd the feeders.






We bought a rubber pan for drinking water - easy to pop ice out of.

We have our regular Black-billed Magpies waiting each morning.

There are at least three "Red-shalfted" Flickers coming for homemade suet.

Heavier snowfall, winter is coming

Yesterday and today the snow really arrived, about 10 inches and counting!

Buried Bronco.

Wishing you all God's blessing in 2025!
❤️  Love & Prayers 🙏 
Ty & Ida Baumann