Whitetail Bucks near Bell Crossing on the Bitterroot River

As I drove by this field that is adjacent to the Bitterroot River, these bucks were frolicking in the grass. Beautiful.

More photos from our Bison Range field trip include Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) . Both my sister, Linda, and I took photos using my Canon. Linda took the close-ups you will see here.

The specie is a favorite around here. In fact, it has the honor of being the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming. Sheez...

They are a member of the blackbird family. Males often use fence posts as perches while singing - actually staking out their breeding territory which can be up to 15 acres. The males have more than one mate, up to three females, nesting in their territory.

Meadowlarks are ground nesters and ground feeders eating both insects/invertebrates and some seeds.

While foraging, if they feel threatened they freeze close to the ground "disappearing" (yellow chest down and their brown and white back feathers blending) in the vegetation while casting a wary eye towards the danger.

To see all the photos in a new window, click Merle's SmugMug Western Meadowlark - take 2

Bullock's Oriole on the Bison Range

The Bullock's Oriole is fairly common according to Kenn Kaufman, but I haven't seen many. This one was near a creek bottom on the Bison Range, Moise, MT.

This one is a male. It resembles the Baltimore Oriole but has an orange face, more white in the wing and different tail pattern. The female is usually orange as a female Baltimore Oriole, with grayer back, whiter belly, and darker eyeline. This bird is often less musical than the Baltimore Oriole. You will hear whistles, chatters and creaks.

See the slideshow below or click on Merle's SmugMug Bullock's Oriole link to see the photos in a new window.

Indian Blanketflower or Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella (Asteraceae) The common name of this annual is Indian Blanketflower, Firewheel, or Sundance. It has volunteered near a mountain road I use to access one of my hikes. As I took a short cut through a meadow/field, I saw one other site with this flower - also in full sun. It really stands out because it is the only flower on this hike that has bright orange or maroon in it.

The branching stem is hairy and upright, growing to about 1 1/2 or 2 feet tall. The 1-2 inch long leaves are alternate and mostly basal (low on the stem) with edges smooth to coarsely toothed or lobed. The pinwheel, daisy-like flower clusters are 1-2 inches in diameter and vividly colored with red, orange and yellow. The central disc florets of the flowerhead tend to be more red-violet, with the outer ray florets being yellow.

A hardy, drought tolerant annual native to the central United States, it seems to thrive in hot, dry sites. One of my sources says it is an excellent cut flower with a vase life from six to ten days. I haven't picked it because I enjoy it so much in the wild and there are only a few at this site. Maybe I will order seeds and give it a try at home.

For more photos, see my SmugMug Indian Blanketflower/Firewheel slideshow.

Elk Cows, Calves and a few young bulls

I have been hiking a closed road area where I have seen elk cows and calves in years past. It is quite a steep, long hike which is good for me, but takes a while. For days now, I have been quietly walking through the woods looking for the new calves. I see plenty of birds and deer, but so far no elk.

Well, today, when I get down to the valley floor, and to my surprise I saw a group of about 14 cows, 7 calves, and maybe 5 young bulls. They were milling around in a grassy meadow and stayed long enough for me to get quite a few photos. I will post one today and add a slideshow later.

Click on the photo to see it in a new, larger window. It is worth it!

Whitetail doe on a gravel bar in the Bitterroot River

We floated and fished the Bitterroot River yesterday. The water was high, but clear. That meant we had debris to dodge - new trees and wood lodged in the river - but lots of wildlife and bugs to see and fish to be caught. This slideshow focuses on the whitetail doe we saw. To see a blog about the fishing visit our Montana Fly Fishing Blog entry for this day.

To see the SmugMug slideshow in a new window click Merle's Whitetail Doe on the Bitterroot photos.

Palomino Horses

It seems I am on a horse theme for now. I was driving back from a photo shoot on the Bitterroot River and these horses caught my eye. Their manes and tails are incredible and they really liked me and the camera. See the slideshow below for more photos or click the link Palomino Horses to see the album in a new window.