but the sun was shining and birds were calling - what's a gal to do? May 8, 2013

Reblogged from Bison Quest Adventure Vacation Blog:

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I was supposed to be working on our ranch taxes. Yes, I know - I'm late.  I'm always late with taxes.  Extensions were made for people like me.  All the same, I was diligently working on them first thing this morning.  But when I went out to feed the livestock and let out the chickens, I got waylaid.  The sun was shining, a warm southwest breeze was blowing, and I could hear flickers and chickadees and bluebirds and.... 

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#marmots, #bluebirds, #grouse and #chickadees. This is what my springs are made of.

Red Tailed Hawks are back and "nest repairing". April 5, 2013

Reblogged from Bison Quest Adventure Vacation Blog:

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Ok - despite the fact that we got another 4 inches of snow today (and we didn't even get rid of all of that last one yet), the red tailed hawk pair is back.  While feeding the buffs, one of them soared over my head carrying sticks to their nest at the east end of the ranch.  The red tails have a couple of nests on the ranch that they alternate their use of (as do many raptors) and this year it looks like they're going to use their "sidewinder" nest site (we don't have sidewinders in Montana- the drainage is named for a narrow winding 4 wheel drive road with a steep drop off as it climbs the moutainside. 

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Because I love the fact that nature is cyclical, it's fun to "recycle" nature blogs from about this time of year 3 years ago. In this case, the red tailed hawks are back (even the snow is predicted)!

And then comes the cautious coyote… February 21, 2013

While some critters come right in to the camera, others make really sure that it’s okay first. This series shows the cautious canid starting in, then going back out, coming in again and then going back out, over and over.  It took two nights before he finally actually ate at the bones.  Even then, he would eat, then back off, then carefully come back in.  This is how a little 20 lb canid lives in a hostile world.

Cautious coyote checks it out

Moves in…

Moves back out

Moves in again with a little more confidence

and finally, eats.

Knock 3 Times – and you get buffalo! February 16, 2013

Feeding our bison in the winter is just a matter of driving out to where we last saw them and throwing out hay.  Usually they’re there.  Sometimes they aren’t.  And that’s when that old song by Toni Orlando and Dawn (yes, VERY old song) starts running through my head, “Knock 3 times on the ceiling if you want me, ….  Because I honk the horn three times, over and over until…. HERE THEY COME!  http://youtu.be/3K61YvfxbXA

Knock 3 Times on the ceiling if you want me….

 

 

As we continue to get bigger critters – add a golden eagle! February 4, 2013

Another young ‘un, this immature golden is happy to find such a handy snack!  First, he checks it over….

Then he takes a bite.  What a deal for a growing youngster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Magpies, then Ravens and – a Goshawk on carrion! February 1, 2013

While carrion isn’t the usual for Goshawks, they’re certainly not above taking advantage of fresh goodies.  And when you’re a young of the year, now on your own, you are happy to take what you can get!

Immature Goshawk taking advantage of what’s availalbe.

Enter the Ravens. Getting bigger. January 30, 2013

Ravens replace the magpies at the “food” pile.

While the magpies are often the ones to find the goodies, the ravens are no slouches and are good at spotting food from above.  And if they see a flock of magpies poring over something on the ground, then they know there’s food around.