In Like a Lion…Early March
Snow and Cold…Arrive
Western Montana just had a wintry February, second coldest on record with a one-in-eight eight inch plus snowfall occurrence over the last 70 years. Russ Thomas, KPAX meterologist, provides the details.
Getting around, the main highways are in good shape, but parking lots and secondary roads are less so. A week or so ago dug out of a USFS parking lot not plowed. It is “use at own risk”; no problem as I carry a shovel for just-in-case. This is the backdrop to wildlife watching-not only does weather impact plant and animal life, but also your ability to find or observe them.
I keep a month list for birds and so I go out on the first of most months starting this list. On March 1 I visited three spots over a twenty mile circuit. During 2.75 hours I found 31 species of birds. I photographed four different ones as a record and capturing the inherent surrounding beauty. The header of this post came about after plowing through knee-high snow along the riverbank, a nice image of a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) worth the effort.
Nearby the heron were a pair of Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) in the icy waters, always brightly coloring the white landscape. Final highlight was finding both eagle species, one perched astonishingly close and the other soaring high overhead (more typical experience). The experience was challenging, fun and surprisingly successful. Try it yourself.
“At any given moment, no matter where you are, there are hundreds of things around you that are interesting and worth documenting.”
Keri Smith (2008) How to Be an Explorer of the World – Portable Art Life Museum
