Well I’m here, camped in a remote spot on the Montana/Idaho border. I can see the back side of the Teton’s from here and it’s only a short drive to Montana’s Centennial Valley. So far there’s been no smoke to speak of but I hear that may change tomorrow. Just the stars I’m seeing right now made the trip worth it.
After setting up camp last night I had a little over an hour to look for birds.
I found only one.
A beautiful dark morph adult Red-tailed Hawk on a power pole. It roused and then took off while I was checking my exposure on my camera screen. Figures.
I’m not confident about how this photo looks since it was processed on my laptop.
It’s pretty dry up here and so far I’m not seeing many birds. Today I plan to visit the Centennial Valley and that should be telling.
Ron
I’ll just say it, I’m jealous. But glad you caught a beautiful hawk and starry skies to start your “vacay” — good omens (I dearly hope)!
Red-tailed Hawk looks good Ron. Glad you were able to get away and hope your little holiday is enjoyable and you are able to get some good shots. Kind of slim pickings here in the Kootenays for birds but got two Painted Turtles on the loafing log at Taghum Pond, the first time I have seen one with it’s shingles on it’s house roof coming off….nothing like getting reroofed 😀
Rousing birds are so much fun to watch! I wonder if this one is any relation to the dark morph female that you’ve photographed over the years. Probably not, but it’s fun for me to imagine.
You have no idea how much I envy you that starry sky! 🙂
I am thrilled to hear about the start of your trip. Stars, a moon, clear air AND a red-tail?
Sounds like a slice of heaven to me.
Enjoy the rest of your trip. To the max.
Just WOW! I’m a fool for the dark morphs, especially when the evening sun sets those red tail feathers on FIRE!! But I’m a fool for raptors/birds/critters in general 😉
So delighted that you’re back Out There where life is beautiful and frequently just good. I’m envious, in a good way, but still! I’m stuck in a rehab facility, and further in quarantine for another 12 days without even a window! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen stars! Delighted for you!!
Oh Laura. I am sorry to hear that and hope that you can see the stars again. Soon.
Hope you’re OK, SOON…and out with your birds..be well, be safe ❤️👍🤟🍀🤩⭐️🌟💫⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh no, Laura! I hope you’re on the mend and back out there with your birds and the stars very soon! 💗
Damn, I’m so sorry Laura. Fast healing!
Glad to hear that you have gotten out in your camper this year !! Mine still sits covered in my storage lot at the dealership !!
What a beauty! It seems all of you out West have a wide range of Red-tail color phases!
Have a great trip and stay safe!
The words stars and the moon brought tears to my eyes. That means clear sky’s 😁
Forgot what that looks like….
Oh my what a beauty! Am I mistaken in thinking this is a young bird? Just seems to have that look. Yes, a starry sky is a wonder to be appreciated. I always marvel at the difference when I get back to the far reaches of the UP of Michigan…the difference is beyond words.
I’d say you got a hole in one right off the bat (yea, mixed metaphor). A beautiful specimen.
I trust the rig is performing well and no snafus with the trailer.
Wishing you some interesting photo ops today.
Amazes me that you have internet out there.
Lyle, One of the reasons I chose this spot is for the good signal for my hotspot. I’m up on a mountain so it’s one of the few places in the area with internet.
So my problem isn’t lack of a signal – it’s this damned worthless laptop.
Sounds like you are off to a good start there in Montana. I’ve been to most of our fifty states, but never there. Must be a beautiful state. Have fun. Seeing more and more deer and coyotes in the morning around our lakes. It is so dry there is little to no water in our creeks so they are forced to come right to the lakes for water.
He’s “roused” alright! Beautiful bird….😀 “Starry” nights DO make up for a lot of things……. Hope birding is better today. With crazy weather in general this year and dry and fires………😞 Most of our birds were gone a week or 2 early this year.
Sounds like typical timing for me, Judy…
Hope your trip is smoke free and the valley has plenty of birds with good opportunities for you. Send us some stars and clear skies, we sure could use them.
Dave, it was absolutely gorgeous out there in the dark when I went out to start my generator. Millions of brilliant stars and a gorgeous moon.
I miss the mountain skies… It’s great to hear about your travels!