![\"ferruginous-hawk-9466-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/ferruginous-hawk-9466-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAt least I hope they do.<\/p>\n
Yup, I’m leaving this morning for yet another trip to my nirvana – Montana’s Centennial Valley and surrounding area. But this time of year migrating raptors can be elusive and so can access to high wilderness areas because of temperamental weather (they’ve already had snow this season) so there are no guarantees. But as I always say – you never know unless you go.<\/p>\n
Each of the following images was taken in the area a few months ago.<\/p>\n
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I photographed this Ferruginous Hawk in July soon after it took off from a power pole in the valley. Some of these hawks have already begun to migrate south so it’ll be a crap shoot as to what I find up there. This trip is a little late in the season and it could go either way.<\/p>\n
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![\"centennial-valley-7883-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/centennial-valley-7883-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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One of my newer favorite destinations in the\u00a0region is the Gravelly Range north of the Centennial Valley. It’s a huge wild area with extremely limited and rough road access.\u00a0Much of the\u00a0Gravelly Range is composed of gentle broad ridges and wooded canyons as you gain elevation.\u00a0In July I traveled the 72 mile dirt Gravelly Range road and in this photo at the beginning of the climb we’re looking back south at a small portion of the Centennial Valley in the middle distance with the Centennial Mountains in the background.<\/p>\n
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![\"black-butte-7904-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/black-butte-7904-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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Black Butte is an old volcanic cone in the Gravelly Range and at an elevation of 10, 542′ it’s the highest point in the area. It juts out abruptly, even rudely, from the landscape to assert itself as the monarch of the range. I think Black Butte is a ridiculously good-looking peak.<\/p>\n
There are many legends involving Black Butte including stories of\u00a0lost gold, hidden streams and horse thieves\u00a0who were disposed of by vigilantes in the mountain’s shadow.<\/p>\n
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![\"lower-red-rock-lake-sunset-5886-ron-dudley\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/lower-red-rock-lake-sunset-5886-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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My morning’s in the valley often look like this as I leave my campsite at dawn\u00a0to look for birds. Here the sun rises over a bird-filled pond in the foreground with lake fog drifting up from Lower Red Rock Lake in the middle background.<\/p>\n
Circumstances have kept me from visiting the valley this summer as often as I usually do and even though it’s late in the year I just had to return one more time before the snow flies.<\/p>\n
It’s going to be a long winter…<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
Note: I should have reasonably good internet access for much of this trip but continuing technical difficulties with Comcast may make posting difficult or impossible so don’t be surprised if my posts are sporadic or even nonexistent until I return. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At least I hope they do.<\/p>\n