A Wild Life

On Tuesday Paul asked if I wanted to go hiking on Wednesday and I said yes, so I met at his place the next day and we went down and caught the bus out to the ferry terminal. From there we walked down Nelson logging road to the trail head. We walked up the trail to where the first part of the Starrigavan landslide washout. We then need to get off the trail a little bit because the washout destroyed the trail. We had to walk across rocks and logs in some places and jump across other parts of the creek to get to a large part of the landslide washout. We hung out in there for a bit looking at and taking pictures of things that were growing on the gravel bars. After we had spent about 15-30 minutes there I continued up the washout until we got to where we could get back on the trail. We walked up the trail a ways until we got to a trail that split of from the one we were on and went to Eagle Dip Lake. We walked down the other trail stopping once and a while to take photos of different Fungi. We eventually made it to the lake about noon and had lunch there while we looked around.

Once we were done eating we headed back the direction we had come but we did not go back down the trail. We continued past and went up a way Paul had not gone before. It was not all that bad, we found a fairly well used trail and followed it up to tree line. On our way up we stopped and took photos of some fungi then continued on. We eventually got to a little meadow just below tree line. I had a lot of ferns in it. There were also a lot of sparrows in it, all of the ones that I saw were either Lincoln’s, Fox or Golden-crowned. We took photos of the meadow then continued up into it to see what was there. One of the thinks we were looking for while we were up there was a Moonwort. While we were there in the meadow I saw a plant I did not recognize and I pointed it out to Paul. We thought it was a Moonwort. It turned out it was a Leathery Grapefern but if was find I had never seen one of them before either.

We walked a bit further then we got to tree line. As we got to tree line Paul said there were two deer up on the hillside. It took me a few moments but I did eventually see one as it ran away. We walked up into the alpine more and looked around there a bit before heading up to the ridge. While we were there we saw several Parsley-ferns and other things. We then went up to the ridge and stated walking up the ridge. From the ridge I could see into Katlian bay and valley and I could see a water fall in Katlian valley. We walked up the ridge towards the summit on our way up there looking for a Moonwort that had been seen in the area. We got to the summit with out seeing it. After we got to the summit we started heading down the other side then decided to go to the lake that was below it so we walked down a fairly steep section to the lake. On our way to the lake we came across a patch of Mountain blueberries so we stopped and picked until we had our empty water bottles full of berries then we headed down to the lake. We spent a few minutes at the lake then started down towards the “main” trail that most people use to get to the lakes. We got to the trail and started down it. After we had been going down it for a while we started jogging down it. I took us about half hour 45 minutes to get back to the road. We had planned to catch the bus back to town but we just missed it so Paul made a phone call and a friend came out and got us and took us back to town.

I really enjoyed doing that hike and would be happy to do it again.

Yesterday I walked around the park. I walked out onto the beach in the sunny weather and went to look at the gulls that were sitting on the beach. I looked through them then I walked back to the trail and continued down the trail. After I had walked down the trail a ways I heard a couple of Varied thrushes alarming and observed them along with a couple of other small birds flying at one spot a the branches of a fallen tree. I walked off teh trail to see what it was that they were alarming at. I got to where I could see what they were alarming at and saw that there was a bird sitting on a branch. I figured that it was an owl I looked through my binoculars and saw that it had a lot of fluff on it and decided that it was likely a bird that had just recently fledged from the nest. I looked around for the nest and the parents for a bit then after I didn’t find them I went and took photos of the bird. After I was done taking photos of the bird I walked home.   Western-screech owl fledgling.

Last week on our way to Idaho we went to Montana to look for rocks.

The first morning we were there Grandpa and I got up and went for a walk to a river that was just across the street from where we were staying. We walked down the road to a spot where we could get a cross a little part of the river to a gravel bar. We walked across a bridge and got to the gravel bar. On the gravel bar was a lot of  vegetation and bird. Some of the birds were new for me so I took some photos of them. We walked around out there for a bit then we headed back to wait for the others to get up. After they did we left to go to a book store but it was closed so we went to a park for me to look for birds instead. We got to the park and then Rowan, Grandpa, Uncle Jonathan and I head in, to walk part of the park. After we were done at the park we headed to a meet up with a relative and go look for rocks. We went and looked for rocks up a rod for a bit but we didn’t find any that we were looking for. After that we headed back to where we were staying.

The next morning Grandpa and got up and went for a walk in the same and I was able to see a couple of new birds this time also. One of which – a Harris’s Sparrow – ended up being a little bit rare for that area, because when I reported it to ebird it was flagged as rare. After we got back from our walk we waited for others to get up then we headed towards Philipsburg. When we got to Philipsburg we visited a rocks store and had lunch at a good BBQ place then we went to a big candy store. After we were done there we headed to where we were staying in Missoula.

The next morning we went up to a Sapphire mine to look for Sapphires. We got a few and got to see a Moose up there. After we were done up there we headed back towards Idaho. On our way down the road there was a herd of Bighorn sheep rams standing in the road way. I was able to get some photos of them be for we kept going.Harris’s SparrowBighorn sheep

May 27th while we (Uncle, Connor, Grams, Grandpa and me) were in Montana visiting our cousin Brad while we were looking for sapphires. Brad took us to a creek that was apparently good for trout fishing, and we went walking down a roadway so we could look for rocks on the road, or at least I’m pretty certain that’s why we were walking on the road.
On the way, there were a few birds and multiple ground squirrels and Connor seemed to be interested in the squirrels for some reason.
Near the end of the road, there were some fox kits that were out in the grass. We saw two foxes at first, then two more appeared and I took some pictures of all four of the foxes. After that, we turned and headed back the way we came. Not that far away from where we stopped there was a Chipmunk on a log next to a tree by the road, Connor and I stopped and took a few pictures of it before we continued onward.
Before we went back to the car, we turned to walk another fork in the road that was behind a fence to keep the cars out (I assume that’s what it was for since we had no problem walking by it) and Grandpa went to watch someone who was fishing. I found a small moth on the road that I stopped to take pictures of and Connor and Uncle hung around near me, or at least Uncle did. I remained there until Brad and his granddaughters came back from walking around the road loop and into the grass and trees off to the side. They said there was an old beaver den in the trees and uncle and I went to look. There just seemed to be a couple of trees laid across a small stream, but since it was old, that might make sense.
After that, we rejoined the group and headed back to the car after pausing to look at the river, and Grandpa had found some fishing gear.

I went up Gavan hill to get a trail cam that I had set up there a couple of months ago. I headed up an old muddy trail stopping from time to time to take photos of flowers in the muskeg. I got up into the woods nearing the spot where I would head off the trail to get my camera, when I saw a few days old bear track in the mud. I looked at the track then I continued down the trail then split off to get the camera. I crossed a creek and walked through a muskeg then crossed another creek and then went back into the woods. I walked up a short hill and got my camera. I looked at the photos on the camera and saw that I had gotten three different cats on it, a few deer, a person and some Red squirrels. After looking at the pictures I got the camera and headed out a different way into a different muskeg. While I was walking down the muskeg I heard some Pacific-slope flycatchers and then saw the tail end of a deer that I spooked. I eventually got back on the trail and headed home.

This Morning I walked to the lake, on my way to the lake I stopped by to look and see if the I could see the Purple finch but I didn’t find it. I walked to the lake, as I was arriving at the peninsula I saw two male Blue-winged teal fly in and land. I watched them for a few minutes then they started swimming out further. I walked up and sat on a bench. While I was on the bench a female Red-winged blackbird flew in and land in the vegetation that was out over the edge of the lake. It hopped around in the vegetation for a bit calling then it flew into a spruce tree across the road for a while then it flew away. I saw a swallow perched on a wire and went to look at it. After I saw that it was a Tree swallow I headed home.

Sunday morning I got up and went for a walk. I walked down to the park and out onto the beach where I saw a couple of Blue-winged teal and seven Whimbrels. I walked back to the trail then I walked to the lake. On my way to the lake I felt some of the soft leathery salmon berry leaves. When I got to the lake I saw some Greater white-fronted geese, Mallards and probably the same two Blue-winged teal that I had seen down at the park. I stood there for a bit the an adult and a kid walked out onto the dock and started playing with a RC boat so a lot of the ducks flew up to the upper end of the lake. I walked into the neighborhood by the lake and looked around for a Purple finch that had been seen the day before but I didn’t see it as I walked up the road towards the upper end of the lake. I walked around to the upper end of the lake then I got to where I could see the lake. I sat down and looked out over the lake for a while. I saw a lost duckling, Mallards and the two Blue-winged teal. After I was done looking out over the lake I walked towards the Turnaround. While I was crossing lower Moller field I noticed that there were a few swallows checking out the hallow cross bar of the uprights that were there. I watched them for a bit going in and out then I continued on to the Turnaround. There wasn’t anything at the Turnaround but as I was leaving the Turnaround I noticed a singing Yellow warbler. I stopped and watched and listened to it sing for a bit then I continued on. I happily walked back through the park then I headed home.

This morning I got up an walked down to the lake. I got down there and saw that there were some ducks and geese on the peninsula but no swallows. I walked out and sat down on a bench as the warm wind blow against my face. I sat there and after a while I saw a few Tree swallows darting around and the mother duck and her ducklings. After about a half hour of waiting I headed back home got ready and went down to get some seaweed. I took my bike trailer and walked down to the beach. I rolled the trailer down the stairs and onto the beach. I walked down to the seaweed and set the trailer down. I got several close to armfuls of the damp slimy seaweed and up it in the trailer. When I decided that the was enough seaweed I took the trail back to the top of the beach and drug it back up the stairs to the road. I walked home with it. Once I got home I dropped it off and changed then I went back to the lake. I sat down on a bench again for a bit. While I was there I heard first Swainson’s thrush of the year. I walked over and found it across the road but I was unable to get any photos of it. After I was done looking for the thrush I walked back across the road and decided that I would look around in the grass at the edge of the lake. I walked into the grass and hunched down in anticipation to see what was there. I saw a couple of slugs and a few flowers. After I had looked around in the grass for a bit I got up and headed home.

This morning I didn’t get up as early as I have been. Dad had left about 7:30 I thought it was odd but I stayed in bed when he got back he told me that there had been a report of a rare swallow at the lake. I got up and excitedly left for the lake. I got there but the swallow wasn’t there, there weren’t any swallows there actually. I saw someone I knew there so I walked over and talked to them for a while. While we were there the Red-winged blackbird walked around on the peninsula and the ducklings walked down the side of the road. The swallows showed up but we didn’t see anything other than the normal Tree swallows. We watched for a while but then the other person need to go to work so they left and I walked across the road and waited at the peninsula. Just before they left we saw a few Vaux’s swifts flying around on the far side of the lake. I walked out and sat down on a bench on the dock. While I sat there listening to the Red-winged blackbird as it walked around on the peninsula I noticed that there were a couple of swifts flying around the dental clinic behind me so I got up and took some photos of them. They eventually disappeared, I walked back out on the dock and waited for a bit longer. While I was out on the dock I felt it start to sprinkling but it stopped pretty fast. I didn’t end up seeing the bird I was looking for, so I walked home after a while.

This morning I got up and left in the some what cool morning. I walked down to the lake, when I got there I saw some Greater white-fronted geese and Mallards. I heard a couple of Wilson’s warblers in the bushes and watched the Tree swallows darting around after the bugs that were flying along with picking up some bird feathers that were on the ground. While I was there a Red-winged blackbird flew in and landed on the peninsula. I watched and listed to the Red-winged blackbird as it moved around the dock at the peninsula. After a bit it flew up the lake then it flew back down the lake to the peninsula. I walked out onto the dock and sat down on its smooth and cool surface and took photos as the blackbird walked around the dock. After a bit it flew away again and I saw a person I had not seen in a while stop by so I went and talked to them. While we were talking a mama duck with some babies walked up onto the peninsula and started feeding. After a bit they went back to the water. The person and I talked for a while longer then I head home.