Memorial Day snowstorm

Holding well to the pattern, this region had a snowstorm over the holiday weekend.  This was a big storm extending from northern Yellowstone Park to Jackson, WY.  Yellowstone received over a foot of snow in some areas.  Last night the road connecting Grand Tetons Park and Yellowstone was closed.  We were quite busy at Cabin Office renting cabins to guests stranded by the storm.
     I have not been hiking for past few days because the skies have either been dripping rain or blowing snow thru the forest.  I imagine the trails will be muddy for awhile.  I did want to post more photos. Facebook is not quite cooperating.
The lower photo is of the sagebrush area along the trail to the lake.

Starting at the Park

I arrived on Saturday, checked into my room, and unloaded the truck.  Sunday everyone checked in at HR, and went to Orientation.  Monday I started  "training."  Mostly we did setting up the room, and some refreshing on the computer  program.  Tuesday we started training the new people.  One lady quit after one day, another woman did not show up.  We will be working 6 days per week,  until 2 more people are hired for Cabin Office.
     Yesterday a cold front moved in with snow, rain and some gusty winds.  It snowed all night. There was some accumulation, but it melted quickly.  I am waiting for the clouds to blow away from the mountains so I can take some pictures.
     Spring is 3 - 4 weeks more advanced now, than last year at this time.  Last year huge snow piles were everywhere, campgrounds were filled with snow, and the lake was frozen.  All the trees were still in winter dormancy.  Now the Aspens  have already leafed out and small wildflowers are blooming.
Photos of Mom Grizzley Bear with 3 cubs, now yearlings.  The cut-out sculptures are from a town I drove thru on my trip to the Park.

Wyoming

I spent a lovely morning birding along the Platte River at Edness Kimball SP.   Western Kingbirds chittering, brilliant American Goldfinches, Swainson's Thrush, a Black-headed Grosbeak singing, and 2 male Wood Ducks in the river.  Yellow Warblers were singing from territorial perches.
     A detour to the south where I picked up my kayak permit for Wyoming and I continued on to Laramie.  The following morning I visited 2 places that had been on my list last year as possibilities: Hutton Lake NWR and Snowy Range.  Hutton Lake NWR has the grassland sparrows: Vesper, Brewer's, and Lark.  All were singing.  Shorebirds were present as well:  Willets calling, Avocets foraging in the shallows, and more Wilson's Phalaropes.
     Snowy Range Scenic Hwy was delightful. The pass is nearly 11000 ft.  There is still snow in the high country.  I watched American Pipits courting and singing. White-crowned Sparrows were singing from sparse cedar trees, and little tundra flowers are blooming.
     South of Rawlins the landscape reverts to dry dusty sage brush.  I stayed overnight at Sinks Canyon SP near Lander.  Spectacular geology.

 Last summer I met Marianne, another employee at GT Park.  She and a friend own a house in Dubois along hwy 26.  I stayed overnight with her and the dog, Prince.

Photos:  top of the pass at Snowy Range.

Popo Agie River  flowing thru Sinks Canyon SP

Chocolate Lilly,  Fritillaria atropurpurea.    I had not seen this flower before.

  

Adventure started

Wednesday Nina's friend came over to work on her fence and did some computer work for me as well.  Big XP will spend the summer in storage, and little computer now knows how to talk to the printer.  He also helped me load Dolphin and Fuji-bike onto the roof-racks.  Many thanks to Ed !!
     I am also excited about my design for packing things inside the truck.  I made a nice place for me to sleep in the back, as well.  In previous years there was no space for me.
     I am making a detour to Cheyenne Bottoms, a bird refuge I have heard good things about. The first night I found a CG  1 1/2 hours from the refuge.  This place is AWESOME !!  I spent much time studying sandpipers I am not familiar with, Bairds, White-rumped, and Semi-Palmated.  Red-necked and Wilson's Phalaropes were spinning in circles looking for tasty bits to eat.  Hudsonian and Marbled Godwits in breeding plumage.  This was only my 2nd time seeing Hudsonian Godwits.  Plovers, shorebirds, and in the field and forest areas I saw Dickcissels, Orchard Orioles, Eastern Kingbirds and Grasshopper Sparrows.  and more.
     After the seeing the migration show at the refuge I drove north and west thru Nebraska and into Wyoming. I must admit Nebraska in the Spring can be really pretty.  At a rest stop for Nebraska National Forest I walked the short trail and saw a rainbow of birds.     

     Red Cardinals,  orange Baltimore Orioles and Robins, yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, and brilliant American Goldfinches. green  Cottonwood trees, bushes.  Blue Indigo Buntings (!!!!) and a Blue Jay called,  purple  flowers, Phlox-like.  I took some photos.

Also a Catbird, RWBB, BHCO, BC Chickadees, WBr Nuthatch, and Chipping Sparrows.   An Orchard Oriole showed up as I was about to leave.

     I spent last night in a nice KOA in Douglas. They let me charge the laptop battery and provided free Internet. 

Photos from Ft Robinson bluffs, and eastern Wyoming looking to the east.

Leaving Colorado

Almost everything is over at the storage unit now, leaving only the boxes and bags I will take with me to the Park.  Saturday I drove a loop on the county roads north of town.  Lark Buntings, Vesper Sparrows, and Lark Sparrows !!   Swainson's Hawks in love.  It was nice to see green little plants growing, instead of the dusty brown vegetation we saw all winter.  Spring on the Prairie.
     At the house, much time has been devoted to yard work. We pulled up enough dandelions to fill 2 trash bags, weeded in the garden and spread landscaping fabric around the plants.  Bark mulch will be coming.
     A few days ago I learned that one of Nina's friends is an experienced rock climber.  He was going out on Tuesday with his climbing partner and I was welcome to come.  Today we climbed 3 short routes on a cliff overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir.  It was so fun.  Each climb was diverse, not all face or all crack, but a nice mixture.
     White-throated Swifts flew from an overhang on an adjacent rock face, a Spotted Towhee called from a bush, and a Canyon Wren sang its beautiful song out into the morning.
Photos from Horsetooth Reservoir.

Pretty places and birds

Saturday we drove south to Plum Island, part of Parker River NWR.  Plum Island is one of the very good birding places in New England.  It was a beautiful Spring day as we left New Hampshire.  East of Newburyport, Massachusetts we scanned the marshes and inlets as we drove by.  A 2nd year Bald Eagle lifted up from a tree,  further on a group of Gulls caught our eye.  Ring-billed Gulls, once rare in New England, have had a significant range expansion northward. We saw small groups during the day.  A large pale Gull was studied,  a Glaucous !!   A good start to the day.
       Team Hochgraf, numbering 6 people, met at a beach parking lot:  Mom and Dad, me, Sue and Jorge drove up from CT with Sebastian. We walked a boardwalk over the dunes to a sandy beach. It was really windy on the coast.  To the south, the beach is closed for Piping Plover nest protection, to the north a few fishermen were casting lines into the waves.
      A flock of Long-tailed Ducks were floating not far offshore. They were fishing as well.  I have not seen LT Ducks in some years.  We continued along the length of the island, finding ducks in the marsh, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Black Ducks, and a Great Egret.  A beautiful bright Savannah Sparrow sheltered from the wind at the edge of the beach grass
      The boardwalk and trails at Hellcat have areas of forest for warblers and vireos and such, and an extensive salt marsh. Altho we saw no warblers or vireos, a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was spotted.  We heard Marsh Wrens singing in the reeds, and watched their courtship.  I have not ever seen Marsh Wrens so well.  A Sora called, and was briefly visible. Ponds held Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers, and more ducks.  Little inlets had Greater Yellowlegs, altho they were hard to see, and distant Mute Swans.  A large brown bird with a white head was too far away to see well.  A Bald Eagle ?  A white-headed duck ?  At another stop we had adequate 'scope views, it was a blue phase Snow Goose !!  
      At one point all of us had gathered on the boardwalk enjoying the marsh, the Glossy Ibis, and looking for Rails. It was good to see everyone enjoying the day.  After viewing birds from Bill Forward blind, Team Hiochgraf split up. Mom and Dad headed for home, while Team Willington, now only 4 members, continued on to Sandy Point.  We found Black Scoters, Loons, Common Eiders, and more Long-tailed Ducks.
       A return stop at Hellcat gave us the Snowy Owl, sitting in a patch of yellow-flowering vegetation, occasionally turning its head to reveal large yellow eyes.
      Our last stop was Nelson Island where we listened for more Owls.  A Great-horned Owl hooted in the distance,  and as the evening became darker, Woodcocks began to peeeeent.  We ended the day with 60 species.
      Photos:  Long-tailed duck, an Internet photo.  Marsh Wren, taken by Sebastian, and flowering Beach Plum at Sandy Point, taken by Sue.