Buffalo Bill Creek ice

Today I hiked up into a small canyon near here to photograph the icicles that form in winter on the cliffs along the sides of the canyon. Because I am rather tired and out of time tonight I will post just a sample and then later, a series of photos of the icicles that decorate the cliffs. The icicles in this photo are in the 5 to 6 foot range.

Fooled me!

As I walked along a road this morning I heard the loud cry of a Red-tailed Hawk, so loud that I knew it must be close; but look as I would I couldn’t locate the caller. Then I caught sight of a bird about 30 feet away that I had been searching for earlier, one rarely seen in this area and when I focused on him I could see that it was he who was making the call.

Cornell’s website All About Birds enabled me to identify the caller as a Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri), a bird found only west of the Rocky Mountains and in the section of “sounds” on the site there was a call they noted as “mimicking Red-tailed Hawk”.

From October, 2009

Yesterday when reviewing a file of photos of an area in which I plan to do some backpacking next summer I ran across this photo that I had not posted before, and it’s one of several that I really like. I stalked this big guy for about a hundred and fifty yards on my belly through tall grass until I got close enough for this thirty-yard shot and then to realize that he had long been aware of my rather clumsy approach, and was just plain not afraid of me.

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep photographed at the end of Sundance Ridge

Long time ’til spring

Christmas greetings

Christmas morning, 2012

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very happy New Year to all!

Thank you everyone for visiting Montana Outdoors this past year. Your visits, your comments and the blogs that many of you maintain mean a lot to me and have, during some very trying times, been a constant reminder that there are still many wonderful people all over this world.

Who? ~ Who?

Northern Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium pinicola

This morning when I first caught a glimpse of this little one through the fog I thought I was just seeing a leaf in the top of a bare chokecherry. He is about the size of a sparrow and weighs only two ounces.

(If you are interested, you can find more information about him here .)