Happy Fourth of July From Dancing Deer

We've been at the ranch all week working on several projects long over due. It's been colder than a well digger's behind this past week but gads it is beautiful. Along with the cool has come lovely rains and the grass is greener and more lush than I have ever seen it. The wildlife against this backdrop is beyond beautiful. Yesterday I had so many bucks passing through it was just amazing. The bucks are still in velvet and they are a ways away from full racks but there are going to be some beauties.

One of the things the deer come for is the clover, deer love it.  Clover grows everywhere around here and of course I have salted the place as well. When clover blooms it makes a very pretty flower.

Then there was the robin that took up residence on top of my outside sun screens. Lucky for me it's been too cool to need them because I would certainly have been out of luck! It won't be long now as the babies are now thriving and growing like weeds. And, just in time too as I think the warm weather may be just around the corner.

The little female grouse below was just posing on this rock for me. Grouse are really funny birds. I often joke that you don't need a gun to hunt them. You could just as easily get one tossing a stone and save your ammunition. Of course, I wouldn't do either unless I was starving.

Speaking of wildlife this year a little cinnamon black bear has taken up residence in the area and comes to visit a least once a week. I have named her Cindi after my oldest and dearest friend. I don't really know if it's a female or not but "she" is quite small. I reckon she is either one or two. Anyway she came to call yesterday and got up in a plum tree and was looking awfully cute. I don't know why she was up there except just for the fun of it because there is no fruit this time of year.

One of my most favorite wild flowers is the wood lily. Normally, these beauties bloom in June but I guess that the cooler than normal weather has kept them back as they are just starting to bloom now. In this photo you can see the raindrops on the petals.

This last, I'm not sure if it's a wildflower or a weed. It's growing in my meadow and whatever it is it is very pretty.

So, that's what it was like this week at Dancing Deer.

Koty and I wish you all a great Fourth of July!

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Mule Deer, Whitetail, Hawk, Eagle & Tanager Images

The mule deer are still sticking around. It's still snowing in the high country. They are starting to look a little natty as they shed their winter coats. Soon they will be a beautiful tan color.

Mule Deer

The whitetail are also here and soon should be starting to drop their little babies. The photo below is of a what is going to be a very nice whitetail buck. His antlers are now only little velvet nubbins but from the size of those nubbins he's going to be a beauty. What a curse. The more beautiful they are the more determined people are to kill them. Please spare me the rhetoric about the necessity of management. I understand the need. I also understand few go out looking for deer without antlers, no bragging rights you see.

Whitetail Deer

When this buck saw me he took off with his flag flying. I just love whitetail tails when they run.  The deer have been incredibly frisky, flying around my meadow with reckless abandon weaving in and out between the apple trees. I watch for at least twenty minutes almost everyday. They are so happy and high spirited. Such incredible joi de vivre. That they share their joy with me is so very special.

Whitetail Deer

Down along the Tobacco we saw this red-tailed hawk take off. Big dude this one was.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Last year I noticed some eagles hanging around the river down by Pidgeon Bridge. I guess they decided it had home potential because they have built a nest high in an old cottonwood along the river. In the photo you can just make out the nappy little head of a baby bald eagle. It's in front of the eagles chest on the right.

Bald Eagle

Also, spotted a Tanager. I often mistake this bird for an Oriole they have similar coloring.

Western Tanager

They are quite pretty birds.

Western Tanager

Well, that's just a little of what Nature had in store for me the past couple of days, a never ending kaleidoscope of indescribable beauty.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Spring Has Come Unsprung!

For the past week we have been having periodic rain showers. It was the "Spring showers bring May flowers" kind of thing. But, this morning it was just plain cold and snowing. It's typical rocky mountain weather and typical spring weather but it still takes me by surprise. Even the whitetail looked a little startled by the whole thing.

I always feel sorry for the deer because this cold and rainy weather will most likely continue on into May and that is when they drop their fawns. It seems like a cruel trick to serve these tiny newborns up into this cold wet world straight from the warm nest they have been gestating in. I often wonder how they survive, sometimes they don't.

But, the weather is mighty fickle around these parts. And maybe it will be warm and sunny when the wee ones come. I sure hope so.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

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British Columbia - Elk, Bull, & Kootenay Rivers

Well, I sad sacked around here all morning yesterday until my mom relented and drove us to British Columbia. The idea was to go to a place where the Bull River runs through the Rocky Mountain Sheep Project. We've been trying all year to hit the Bull just right. At a certain time, following the spring runoff, the river turns this amazing turquoise color. We've tried three times this year and struck out. It has been so dry, the river is but a trickle of its full flowing self. There will be no color anytime this year.

Mom was so disappointed because she wanted me to be able to show it to you. It really is something to see, this ribbon of amazing color flowing through the gorge. The only thing I can show you is a sliver that was captured in this photo of Canadian honkers . The photo was taken this past March and the water color isn't half its potential. Oh, well, she'll try again next year.

Speaking of dry, the Elk River which flows down from Fernie is but a shadow of its earlier self as is the Kootenay. We had the best snow pack, in the Rockies, we've had in the past fives years but the moisture this summer hasn't been "spit", as my mom likes to say.

Failing in our river mission we set out to see if we could find the big horns. Struck out there too. There's a pretty good sized herd in this project but we couldn't find the blasted things. We saw a few whitetail but nothing to make a photograph. I don't really care cuz I'm out on the trail and that's my major joy. Mom was pretty frustrated though. Poor mom. Anyone who thinks this nature photography is easy, is mistaken. Mother Nature isn't always co-operative. We drive and hike, miles and miles and often mom doesn't get a thing. These are not such good days for me either cuz mom then has a BADD (Barnard Bad Attitude Day) when she can't make photographs. To make her even happier, this day, I picked up a kajillion tiny burs. In a Husky coat this isn't funny. I get away with very little misbehaving on days like these. :)

Since we were not far, mom decided to drive over to Cranbrook. Cranbrook is a lot like Kalispell in that in the past five years it has grown by leaps and bounds. The great thing for Cranbrookians is that one would have to crawl into a hole not to have a stunning view of the Rockies.

We went over to Elizabeth Lake on the west side of town thinking maybe mom could get a photo of some waterfowl. Struck out there too. Only thing we saw were a few coots. With that mom threw up her hands and said "We're going home!".

So, once again, Mother Nature had reminded us She is not to be taken for granted. She will only reveal Her mystery and beauty in Her own good time. And, it isn't for free. You have to work for it!

But, Mother isn't without a heart for she gave us a beautiful sunset to soothe our weary souls.

Until next time.........

©Kinsey Barnard

Whitetail Deer

Not a whole lot to report except that on Sunday we were visited by six whitetail bucks in velvet. We have never before had that many bucks at one time. It was a pretty amazing site. Of course, all I wanted to do was chase them but mom doesn't let me. The photo is of three of them. Aren't they something?

It's warmed up again, darn it. Late this afternoon we hiked in the Kootenai but didn't see anything except one lone whitetail doe.

The photo below was taken at my ranch in northwest Montana. A beautiful, whitetail buck. Oh, my, deer! :)


Until next time......... ©Kinsey Barnard

Murphy Lake

Yesterday, we went to Murphy Lake near Fortine. It's also a wildlife viewing area. The main thing you will see there are loons. We couldn't get to them but we could here them calling. If you've never heard a loon you've missed something. It's a very special sound.

After walking around Murphy we decided to see if we could find Martin Lake. We took off down FS 7006 on foot. Mom likes to walk places as much as possible cuz we see and experience more. The first thing we saw and experienced was a tree nearly falling on us. The wind came up, we heard this big crack and an old tree came tumbling down not 20 ft. from us. Mom is not crazy about hiking in the forest in the wind and this is why.

Shortly after that an 8 pt. whitetail buck came crashing down the hill above us, flew across the road and into the forest below. It was a sight to see but happened a little too fast to capture. I pointed out several bear scats (poops). I really have a nose for this. It wasn't fresh, maybe a day or two old. I could also tell there were bears around by the torn up logs and stumps. Bears love to eat the ants and grubs that live in them.

We finally came to a concrete barrier and a little way from that, a trail. It had a sign that just said "trail". Not real helpful. We could see it was a trail. We would have liked to have known to where. We took it up the mountain a mile or so but it was getting late in the day and mom decided we'd better head back. Turned out to be a good idea too because as we walked along in the warm, summer sun the wind kicked up again and before we knew it, the skies turned dark and the temperature dropped like a rock. Those old trees were really rocking and rolling. The thunder was also rolling. We turned up our speed and made it back to the truck just as the rain came down in sheets!

Note to hikers & bikers: I'm sure you've heard it before but it bears repeating; always be prepared for weather changes in the Rockies. It can happen so fast it'll make your head spin. We've seen the temperature drop 40 degrees in less than 5 minutes. If you don't have the right gear you'll be mighty uncomfortable or worse.

Until next time.....