Late Winter
Early Spring?by Dan Hartman
Feb. 20, 2014
I must admit, winter has seemed a little long this year. Even now it's snowing again. It seems we get 3-4 inches every night. Normally I would be excited to hit the snowshoe trails and see what new tracks have appeared, but I've sworn off snowshoes for the rest of the winter. My ankles need to heal if I'm going to be able to walk the woods in April.So I wait. Time passes and I continue to look for signs of spring. And I have seen some! No, the rosey finches haven't appeared yet. The foxes aren't crying in the night. We're pretty much still in winter mode here at the cabin. But up north it's a different story.
A great blue heron perched near an open pond half way to Livingston. Bald eagles are perched near their nest sites. A red fox was even sitting beside a freshly dug den near mile #38.
In the Park, a pair of courting coyotes hung out near Soda Butte Cone. Wolves are on the move. Moose have finally lost their antlers.
Now we look forward to that first grizzly sighting.
An elk with one antler. A flash of blue in the valley. I know those things are a good two weeks away, but like I said I'm ready for spring.
Note: Weather permitting I start going out listening for boreal owls in about a week. Now that's a sign of Spring!!
Photos
Flying Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Fox Sitting By It's Den
Bald Eagle
#755
Gray Wolf