Spent an awesome morning hiking and exploring on a private ranch in the Blackfoot River Valley. The landscape was an enticing mixture of rolling hills, ponderosa pine stands, and meadows. Cow elk were everywhere with calves dropping (we did see two little spotted guys). The most unique sight of the day was a western painted turtle laying eggs alongside the trail. Four small, leathery-shelled eggs were in the hole.
[sgpx gpx=”/wp-content/uploads/gpx/Rolling Stone Ranch.gpx”]Upon arriving at the ranch, we were treated to a rather cooperative Long-billed Curlew.
The western painted turtle laying its eggs
Views from the ranch
After the ranch, we went over to Brown’s Lake, and man, it was incredible with hordes of Black Terns flying overhead. I finally got my Black Tern in flight image (two thumbs up…BIG TIME)
The most important part of the day…lunch at the Stray Bullet
