Neighbor & I took a long drive yesterday covering the Lost River Range. We were on the look for wildlife & birds & weren’t disappointed. Our best sighting was a wolf from 2 & 1/2 mi away. Dark gray back and light gray sides & belly through the spotting scope. We could watch it howl with the scope & it took to the count of 13 for the sound to reach us. We closed the distance by a mile on snowshoes but couldn’t get any decent photos. Then a second wolf howling attracted its attention & it moved from a sunny snowfield into a forested slope.

Birdwise: Rough-legged Hawks are staging, Golden Eagles were fairly common, as were Balds. Saw Prairie Falcons & 1 gray phase Gyrfalcon. I’m sure it will be gone soon with the Rough-leggeds, headed back to the Arctic. If interested in the Gyr, contact me but will say, must have truck-sized 4WD (or will high-center), be prepared to cover many miles with no guarantees & confidence driving on snow/ice.

At home: Blue Jay, Am Goldfinches, Townsend’s Solitaire, Pine Siskins & Trumpeter Swans both flyovers & on Snake River.

Brian Carrigan
Blackfoot