More Than My Money’s Worth

After work yesterday evening I took a drive to the National Bison Range. It was still 93 degrees when I left my office at 5:30, so I wasn’t expecting much wildlife activity in that heat. I figured this golden eagle at the top of Red Sleep Mountain, under siege and being harassed by an American kestrel, was likely to be the only activity. The activity all took place in deep shade, so I wasn’t able to get action photos.

I expected that, in that heat, all of the game would be bedded down like this mule deer buck and his fellow bachelors.

I was sorry my mom wasn’t with me to see her favorite bird, American goldfinch, eating thistle seeds on thistles rather than in feeders — cool to see, even though musk thistle is an exotic species in MT.

I wasn’t too surprised to see a large bull elk come up from Mission Creek and traipse through the posies (showy fleabane) and up over the hill top.

But, I was surprised to go around a bend and come upon 4 bull elk grazing in the gloaming. One, with atypical antlers, was pretty much off by himself. On the right side, he has two beams.