Freezout Lake is located in Central Montana and is a major flyway for waterfowl migrating north. The last week of March is when the populations of Snow Geese reach peak numbers of up to 300,000 on the wildlife area on a single day. I just returned from a visit there for a day and a half and was mesmerized by the number of snow geese on Freezout Lake. As I approached the wildlife area the first thing I saw across the valley, from a couple miles away, was a wave of white moving above the lake. This is what I had came to see and I couldn't wait to get down by the lake to witness this up close. I found one of the many roads that run through the wildlife area and headed for the lake. When I reached an area full of parked cars I grabbed my photo gear and headed out down a gated road to where, off in the distance, I could see people along the shore line of Freezout Lake. After about a mile hike down the road and across the sagebrush covered landscape I arrived at the lake to see thousands of snow geese tightly clustered in the open pockets of water. The sky was alive with geese as they jockeyed for a place to land and strings of new arrivals continually dropped down from high above the valley floor. I learned from the local people more about the habits of the snow geese. The usual time they stay at Freezout is about 4-5 days. Freezout is a rest stop along there migration route to the northern regions of Canada and into Alaska. By the time they reach Freezout they have traveled over 1,800 miles from California and points south. They have an established daily routine of leaving the lake in the morning about 7am and flying east to the farm country where they feed for several hours before returning back to the lake about 11am. They stay on the lake until about 5pm and fly out again to the surrounding farmland to feed. They return back to the lake after dark and repeat this same pattern day after day. There are always eagles around the lake, and they are the major cause of the eruptions of geese off the water that are seen throughout the day. Quite often before I saw the geese taking off I would hear them. A tremendous roar would start in one part of the lake and a wave of white would quickly fill the sky. After several minutes of total chaos, with geese flying in every direction,they slowly start to return to the water. It is hard to describe the experience of Freezout Lake but if you can make the trip I highly recommend it.
Spent the day along the Flathead River. Found a lot of Swans resting up from there journey to the far north. Also photographed a flock of Turkeys as they fed in a muddy field. The day started out quiet with a beautiful sunrise, and shortly thereafter the skies got busy with all the swans, geese, and ducks.
I have never been to the Nation Bison Range in the winter so yesterday I decided to visit there. In the summer there is a 19 mile long road that runs through the range but in the winter this road is closed. They do maintain a 10 mile stretch of road, that for the most, part runs along Mission Creek. There was 3-4 inches of fresh snow that had fallen the night before and it was interesting to see all the new tracks crisscrossing the range with many going up and over the high ridges within the refuse. The first thing that got my attention were the Mission Mountains as they rise up from the valley floor. Rugged and magnificent , they were the dominating feature as I drove the road. The wildlife for the most part was seen from a distance. Along Mission Creek there was an immature Bald Eagle perched in a tree that I watched for awhile. They told us at the Visitor Center about Golden Eagles being seen there in the last few days and I hoped to see one, but none were spotted. As I was watching the Bald Eagle I noticed up the road a large brown spot half hidden in the trees and I thought it could be a buffalo. I drove up the road and sure enough it was a buffalo. Still covered with snow he was by himself and feeding on the grasses under the snow. I got out the camera and took several photographs as he fed along and eventually laid down not far away from my truck. I stayed with this bison for quite awhile. Next, I spotted a whitetail deer coming up from the river below and was joined by another shortly thereafter. In the course of the day I saw 3 coyotes, a herd of elk up high on the ridge, several bald eagles, hawks, lots a deer, several herds of bison, and an awesome sunset. Later in the day I watched a coyote as he worked his way high up onto a snow covered ridge. He disappeared and reappeared several times and would sit for several minutes before continuing his journey. He eventually worked his way back down into the valley and out of sight. As I left the bison range the Mission Mountains to the east came alive with color as the sun went down. A fabulous day!
Montana has had its share of cloudy, snowy days lately. Yesterday there was a break in the weather and we had an awesome sunrise yesterday morning. This photograph was taken down by the Flathead River with the colors of the sunrise reflected in its waters.
This is a picture I took last year of a Marmot munching down on greenery last August. He kept his eye on me, but as long as I kept my distance he just went about his business. I remember there were some hikers nearby thinking it was a wolverine, and were quite excited about being able to see one.
Yesterday was hopefully the last of the bitter cold days , as today has warmed to 7 degrees with a little snow this afternoon. Extremely cold temperatures can make for some dramatic pictures and here is one that I took yesterday morning as the fog lifted and lingered above the Flathead River.
This is what -14 degrees looked like this morning on Flathead River. The air was cold but the wind was calm. The only sound I could hear was the river as it rolled on by.
The sky was clear and the temperature cold but I headed out this morning to explore the Flathead Valley. What I found was newly frozen waterways that were full of ducks, geese, and even a few Tundra Swans just a few days ago. I did find 4 eagles along the Flathead River where the water is still open and managed to get a few pictures. Had hoped for in flight shots but just when I looked down to double check my camera settings, he took off and I watched with disappointment as he flew another 100 yards down the river. Opportunity missed.
As I sit in the house with below zero temperatures and wind chills predicated for tonight of -30 to -40 degrees my thoughts go back to one of my favorite little mountain streams. Because it is located high in a
sub-alpine area in Glacier Park the wildflowers along its banks don't bloom until August. It is off the main trails and just the perfect place to take a lunch, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds!
This picture of a Bighorn Sheep was taken in Glacier Parks high country last August. I was lucky to get this photograph as he only gave me a few seconds to capture this image.
Got up early yesterday morning, after many winter days of clouds and snow the sky was clear and the stars were out. I headed down to the Flathead River and waited for the sunrise. I always like to see a mixture of clouds and open sky if I'm going to photograph a sunrise because the chances are than best for a colorful sunrise. The sky was almost clear with the only clouds laying low along the southern horizon. As the sun began to light the sky I felt a little disappointed because it looked like the sunrise wasn't going to amount to much but I had been watching the fog as it rose off the river. I thought that if I could catch the first rays of the sun as it filtered through the trees and fog rising off the river I might end up with a good sunrise photograph. When the sun started to rise above the horizon I found a spot between two evergreens that framed the sun filtering through the fog and took several shots. I was happy with the result !
Got up early this morning and headed for Flathead Lake in hopes of getting some nice sunrise pictures. This morning was very cold but the wind was calm. Didn't have any luck with the sunset so headed to other areas to explore. Ended up taking a hike along the Flathead River. By then the sun was out and the air was starting to warm a little. The river was lined with geese and occasionally I heard the honking of the geese and thought they may begin to fly off to go to the fields to feed for the day. I also managed to get some nice pictures of a Blue Heron. Nice morning!
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