Not everyone has access to so much recreational landscape. YNP one day (sleep in your own bed). Missouri River float day the next (sleep in your own bed again). But we do- it’s almost sad how many people save their money all year long to come out here and spend a week or two doing what we can do in our spare time. Almost sad. But we keep a stiff upper lip and carry on living in the last best place to live, work, and play. In keeping with that stoic mindset, we decided that today was the day to join friends on a leisurely day on the Mighty Mo. We loaded up the RAV4, hooked up the floatilla trailer and headed out.
Our rendezvous spot was K-mart’s parking lot. So, a couple of us took the opportunity to make a brief jaunt in the nearby ponds (that have been so good to us) and see if the owl might be there still. Or the Redstart- which has eluded us for more that a week! The short of it, no. Neither the owl nor the Redstart presented themselves. But a Northern Waterthrush did. And that’s another new species for us. We also saw 15 to 18 other species there including Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler, Ruddy Duck, Kildeer and several unidentified Flycatchers, but no owl.
The trip down the Mo was no less wonderful. In addition to the terrific company and relaxing time on the water, we saw a Rough-legged Hawk in full stoop try for a pigeon, but not get it. The Roughie should probably not be here right now. It’s too warm here- they like the arctic in the summer and we tend to see them only in the winter, but this was a Roughie with no doubt. After his near miss, he sat in the shade of a precipice and panted. We also saw Marsh Wrens, Mergansers, Pelicans, Caspian Terns, Great Blue Herons, Yellow Warblers, beavers, dozens and dozens of Eastern Kingbirds, a Kingfisher, sandpipers, killdeers and much more.
It really is nice to live here and it really nice to get out into nature. Really.
Nature, every day. 
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