08-22-14 Field Note

Beau Larkin shares wildlife observations and documents exceptional pinegrass flowering over an old elk kill site.

Posted on 8/22/2014 by Beau Larkin

Habitat Types:

Aquatic
Mixed Conifer
Riparian

Locations:

Cooney Creek
Entrance Meadow
Home Pond

Field Guide Entries:

Pinegrass

Two female Columbian spotted frogs leapt into the creek just ahead of my oblivious approach. One sat motionless on a rock for several minutes, but the other swam downstream.

Turkey vultures scanned the open fields during several warm afternoons last week.

This common whitetail perched on a desiccated cattail leaf while I tried to photograph trout in the deepest part of Home Pond. The water’s reflective surface made fish photography impossible.

Pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens) seed heads erupt near an old elk kill site.

Pinegrass culms tower over understory vegetation.

Prairie coneflower’s (Ratibida sp.) showy blooms brightened the otherwise brown and dry grasses in the Entrance Meadow.

About MPG North

Established in 2005, the property boundary at MPG North encloses 200 undeveloped acres in Western Montana’s Swan Valley. Researchers and field staff manage the property to improve habitat quality for wildlife, discover new ways to restore damaged landscapes and study forest ecology. We also create opportunities to share what we've learned with local conservation organizations, students of all ages, management agencies and volunteers. Through these education and outreach efforts, we seek to inspire others to work together and protect undeveloped landscapes.

MPG North

Protecting Open Space for Future Generations

08-22-14 Field Note

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About MPG North

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