Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge

It was getting late in the afternoon by the time I came off the Myrtle Falls Trail, time for a quick lunch. The falls trail is on the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, the trailhead across the road from the refuge information center which has restrooms, pamphlets and even telescopes for looking out over the refuge and spotting said wildlife.


There's a separate large barn and lots of educational activities that go on here. On the edge of the parking lot is this recreation of an eagle's nest.


The refuge is primarily wetlands between the Selkirk mountains and the Kootenai River. Check out this link to see an illustration of the ponds within the refuge. It also shows adjacent trails and an overlook I visited before heading home.


There's also an auto tour road but wouldn't you know it, the road closed for extensive maintenance the very day I was there.


I'd spotted a bench along this path (just out of view to the left) where I decided to sit a spell, enjoy the view and eat my lunch.


Here I thought my hiking was done for the day, but instead, I spotted this sign as I headed to the bench. One last easy trail to enjoy!



I was glad I made time for it. Usually when I get in gear for hiking, it's late in the summer and everything is dried up, flowers past their peek if any at all. Along this trail I found a few worth getting a picture of.


It was quite breezy and I was having difficulty getting a shot of these while they waved in the wind. Just as I was about to click in a pause, this fat bee flew into my shot, its weight holding the flowers in place!


The trail winds around a pond created by beavers, with signage along the way. If you click on the photo you should be able to make out what this sign says about sap suckers and birches.


At one point the trail passes over a bridge where water from the pond escapes. Can you guess what is causing those dark dots that look like paw prints?


Water bugs! I don't know their official name but I remember seeing these often as I fished streams with my dad. First time I've been able to get a good shot of one, resting on the water and creating those bubbles.


Around I went on the loop until I got to a spot to get a good shot of the pond, just after a small fish had jumped out of it. Such a welcome cool spot on a hot afternoon.


And then, peering through branches and tall grass, I spotted a turtle that had crawled up on a log. I've seen so many pictures others have taken of turtles on logs in the area, but I'd not seen one until this day. It was pretty hard to get a shot through waving grass and my own unsteady hand. A tripod would have been helpful.


Nearly time to head home, but I decided first to check out the overlook up the road a bit. The refuge has several of these photography blinds set up, and wouldn't you know, just as I was walking up to it, a heron flew up near it and away. Oh sure, I thought. I wasn't betting on seeing anything anyway, but now that I know you are here, you just fly away before I can get a good look at you?


The view from the blind was lovely, with or without birds, but I could see some far off, probably ducks, and where I thought that heron had set down, in the green area beyond the dark clump on the middle right.


I cranked up my zoom to maximum and started shooting away blindly, hoping to catch something, really wishing I had a tripod now. A pair of binoculars would have been nice too. Note to self, pack both next time. Because look! When I looked at this photo on the computer screen at full size, I spotted two turtles on a rock there on the right. Still don't know what kind of waterfowl I caught in this shot.


I eventually spotted my heron though on the camera's screen. Some sort of falcon or hawk is flying in from the left, heron off to the right, click on the picture for a larger view and see if you can spot anything else.


Even though I couldn't see very clearly, I could see the way that heron strode out of the heavy grasses and into an area where he could spot fish. I did see him snatch one up but couldn't get a picture of it. Dinner taken care of, he strode back into the grasses, mostly out of sight.


This was surely an unexpected and very nice way to wrap up my road trip. And as I returned to the car, this view. I can't get enough of these mountains. 

5 comments:

The Inside Stori said...

You should be hired by your local Chamber of Commerce for the inspiring posts about your day trips. They sure make me want to visit your area!

Anonymous said...

Another great hike right in 'your own backyard'! Love the water bugs! Jan in WY

The Idaho Beauty said...

Thanks Mary - I do enjoy putting together these "travelogues" and find myself composing and taking pictures to illustrate my dialogue as I go along! The first time I noticed I was doing that made me chuckle a bit since it was coming so naturally. One friend has mentioned I'd make a great photo journalist. Maybe a missed opportunity for a career! Having someone pay you to go enjoy yourself and share the experience I suppose is everyone's dream. My godson actually did that for a year for one of those companies that put out travel books. Review area restaurants and accommodations by eating and staying in them respectively, taking in the sights - needless to say, he enjoyed it!

Michele Matucheski said...

Great Hike! I think this has been my favorite one so far -- maybe because of the water striders! YOu were talking about beavers earlier, so I thought it might have been beaver foot prints in the water, but that didn't quite make sense. Water striders!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Water striders! I never remember exactly what these are called but that is it - thanks Michele!