FORCED LAYOVER IN IDAHO part two.

 The second week of our layover was much like the first. Our explorations extended a little farther, but once again, the best wildlife viewing was still The Camas Wildlife Refuge. 

The northern harrier is feeding on a recent catch while perched on a small rise that affords a view of the surroundings...

  From another angle one is offered a view of the refuge, the wet lands, and plains as they extend towards the distant mountains...

One highlight of our second week's visit was this lazuli bunting…

A western meadowlark...

A beautiful pair of sandhill cranes...

A cinnamon teal drake...

A whitetail doe...

With a fawn that didn't want to remain in hiding...

A white-faced ibis was busy probing the marsh...

One of several western kingbirds that we saw...

We saw a number of deer on the refuge...

And a few elk...

As the sun was setting, this coyote showed up...

Some terns flew over; probably disappointed by the lack of water...

One evening, a porcupine surprised us by its presence in the marsh…

On a different day, we travelled to the Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The ride to the refuge, on mostly unpaved roads, was beautiful. The visible wildlife was limited.

We did see a pair of swans with a cygnet...

A white pelican swam by...

We were observing an osprey on a nest...

When it shifted position, Cheryl spotted a chick...

There were two bald eagles at the refuge entrance...

 

On an exploratory ride on Green Canyon Road we encountered two swainson's hawks...

 

Pronghorns were plentiful on Green Canyon Road...

On another day we drove to Craters of the Moon National Monument.  This location features evidence of active volcano activity as recently as 2000 years ago. All images are by Cheryl…

Lava left some interesting formations when it cooled...

This is a volcanic cone that one can climb...

The view from the top is of more cones...

As the lava flows and cools, lava tubes are formed...

These lava tubes form caves and tunnels...

This image show dwarf buckwheat growing on the lava...

Finally, I wanted to share a few images to demonstrate that some traditions from the "old west" are still alive in Idaho...

The long awaited radiator arrived two weeks after it was ordered. Installation is expected to be done by Wednesday afternoon and we should be on our way to Yellowstone.

Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.