Pleasant today. Moved the young cows into 3a (SW corner of 3.) Ryan just finished new water center between paddocks 2 and 3. The water center also serves paddocks in SNG. The Western kingbirds arrived-let the aerial battles begin. Ryan saw a young bull elk at the turnoff from Big Wall to Griffith Road
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Light frost and clear skies in the morning, then turning warm and pleasant. Moved the cows in the evening into first split in North Griffith #2. This paddock requires the cows to trail through a shelterbelt-mostly Caragana shrubs. While providing clean access to the water center from west, it might prove hard on the shelterbelt. A pair of Swainson hawks were seen circling to the south. I also flushed a sharptail. Sandberg bluegrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, June grass, and needle and thread, are first grasses to go into the “boot’ or early flowering phase.
Following the storm our ranch headquarters’ rain gauge was at .96 inches and Ryan’s gauge was a whopping 1.4. Returning home from Helena was wet the whole way with cool NW winds and fresh snow in the mountains above 6000 feet. We chose to not bring the heifers into the corral for night check due to the mud. Unfortunately we lost one calf, yet it did not seem to be a result of a difficult delivery. The losses are always hard to take, yet the sooner you lean into the next task, the quicker the recovery. The late season avian migrants continue to arrive to add to the growing diversity of sound and color. This week we welcomed the return of the yellow warbler, brown thrasher, bullock oriole, and the always cheerful and never knowing where they nest American goldfinches. A group of finches have been called a “007”, “charm”, “rush”, “treasury”, and a “vein” of goldfinches. Two common composites (sunflower family) began flowering this last week, Erigeron compositus and ochroleucus. At dusk, after checking the heifers I flushed a meadowlark from her nest.
Half an inch of rain fell this morning at the ranch. Rain is also falling in Helena. It sprinkled all day with more coming. Moisture coupled with modest temperatures will ensure positive growing conditions for a couple more weeks. The cows moved to North Griffith 6a.
Cloudy and cool again today. Moisture is still predicted from the Gulf. Ryan is getting a lot of calves, while I sit in Helena. Eight new heifer calves, all without problems.
Cool refreshing morning breeze today. It turned warmer with thunderclouds threatening in the evening. Terry Kombol transported the last 32 yearlings to Wolf Point with his new trailer. Moved the 2’s to next split. Ryan tagged 18 new calves. I was able to do the night shift the last 2 nights to give Ryan a little break. He will be covering everything the next four days while I am in Helena at a zen practice period.
Today was cooler and cloudy and they are predicting moisture in the next few days. Transitioned the cows across the county road and the creek into North Griffith 6. The county has the road tore up replacing a culvert. While fencing at the winter facility, a shorebird approached with a call, not quite like a curlew nor an upland sandpiper. As it flew over, I recognized it as a Godwit. I saw one last year a mile to the south. While the Godwit is not uncommon to the plains region during seasonal nesting, I have never seen a nesting pair on the ranch. I will investigate more closely in the area. Also in the same area I heard savannah and clay-colored sparrows. Castilleja sessiliflora, a flower I mentioned earlier, is now flowering in large colorful colonies on shallow and rocky upland sites.
Pleasant today. Returned from Helena to make some cow moves and do the night shift before heading back to the practice period on Wednesday. Moved the young cows to next split in NNG3.
Traveled to Helena for a zen practice period. After the morning session, I hiked into the Beartooth from the south side (highest point) through the Martin Place on Sieben Livestock. At 7,000 feet just below Shellrock Ridge, I heard and saw Meadowlarks, Bluebirds, Vesper sparrows, Robins, and rock chucks. Fritillaria pudica (yellow bells) was just stating to bloom, where at the ranch the yellow bells have been done for about a month. Though the ranch habitat is quite different, it is remarkable to see these species present in both places. In fact, a short walk east of the house, I can see them all.
The storm broke up and left today. Dana’s gauge was askew so we are not sure how much rain we received. I will guess around .3 inches. Moved the cows to next strip in South Big Wall 3. The grass seems to be thickening on the north side of the paddock that is dominated by yucca. Ambrosia or ragweed, a rhizomatic low-successional native, that was present in large circular patches, is now hard to find. Lithospermum incisum seems to be everywhere, and has found conditions this spring very favorable. Good forb-it is pretty and cows like it too.
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Bill Milton
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