More Festival Birding and Patt Packs to Leave

20090607 - More Festival Birding and Patt Packs to Leave

We rose again at 4:00 AM and went to the festival site for the buffet breakfast (way better than yesterday's) and soon were in a carpool for Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This is only ~10 miles from Great Falls, to the North. Check it out at http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=61510. We drove slowly for the next 4 hours, stopping perhaps 10 times and saw a bunch of birds. The weather was a cold wind, driving rain sideways, so out out-of-car time was often very short.

The Festival had closed down after we left this morning, so we returned to Dick's RV for lunch and naps that were much needed after the early rising.

Patt finished packing a while ago, leaving some things in the RV for a possible re-connection when I reach Minnesota. She also cooked a great meal, including fresh salad, topped with a glass of wine. I have many instructions on things to do, and how to do them in her absence.


Birds: Canada Goose, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Blue Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Canvasback, Redhead, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Eared Grebe, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Northern Harrier, Swainson's Hawk, Sora (heard), Killdeer, American Avocet, Willet, Whimbrel, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's Gull, California Gull, Burrowing Owl, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Horned Lark, Tree Swallow, Marsh Wren, American Robin, European Starling, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove.