Spring Trip 2010 – Day 14 – Dinosaur Provincial Park

OK folks, I’m back on the desktop, back using the Live Writer program so please bear with me while I remember how to use it!

Now, back to May 5th….where we woke up to ~ you guessed it ~ SNOW

at least somebody was happy about it!

at this point, I must admit, we found it a bit novel.   It was now day 14 of our trip ~ we’d been on the road for two weeks and hadn’t gotten anywhere we’d planned to go ~ but might as well make the most of it…so we bundled up and set off for a morning walk.  At least the wind had died.

 

 

 

This robin was one of many that didn’t look too thrilled……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and there were lots of White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows sheltering under the picnic table….you can see the snow was continuing as we set out…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our destination was the Badlands Trail ~ I hoped to find some Prairie Crocus in the snow.

 

 

 

 

 

We’re looking back now at the 3 km long circle road that runs through the badlands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Prairie Crocus up here were buried but we did find some of that Owl Clover

Here is Ernie and Shantz up on top ~ we didn’t risk going any further from this point as it involved a steep downhill….a little risky in these conditions….  headed back to the road and continued on as Ernie had seen a lot of Prairie Crocus further up….hadn’t gone too far when I spotted something at the side of the road…..

That’s me…….

and this is what I had spotted ~ a Western Meadowlark….

Worked my way closer…..

and closer….to get some of the best pictures I’m ever likely to get!

Pictures like that made the whole thing worthwhile!  Oh, and far as Prairie Crocus went…..

Well we did find a few, but between the wind and rain of the day before, and then the snow, the poor things were pretty battered and bruised!

 I’ll throw this one in, just because I like it….and we’ll continue on…..

While we’re looking at things in the snow….thought I’d show this one Ernie took while on the walk, of a Cactus in the snow…

Back in the campground, remember a few posts ago I mentioned to keep in mind the level of Sandhill Creek?  well this is why….look at it’s level now!  You’ll notice that the snow is disappearing as the day goes on although it did continue to come down ……the radio station we were listening to had a name for it ‘Snizzle’  half snow/half drizzle!

There was actually a lot of bird activity….here is one of the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers…..

and a closer look at one of the White-throated Sparrows….

Since it was obvious we were going to be spending another night here, we elected to move sites ~ again! and this time decided to splurge on a powered site ($27 per night as opposed to $21)

So here we are, in the late afternoon, set up in the newest spot ~ we had the campground completely to ourselves as even the campground hosts, who must live close by, had left their rig but vacated the park and the tenters had finally given into the elements as well….this spot was right beside where I’d seen the rabbit.

Shantz was happy in the new spot as she had a good view all round….although I think she missed her beaver….

took a walk down to the river after supper…..the ‘Snizzle’ continued…

I took this picture of a Saskatoon Shrub in full flower….just to prove that it really was spring!

The deer also showed up again in the evening….

here is a closer look at one of the deer…..and so ended day 14.

Bird List:  White-crowned Sparrow – 8; Starlings – 6; Spotted Sandpiper – 1; Killdeer – 2; Tree Swallow – 1; Ring neck Pheasant – 3; White throated Sparrow – 8; Northern Flicker – 6; Western Meadowlark – 5; House Sparrow – 5; Brewer’s Blackbird – 6; Canada Goose – 7; Black cap Chickadee – 1; Hairy Woodpecker – 1; Black billed Magpie – 7; American Kestrel – 1; American white Pelican – 21; Mallard – 2; Northern Pintail – 1; Yellow rump Warbler – 2; Raven – 1; Yellow bellied Sapsucker – 4; Mourning Dove – 2.