Mothers Day, 2026

We usually go to Grand Teton National Park for a day of wildlife viewing followed by a picnic in the park. However, this year we were invited to go to our daughter's, Jen and Eric's house, to celebrate the day at their place in Montana! It’s a three-hundred-mile drive. On the trip we first drive through the Idaho National Laboratory, It’s about one hundred miles from Idaho Falls to Salmon, Idaho before the scenic drive over Lost Trail Pass. The pass was the pass that Lewis and Clark used to cross the Continemtal divide and head for the Pacific Ocean , (its named Lost Pass because it’s one of the few parts of the trail that no one is sure about)). The weather was extremely warm for this time of year in Northern Montana.

The Bitterroot River was high with the early snowmelt, so we decided not to go fishing, (Renita is a good fly fisherwoman and has earned an award for her catching the four types of cutthroat trout), native to Wyoming.

Other options, before Mother’s Day, were to go to the Farmers Market in Hamilton, Montana, take hikes along the river, and go birding, (we did all three). For Mother’s Day, Renita wanted to go to the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge for a day of birding and wildlife viewing.

The trails at Lee Metcalf are easy, level hiking, are well maintained, and so well-traveled that we didn’t have to worry about it being the spring wood tick season. California Quail are everywhere. It was a short drive to the Refuge and as we drove to the parking lot we passed wild turkeys, and sandhill cranes.

Under one tree, a wild turkey thought it was hiding so we stopped and took its picture. I also tried to vocalize a turkey gobbling, and the bird answered me. The few times I went turkey hunting I had bought a turkey call, but the turkeys didn’t like its tone.

Walking down the trail we spotted a tree full of holes left by a Pileated Woodpecker. Notice the large triangular hole indicating a hole drilled by a Pileated.

Nearby a Hairy Woodpecker drilled holes looking for larva, and a little bit later a Lewis’s Woodpecker landed near the top of a tree, (the woodpecker was named for Meriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

As we walked further a Bald Eagle Soared overhead and a possible Golden Eagle flew by.

Sheepherders are having problems with the Golden Eagles as they hunt and kill lambs. In one area of Wyoming, they are killing Golden Eagles because of the predation, (allowed by the Federal Government).

Arriving back at their house we watched as Jen planted rows of plants in ter huge Garden! Eric worked on mowing their one-acre lot. Renita and I got tired from watching them work, so we rested in their lawn chairs.

An osprey sat on a man-made nesting platform, unconcerned whe we stopped to take a picture.

Driving to a small marshy lake a Pied Billed Grebe paddled away, and a Ruddy Duck posed for a picture. Mallards were everywhere including this close up of a female.

As we left, we did see more turkeys, but I don’t know what subspecies these turkeys are, (in Wyoming the turkeys are from the Rio Grande. It was a fine day in Northern Montana. Arriving back at their hose we watched as Jen planted rows of plants in her huge garden as Eric worked on mowing their one-acre lot. Renita and I got tired from watching them work, so we rested in their lawn chairs. The evening ended after a great meal at a local restaurant. Clear skies ps Hope yall had a great Mothers Day!