Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

I drove up that rim road until I left the prairie and arrived at the forest ~ 6,000 feet.

The survey was adjacent to Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation land.

Founded by people in Troy, Montana, the RMEF has conserved ~ 7 million acres of habitat since it’s start in 1984, and it has helped reestablish elk herds in Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ontario, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

About 50 elk ran by, and I was so excited that I forgot to take a photo until the last minute.

Hermit Thrush have a contrasting red tail.

Hermit Thrush

by Matt MacGillivray

Wikipedia’s photo of an Ovenbird.

by Cephas

My photo of an Ovenbird.

We count Red Squirrels too. Far away, they can sound like woodpeckers and confuse me.