Long Walk on BLM — May All Your Blues Be Birds

We’ve been surveying near Albion, Montana for years. My field organizer called this landowner in April to ask if it was still ok.

He said sure.

I called 2 days before the survey and found out he sold it. And said he didn’t know who bought it.

No more easy access from the highway. Had to find a way in on BLM property, so I would not trespass.

Orange is Bureau of Land Management.

White is deeded.

The back roads are the dashed red lines.

My survey was in the white at the lower left of the screen. I drove as far as I could on BLM and parked (upper center of the screen in the orange). Would have to walk the edge of the orange to the survey next morning. I sat in my car and ate.

Had set my alarm for 3 am.

A truck arrived on the 2-track.

A man in a cowboy hat with a dusty passenger with a black mustache said hello. I asked if they knew who owned the land between me and the survey.

The driver owned it.

He didn’t care if I drove on his property, just don’t get stuck. And he wanted to know if Grasshopper Sparrows ate grasshoppers. I promised they did.

I drove to within 2k of the survey and parked on his property overnight.

The survey was a 45 minute walk from his fence.

I heard a Pterodactyl screech from this tree.

But it was 2 raccoons.

I doubt they had ever seen a human. What a life to snooze in this tree all day and then roam the sagebrush at night.

4: Lark Bunting Eggs

0: Brown-headed Cowbird Eggs