Friday night we meant to drive to Val Marie for wing night, but impending rain meant we only made it as far as Mankota. We had a pretty nice dinner at the restaurant/inn, and on the way home we spotted a swift fox. It was only the briefest glance, but the small size and black-tipped tail let us know it wasn't a red fox. Swift foxes were once completely eliminated from this area, but the park re-introduced them a few years back. This is the first one I've seen, and hopefully I'll get a better look later on.
Saturday a few of us took a trip to Moose Jaw for some groceries. Though Mankota and Val Marie both have stores, they are small and the selection is very limited (and expensive). Occasionally we take these trips into a larger town in order to stock up. Moose Jaw, at 2 1/2 hours away, is our closest center of "civilization." Normally we make it an all-day trip, but this time the rain made the trip a relatively brief one.
On the way to Moose Jaw, we were stopped by two ranchers moving their cattle. It's a pretty awesome sight, watching the cowboys rounding up their herd.
Monday morning my nest crew took advantage in the short lull between rainstorms, and checked some nests. We have now dragged 13 plots, which means we are halfway done with our first round. There are 26 plots in total, and last year we only had the time and people to complete two rounds. This year, though, we're already well on our way to completing three rounds. We have already found 32 nests (about 20 of which we are monitoring), which is FAR ahead of last year.
While out checking nests, I saw a female pronghorn with something moving at her side. Looking closer, I saw it was a coyote. The pronghorn was chasing the coyote away from her, wary of his presence. I then noticed a group of about six Marbled Godwits about 100 meters away, making quite a racket. They all took wing, and I looked up to see that a Ferruginous Hawk had spooked them. I was struck again by the wild beauty of this place as I found myself completely surrounded by all these amazing creatures, each going about their lives just as I was.
I'm hoping to get outside and work tomorrow, as Thursday is supposed to rain again. I know it's sentimental and not very scientific of me, but I always worry a bit about the nests when the weather is bad. Luckily it serves to remind me again how tough nature really is. Even if a nest fails, female songbirds will begin building a new nest just a couple days after. Life always finds a way, even out here on the unforgiving prairie.
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