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Basking in the evening sun, a prairie rattlesnake is taking advantage of lifted black tarping under the deck for extra heat and cover. A number of miles outside of Malta, MT, USA, a garden filled with mice, rabbits (pictured), and black-tailed prairie dogs provides abundant sources of food for this venomous pit viper. This is the only species of rattlesnakes found in Montana, which is always a surprise to me!

We did not try to relocate or otherwise handle this snake to reduce our risks & allow it time to move along peacefully. We heard others under the porch but were not interested in sticking our hands and/or heads under there to investigate.

Basking in the evening sun, a prairie rattlesnake is taking advantage of lifted black tarping under the deck for extra heat and cover. A number of miles outside of Malta, MT, USA, a garden filled with mice, rabbits (pictured), and black-tailed prairie dogs provides abundant sources of food for this venomous pit viper. This is the only species of rattlesnakes found in Montana, which is always a surprise!

We did not try to relocate or otherwise handle this snake to reduce our risks & allow it time to move along peacefully - but we kept our dogs on a tight leash for a few days! The last photo is better if you click on it, as it’s a hard crop.

Gorgeous breeding plumage is in season! Fantastic find for me, as it checks another off my list. Found enjoying a fishing pond in Eastern MT, outside of Lewistown. Staying true to their shorebird designation, they were exploring the wetlands and riparian zones with minimal venturing into deeper waters.

While the family unit is keeping watch, these ground squirrel pups were getting used to being above ground in Montana. They were nervous about leaving that burrow entrance, but encouraged each other to take some time to breathe in the fresh air. Within 15 minutes, they were even exploring the grassy area around them!

Adorable little ground squirrel pups popping up from their burrow! Watchful adults were around, but their cautious nature meant they stayed pretty close to this opening.

This was taken in mid-May, at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in Montana.

Think you’ve got a crick in your neck? Our osprey buddy here took their time stretching, preening, and soaking up the sun. Happened to catch this awkward angle when they were trying to get a better look down river - but hey, anthropomorphic tendencies mean it looks like they’re swerving the drama too!

Getting from Point A to Point B, with no hurry at all ~ living life on leisure mode (at the moment).

“Spoony” here was observed from a blind on the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. Taking his sweet time preening and primping, he was a delight to watch. Their feeding style is dabbling, and their bills have over 100 lamellae present to help with the filtering aspect!

Montana’s Migratory Bird Stamp has announced its winner, with the accolades going to Kim Diment and her inspiration: Northern Shovelers.

Golden hour sure did this clip right! Two bison calves leaping and running for the sheer joy of being alive. Their playfulness and red coloration earned them the nickname of red dogs a long time ago. Cuteness factor is off the charts.

A feisty pine marten seen in the mountains of Wyoming, near the border of Montana. The critter certainly had little fear and watched us for a while. Awesome to see it in the wild like this, and first time to boot!

Pine marten being a little cheeky for the camera! Spotted in the forests of Wyoming, near the border of Montana. This fellow certainly lives up to the nickname of “camp robber” - not timid, observed us, and wound up putting on a show. This was just one of my favorites!

Black bear taking full advantage of a berry patch on the mountainside in Montana. The omnivorous nature of most bears means they’ll take advantage of any available food source - berries, bugs, tubers, along with prey!

The little ones are always cuter than a bug in a rug! Letting mom know that attention and snuggles are mandatory (I’m sure there are a lot of parents who can relate). Taken in Yellowstone outside of Lamar Valley.

Enjoying the waterfall’s constant rapids is part of the game for these incredibly adapted ducks. But a moment of rest is certain to be found on the boulders and rocks scattered across the width of the river ~ as a number of these beautiful Harlequins were exemplifying. A reminder that we can not only stop and smell the roses, but also enjoy a rather loud yet peaceful riverside rest.

There’s an elegance to these birds that can only be truly appreciated in person, but here’s my attempt to share at least a moment of their time with you.

A coyote snagged a prairie dog (suspected) and enjoyed its meal immensely over the course of about two minutes. Starting with the delicious head, due to it being an energy rich portion of the prey. Worked its gory way down to the tail and toes for a full final gulp!

Filmed in Yellowstone National Park on a Nikon CoolPix P950 in the afternoon on a beautiful day in May.

Sweet surprise at a camping spot in the remote mountains of Montana. The Red-naped Sapsucker’s side eye skills are strong, but even more striking is their overall plumage!

The pictured tree had three almost identical cavities spaced like a stoplight, with this one being “under construction” and right in the middle. The cavities seemed to be almost equidistant, a striking geometry in the middle of the woods.

*observed from afar - read: ethical distance - with extra zoom capacities on a Nikon P950 and no specific location data will be provided*

Driving through a Montana meadow surrounded by forests, on a road we’ve gone down a thousand times.. we saw something new. A gorgeous Great Grey Owl ( *Strix nebulosa*) hunting at dusk - bouncing from tree to tree and boulder to boulder. While we didn’t see a successful kill, it was a wonder watching its behaviors from afar.