Pothole bird surveys are done, so Kate and I headed back out west to start the next round of lynx surveys. Kate, a junior at Brigham Young University in Idaho with an interest in wildlife and range management, is a good companion and worker – and much less of a complainer (and a much safer driver!) than the other two women I have worked with. We found some top-notch lynx habitat that was also, of necessity, bottom-notch human habitat (four-foot deep stacks of fallen trees all twisted together, with the occasional yellow jacket nest to watch out for). If the whole area is this good, we will be out there a long time – but that is unlikely given our previous experience.
Came home after work to find nobody here, so decided to make my tofu dish for when the others arrived. 7 pm came and still nobody. So checked my voicemail and discovered that the others had gone to Jackson for dinner – they tried to find me but I went straight to the grocery store after work. So there are leftovers for tomorrow…
Freakish rainy spell has ended and we are in beautiful weather. Tomorrow should have a high of 77, coolest since my first days here, and a low around 38. Certainly not Minnesota heat and humidity here, but I do look forward to temps in the 60s and 70s instead of daily 80s and 90s. Still have a persistent haze that blocks distant mountain views – blown in from fires in Idaho and Montana. Locals say it will last until September.
Finally heard from Andy Tolan – he is at his ranch across the mountains for the next two weeks and is planning on coming here to visit at some point – perhaps this weekend.
