Buffalo were grazing on a far hill of Wind Cave National Monument while we did practice bird point counts through the grassy hills spotted with small patches of ponderosa pine forest. There was so much gear hanging around my neck, it felt like it was strangling me. Binoculars, compass, timer, range finder, clip board and my hand knit scarf all dangled and clanged against each other while I walked. Jay was in my group and he doesn’t miss any birds, little ships, chirps, calls, and even wing noises reveal themselves to his trained ears. The coolest display of love for the day were a couple of upland sandpipers flying around our last point. The best moment though was taking the gear off and wandering around the park freely in search of red crossbills. I climbed through pines to see a beautiful valley below, buffalo in the distance and wind rustling the trees.
When I got back to the house, I didn't feel like going to town like everyone else. Just me and the guys that were stressed and in charge stayed at the preserve. I wandered off by myself and found hills and cliffs that no one bothered going too as I listened to the robins closely to learn all there confusing songs and calls. It was very peaceful, sometimes I just need solitude, especially after being around so many people in one house. On the way back I took pictures of deer and mountain bluebirds hunting around an old cabin on the preserve.
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