Lusk and Van Tassell, Wyoming

Welcome to Wyoming -
Redwood Railroad Water Tank - this redwood water tank is one of only six left in the U.S. The town of Lusk is named after Frank Lusk, who was the railroad agent for the area
Texas [Longhorn Cattle] Trail - Longhorn Cattle were driven northward from Texas in the late 1800's (1876 to 1897) to populate herds in the Montana and Wyoming Territories (which became states in 1889 and 1890, respectively). The trail went by the current town of Lusk
"Texas [Cattle] Trail" Dedication Plaque -
Welcome to Van Tassell, Wyoming - where there are more birds than people
Van Tassell, Wyoming - the town is built along the south edge of sandstone cliffs...
Cliff Swallow #11 - ...and where there are cliffs...there are Cliff Swallows, whose nests look like gourds made of little balls of mud. The white dots peeking out of the openings are the foreheads of the parent bird sitting on the nest
Lark Bunting #28 - the male is a handsome bird which will usually pose for photos..."Wait! Let me put myself on a pedestal for you,"...
Lark Bunting #33 - ...and my profile is my best pose."
Lark Bunting #35 - females have a similar, but much more subdued plumage pattern
Red-tailed Hawk #25 - power line are dangerous for birds-of-prey with large wingspans like this Red-tailed Hawk. If they touch both wires at the same time with their wings while landing, they are usually electrocuted
Horned Lark #23 - another good poser
Chestnut-collared Longspur #15 - this was my target bird for the Van Tassell pastures. This one played Hide-and-Seek in the tall Purple Penstemons out in the pasture...
Chestnut-collared Longspur #17 - ...and only once did he come briefly to the fence-line along the road
McCown's Longspur #43 - the Chestnut-collared's cousins were much more cooperative
McCown's Longspur #49 - the white in the tail is used during courtship and territorial display
Western Meadowlark #25 - the most often accidentally recorded bird song in Hollywood movies, since many are filmed in the western United States
Burrowing Owl #12 - this guy insisted on perching on the crossbar of a power pole, looking down at me from above
American Robin #17 - not a typical "pasture" bird
Brewer's Sparrow #4 - perhaps on of the blandest of the "Little Brown Birds" called sparrows. Its lack of field marks are its field marks
Grasshopper Sparrow #19 - a plucky little guy with a song the goes "PIT PIT ZZZZZZZZZ". Often only the "Z's" are heard, so it does sound like a grasshopper
Yellow Sweet Clover - an imported plant which will take over pastures and grasslands if not eradicated
Purple Penstemons - the pastures were full of these beautiful flowers in full bloom
Sunflower - these were seen along the road at regular intervals, but not in any abundance