June 7- June 13

-- We got the reciprocal transplant experiment going at Mahogany this week. There are enough retreat sites in each enclosure to hide at least 20 snakes--when you get there in the morning no one is visible. But they get sun on and off through the day, and then you can see plenty of them. Here is a picture of one of the enclosures:

-- It was easy to catch plenty of tadpoles at Roney in just over an hour for feeding the transplant snakes. They are very big and fat now, and most have tiny legs partially or completely emerged.

-- Apart from tadpoles, we also found a sandhill crane has taken up residence at Roney.

-- On June 12 at 10:30 AM Mahogany, while waiting for transplant snakes to feed, we saw a medium-sized hawk pass directly in front of us, and circle the lake twice, flying low along the shore. He dove twice and circled over small areas, but appeared to miss what he was looking for. This was the most like snake hunting before I have ever seen in a raptor. I wish I could have identified him exactly, but he seemed so much blonder than any of the hawks in my field guide, that I'm having trouble making a match.

May 30 - June 5

- Spent time this week getting reciprocal transplant enclosures set up. Was fortunate to have three days of help from USFS in scouting out appropriate sites, construction and snake collecting. Two enclosures are now in place at Mahogany, and two at the Osprey Management Area just north of Wildcat. Am having great difficulty getting adult male snakes from the lakeshore.

- Saw two sandhill cranes at Colman. This is apparently a hard nesting year for them, as water levels are so low. They are at Papoose as usual but they are not, for instance, at Summit (according to Forest Service surveys).

- Disturbed a great blue heron on the shore at Pikes B while collecting snakes. The long-established heron rookery at the Osprey Management Area is apparently not active this year. Reasons unknown.

- First afternoon/evening thunderstorms this week. Strong winds, some rain. Yesterday and today have been COLD. Last night there was snow on the surrounding hills. Below are pictures from Gallatin beach (the white on the mountains is snow, the white along the shore is some strange, thick foamy stuff), and on one of the A1 turnoffs to Mahogany. Interesting weather, but it has not made snake collecting for the transplant proceed any faster!