BR Outdoor Journal – From Birds to Lizards

In this week's Bitterroot Outdoor Journal, Bob Danley was lucky enough to see the tiny Northern Alligator Lizard last week and even luckier to snap a photo (see above) before the 10-inch-long reptile scurried off into the brush. He said this was found up Bass Creek and is in one of those endangered lists - Montana Species of Concern. As you might guess since it's in Montana, this lizard likes cooler and wetter conditions than other lizards. And he's fast!

Up in the sky, Bob reports 179 bird species recorded so far this year in Missoula County. The birds that are arriving include Chipping Sparrow (photo below), Rufous Hummingbird (photo below) and lots of hawks such as Broad-winged and Swainson's Hawks. Listening also leads you to other birds, such as a drumming sound along the creeks of the Ruffed Grouse. New butterflies this spring are Spring Azure and Hoary Elfin. Wildflowers are... well... wild! We have two mini-galleries (down below). Check 'em out and you can hear the Bitterroot Outdoor Journal Wednesdays at 7:45 a.m. during the Bitterroot Morning newscast on 1240 AM KLYQ, www.klyq.com and on the KLYQ app on your cellphone.