It has been such a cold spring the snow is permanently sticking to the robins ... that's a joke of course, but this robin was an interesting specimen. With permanent white flecks throughout its plumage it really stood out in the crowd of birds feeding in the Park across the street from the house. I've seen photos of albino robins, but I've never seen one like this. Such is nature, I suppose.

Probably... Read the story here. Problem is, legal agreements made with Flathead County a few years back seem to pave the way for the pit. The Park might have some Clean Air Act claims against the pit and perhaps water rights claims as well. What's really needed is a law that prohibit industrial uses within a certain distance of national parks. A state legislator tried that tact a few years ago, but it failed. Perhaps it could be done on the federal level.

A mountain bluebird flies from a fencepost south of Columbia Falls Sunday. The bluebirds have arrived in full force, now that were actually having some truly spring-like weather, with temperatures in the 50s.

A file photo of Plowing the Sun Road, 2008.

Park plow crews were expected to start clearing the Chief Mountain Road this week and the target date for starting the Sun Road on the west side at Lake McDonald Lodge is April 1. April 1 is a Wednesday. Last year the road opened completely on July 2, the latest peacetime opening ever (it opened later one year during WWII.) Last spring was very snowy and cold and while spring is officially a few days away, we haven't had much warm weather. There is fresh snow on the ground this morning, though temps could get into the 50s by the weekend, though it's supposed to rain or snow as well, depending on the elevation.

Despite the cold temperatures last week, the varied thrush are making their way north. They arrive in Glacier National Park in mid-March and are noted for their distinctive call. You can listen to it here. This one was feeding on midges along the snowy shores of Jessup Mill Pond in Creston Thursday, about 45 minutes south of the Park. Your best place to see varied thrush in Glacier is along Upper McDonald Creek near the Avalanche Lake campground.

It got down to 11 below zero in West Glacier last night. At least the wind stopped blowing and the sun came out. When I took this photo about 7 p.m., the temperature was 4 degrees F. This is a pileated woodpecker. You can tell if they're in your woods by the distinctive rectangular holes they leave in trees. Like most woodpeckers, they're year-round residents.

It swims, it flies, it sings. It's the American dipper, a year-round resident of Glacier. This fat gray bird feeds on insects and insect larvae in the stream bottom. A good place to see one is upper McDonald Creek (shown here).

I woke up at 6 yesterday and after making some, tea, starting a fire in the stove and waking up my wife, who was visibily irritated, I decided to get the hell out of Dodge and went to Glacier, where I was able to sneak up on a flock of goldeneyes. Ducks can be comical creatures. When I arrived home, my wife was still visibly irritated, but I was in a good mood. Hey, you can't win them all.