M.C.Russell Yellowstone Park, 3 mi. W Gardiner, 5400 ft., Mont. Aug 14 1969 This area was formerly a cattle ranch with large irrigated alfalfa fields. The fields have gone back to native meadow grasses. It is a valley roughly a mile wide - running roughly E & W. The flats & slopes have Astimecia & Rabbit Brush. The streams coming down to the Yellowstone River have scattered Cottonwoods & willows lower down and Aspen & Doug Fir higher up. So far the only conifer encountered is Doug Fir. Seems strange to see it mixed in with sage. On hill 100 ft. higher than ranch house there are two small ponds formed by damming the trickle coming from a spring higher up. This dam was put in by the C.C.C.'s back in the 1930's. Now there is a good growth of tules around the pond with small population of Red-wing Blackbirds. The young are hard of the nest and well able to fly. But several Mallard & Muskrat hunt out this pond. After lunch we took a walk up to the pond. Vesper Sparrows & Chipping Sparrows are all through the grass -