YAKIMA PARK

Yakima Park, one of the beautiful open meadows above the 6,000 foot level, is rapidly clearing of snow. Open ground is already showing. Protected places still hold enough snow for excellent coasting. Access to this park is through the White River Entrance. Two trails lead from the road to the park, the first leaving the road at a point about three and a half miles inside the entrance. The second trail, much shorter and at this season much better, being practically clear of snow, leaves the road at White River public camp six and a half miles from the entrance. A little later in the season Yakima Park will be a riot of color--already the Yellow Avalanche Lily or Deers Tongue are plentiful. Suksdorff, buttercup, western anemone, and mountain phlox is also in evidence. Red Heather is just coming into bloom. The Giant Hellebore plants are making their debut although, of course, not in bloom yet. This will be a glorious season for such places as Yakima Park. The late snows have retarded the early plants so that the early and mid-season flowers will bloom simultaneously in one gorgeous display.

By Clarence B. Hickok-Ranger-Nat.

BAND-TAILED PIGEON

A small flock of Band-tailed pigeons arrived at Longmire July 13th. For the last several years a flock of these pigeons have taken up their residence in the trees bordering the Longmire swamp. They stay in the same group of trees and arrive at about the same time every year. Their number seems greatly depleted this year but the present small band may be but the fore-runners of larger numbers to come later.

The Band-tailed pigeon is very similar to the domestic pigeon both in appearance and behavior. At Longmire they have been quite permanent summer residents but they are often found as migrant residents in higher park altitudes. These birds migrate to the southern and western parts of California to spend the winter.

By Charles Landes, Ranger-Naturalist