Turnbull

After living in the Spokane area for most of my life - and attending classes at EWU in Cheney for three years - I never visited Turnbull Wildlife Refuge until this afternoon. 

My friend Carole introduced me to the park. This coyote greeted us at the entrance as we arrived. 

Turnbull is considered a riparian zone, which refers to an ecologically sensitive area situated between water and land, often characterized by water-loving plants like cattails or tule. The landscape is remarkably diverse, ranging from basalt scab-lands, to small lakes and pine forests. The vegetation is equally beautiful and diverse. 

We spent several hours at Turnbull photographing the plants and wildlife. It's truly an amazing place - well worth the visit. 

Tall grasses surround the many ponds and lakes. 

Ponderosa pines stand in the distance. 

This porcupine walked only ten feet away from us, apparently undisturbed by our presence. It was difficult to photograph because of the movement. However, I called out and said, "Stop moving so I can take your picture!" In that exact moment, it stood completely still and seemed to wait for my camera. It was quite funny. 

A lone pine on an island. 

Pink and purple flowers. 

A whitetail deer in velvet and a red summer coat. 

Ponderosa pines. 

Does anyone know these birds? 

Click on the image to get a better view. 

Lupine in the sunset. 

These little flowers were soft like feathers. 

Does anyone know their name? 

I believe these are naturalized or invasive flowers.