Day 3 A trip to Cody Wy

Heading to see Buffalo Bill's Center of the West today, it's nicknamed the Smithsonian of the West. While en route I initiated our normal road trip game, guess how many raptors we will see on our way. Stephanie chimed in and said it was too gloomy and overcast for raptors, wrong! Shortly after her declaration we saw a historical marker and naturally veered off to see this would be marvel. Within a hundred yards was a raptor with two ravens chewing on a rabbit. They took flight shortly after we stopped and flew around in circles until we were confused to what type of raptor. Take pictures and figure it out later. Once back and researched and compared pictures, there where two different hawks flying around. One was a juvenile Western Red Tailed and the  other was a Rough Legged Hawk. Never did see the historical whatever we pulled from the highway to see, guess it will remain a mystery. A few miles down the road we saw a LARGE raptor sitting on top of a telephone pole, it was a Golden Eagle! Amazingly big bird it's talons spanned the entire top of the pole and hung off each side, big bird.  Left there and saw another historical marker and stopped. A Japanese internment camp... depressing. Buffalo Bill's was all that and then some, if you like museums.Stephanie was happy that there was a Great Horn owl and a Kestrel for us to photograh. Left Cody in search of the Smith Mansion and dodged HERDS upon Herds of Mule Deer and Elk... WOW. Smith Mansion was a bust,some crazy guys idea that never got completed and we couldn't get close enough to get decent photos. Headed back to Red Lodge and detoured down Chief Joseph Highway. The road was beautiful and curvy a must ride someday on the motorcycles. Only travel about 20 miles before turning back, the road may have been open to Cooke City but from there it will be a dead end until early summer when the snow is gone. Saw two more raptors just after dark both within a few miles of each other, Owls on telephone poles.  Exhausted and Great Day.