Yellowstone DIary 2019 – Dance of Light Photography

September 3, 2019 End of Summer

zxcvbnm1WP — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 22:12:24 +0000

It goes so fast.

Barb and I both love the Bison, the little “Red Dogs” that now are turning into mini-Bison with the brown color instead of Red.

I will remember “Legend” the 1 year pup that the guides think will become a legend because of his independent willingness to put his “paws” in the fan sometimes.

The bears both black and grizzly and their cubs.

and the landscape. High up in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming.

Sunset in the Lamar Valley

We hope all our critter friends will survive the harsh winter.

September 2, 2019 Beartooth Fox

zxcvbnm1WP — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 21:32:09 +0000

I got an image of an unusual fox the other day. Unlike the other foxes in this area I have gotten pictures of, which are basic red with black feet and ears and have short hair, this fox had long grey hair and a silvery face with a little red on his legs. I did some research and found an article about Patrick Cross of the US Forest Service who is studying these foxes he has found in the Beartooth Mountains. They are not related by DNA to the common red fox in Yellowstone National Park. He believes these are remnants of an Asia fox that travel here during an ice age. Either way they are beautiful.

August 26, 2019 Where’s Waldo

zxcvbnm1WP — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 19:29:01 +0000

Am I getting old? Did you ever search for Waldo? English illustrator Martin Handford created two page puzzle illustrations containing many people doing many things and you were challenged to find Wally. Finding wildlife is often like that. A complex landscape with a grey wolf somewhere. So give it a try. Can you find waldo? (not her real name)

There she is….

August 22, 2019 Wildflowers Galore

zxcvbnm1WP — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 01:25:08 +0000

‌Spring came late to Yellowstone & the Beartooths this year with snow storms occurring into June. Then snow changed to rain. Since we arrived in late June we’ve had more rain than last summer. Nonetheless, the mornings are more often than not cloudless. Clouds build up in the afternoon, often followed by a brief thunderstorm and, sometimes, rain lasting into the evening as successive storm clouds blow through. The extra rain has kept the risk of forest fires low and brought a provusion of wildflowers and green grasses into mid-August. By the end of July last year, most of the wildflowers were bloomed out and all the grassy slopes and high mountain meadows in the Park were brown. We’re hoping the grasses staying green longer than usual might mean some extra nutritional value into the fall for the wildlife that browse on them, like the bison.

Here are some of the wildflowers we’ve seen in and near the Park and the Beartooth Mountains. I’m not sure I have the identities of all correct. I made my best guess based on a wildflower guide for Wyoming:

Field of Lupines

Lulu Pass flowers

Pilot and Index Peaks w/flowers

Bitteroot

Plains Prickly Pear

Plains Prickly Pear – Peach color

Alpine Avens

Skullcap

Blue Flax

Indian Paintbrush

August 20, 2019 Mortal Combat

zxcvbnm1WP — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:59:16 +0000

August is the RUT for Bison Bison Bison. The females have a very short window in which they can conceive. So the Bulls have an organ in the roof of their mouth that can “smell” the pheromones that the females emit and can tell the Bulls when the females are ready. The Bulls pick a female and “guard” her checking her constantly. During this time he will not let her near any other Bison, even her calf. If another Bull gets too close they will have “words”. Most of the time a little bluff and bluster settles the issue but with two large stubborn Bulls they can get into combat. This rarely happens but it can result in the death of one of the Bulls.

This happened this week and the Bull died a few hundred yards off the road. His death will feed many animals in the Lamar Valley including ravens, Eagles, Bears and Wolves. We arrived before day break and you could hear the bears argueing about access. Growling in the dark. First light revealed 5 grizzlies on the kill and 5 wolves waiting their turn. Barb got this image when daylight arrived.

Aug 17, 2019 Wolfers

zxcvbnm1WP — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 17:40:45 +0000

The term “Wolfers” was originally applied to those who would kill wolves at any opportunity. There are plenty of people with an irrational hatred of wolves. In the Park the folks that come here to watch wolves have taken the term “wolfer” and used it for people who love wolves and go to great effort to see them.

The wolfers in the park just want to see wolves and if the subjects are two miles away that is ok. Wildlife photographers, on the other hand, are not so enthused about seeing wolves two miles away. With a typical 600mm lens and a 2x teleconverter, yielding 1200mm you might get a usable photo a few hundred yards away and the greater the magnification the worse the heat waves distort the image. So when you see spectacular wildlife photos by the big name and reputable wildlife photographers they have been very lucky to get an image of an animal that is very close. They, of course, must be prepared with good equipment ready to go and they have to be out there so when the moment arrives they are in the right spot. But they also have to be lucky.

I get a lucky opportunity about once a summer, going into the Park almost everyday.

I don’t own $15000 worth of lenses and bodies so I never get great images for wildlife photography. But it is satisfying just to be able to recognize the wolf. Let me introduce you to wolf 996 a male of the Junction Butte pack and then one of the three yearlings.

August 10, 2019 The “Whistling hare”

zxcvbnm1WP — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 21:09:10 +0000

Every wildlife photographer has their image bucket list. Usually it contains the more difficult animals to photograph. On the top of those lists are often the Wolverine followed by Lynx, Wolf, Grizzly and , of course, the Pika.

The little Pika lives in the high mountains on talus slopes with his friend the Marmot.

He is cousins with the rabbit rather than squirrels and other rodents. He is a fast little sucker and my camera had a hard time focusing before he would scurry away. He gathers the plants he likes and stores a warehouse full for winter.

August 9, 2019 Speed Demon

zxcvbnm1WP — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 20:58:45 +0000

We went up to the top of the Beartooth Mountains last wednesday.

I noticed the raptor flying above and wondered what he was. Then he tucked his wings and dove down the cliffs in front of me. No question then that he was a Peregrine Falcon. They are capable of diving at 240mph.

July 22, 2019 The American Bison

zxcvbnm1WP — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 19:04:32 +0000

The American Bison is our favorite animal in the Park. Most of the big attractions, Bear, wolves, Moose, Elk etc are usually a long ways away and you are looking through a spotting scope to see them. But the Bison are everywhere in the Lamar Valley. If you watch their movements and they look like they are going to cross the road it is time for a Bison jam. But we love them. We go find a pullout near the guessed crossing point and then just park and wait. Often the Bison will cross right around you allowing you to get a very up close and personal look at the animals. As long as you DON’T get out of your car. Bison kill more people in the Park then Grizzly Bears. But I must say you would have to do something stupid to get a bison that mad at you.

July 21, 2019 Looking for the elusive BearClaw Bear

zxcvbnm1WP — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 18:57:03 +0000

We went hiking at Bearclaw bakery into the high country looking for the BearClaw Bear. Helen was our guide to help find the reclusive animal. After a long hike we sighted the Bear on a rock in the snow. Yummy!