Bears, Bears, Everywheres'

Bears, Bears, Everywheres'

 

 

Spent last Friday evening and Saturday in Yellowstone. Had a great time checking out the new areas that opened up that Friday morning. The road from Canyon to Fishing Bridge and then on to Cody Wyoming opened for through travel. I left Friday afternoon and hit Yellowstone's west entrance at about 4:00 pm. Things were busy right from the start as I ran across two bald eagles just a few miles in from the entrance.

The male was watching guard over his companion who head was barely visible.

It is interesting how you can tell the male from the female or at least I think I can.

Check out the eye shadow and well groomed hair on the female.

Here's the male with his wild, ungroomed hair sending out a very load call.

He had a bad case of the heebee jeebee's and did some crazy contortions.

I was talking to someone next to me when the male took off. I just noticed him out of the corner of my eye and I just reached over and started pushing the shutter button. I happened to get a couple of good shots.

This one is pretty cool. Shows his wingspan in a different view.

After the Bald Eagle show I headed for the Haven valley and then Fishing bridge. I ran into a couple of photo friends and shot the bull for a few minutes and then out of nowhere Blaze appeared. She is the mother of two well known cubs "Raspberry" and "Hobo",  4 year old and 2 year cubs now.

Here are a few pictures of Blaze.

 She came down a hill towards us about a half hour before sunset.

After some time she walked to an overlook and watched the sunset for a minute.

After a half hour or so of taking pictures I got in the car to head to the cabin back in Island Park. Just about a quarter mile down the road Blaze crossed the road to the left where a couple of Buffalo were grazing. I thought - It would be cool to get a bear and a grizzly in the same picture, so i pulled off the side of the road and got out and tried to take a shot of both of them but didn't do very well because I was a little nervous about the buffalo.

 

I turned back to the car to get a different lens and all of a sudden the buffalo charged towards the bear. Blaze took off with "blazing" speed with the buffalo hot on her tail.

Lets just say that what they say about bears and buffalo being able to hit speeds of around 30+ miles per hour are true. The dirt was flying as they headed away from me and around a downed tree. This all happened in about two seconds.


That was a great end for a short day. I headed back and got to bed around 11:00pm. I headed back in the morning around 4:30 am on Saturday and hit the Hayden Valley around sunrise. I saw a great shot opportunity and pulled over when I saw some sand hill cranes and swans in the beautiful morning light.

Got to the Mudd Volcano pots just in time to see a couple of bears but they where a ways off. Continued on towards fishing bridge and saw a few cars pulled into a turn out. I followed a trail in the snow and found this grizzly working on a buffalo carcass that must have broke thru some ice on the edge of the Yellowstone river and must not have been able to get out. This Grizzly stayed in the water for an hour or more.

 The ravens are waiting their turn

After shooting that grizz I headed to the area where Blaze was the evening before and saw nothing so I headed back towards the mudd volcano area and found another grizzly moving along the river towards the buffalo carcass area. Got some great photos as he crossed the road right in front of about 20 (people) of us. He was literally to close for even my 300mm telephoto as he filled the entire frame of the camera. Would have been nice to have that second camera with a shorter lens but i got some great shots.

 Check out the claws

Here he gets into some great light

He headed down an embankment and to the river and took a just plowed through the slow moving water just below me. 

Gave me an interesting look as he went

No pictures but on the way home i saw another grizzly moving up river. Word of the carcass must have spread fast.


It was a great day and a half in Yellowstone. I swear there is a magnet in my soul and one in Yellowstone that is pulling me back constantly. It was a great day for Grizzlies but still no Coy (cubs). Oh well, that's a great reason to head back next weekend.

Wild and Wet in Grand Teton National Park

It was a wild and wet Saturday in Grand Teton National Park. I got up early (4:30am) and headed out shortly thereafter. I hit a snow storm going over the Jackson pass and thought of all of you living in the "soft" parts of the States. It was 90 degrees the same day in Austin, Texas where Jeff and Lindsay live. Living in Eastern Idaho does make hardy people and it must affect our thought process also. I often hear from my college ward students during the winter and spring semesters...... Why do people want to live here where it is so cold? All I can think of is that I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. ??????


The Tetons where completely shrouded by fog, rain clouds, and overcast skies the entire day.

This is a shot at 7:30in the morning. Kind of a surreal look.

 ps - Make sure you click on photos to enlarge.


I did manage to get a grizzly bear shot this time. After driving to the areas where 399 (a famous female Grizzly that has raised several sets of triplets in GTNP) was reported to have been spotted a couple of days earlier, I got notification that a grizzly was seen close to Moran Junction. I headed that way and got there just in time to get shots of its rear end as it disappeared into the trees.

I was able to watch it with binoculars for a bit and then I lost sight. I put my camera equipment down on the front seat and drove towards the spot I  calculated he would come out. About 100 yards down the road a huge bull Moose busted through the trees and crossed the road in front of me. OK, first you have to know that I didn't get a shot of him because I had my telephoto lens on and he was on the passenger side of the car after crossing. About 5 seconds after the moose crossed, out shot a grizzly bear and crossed right in front of me and strait after the moose. I didn't have time to switch lenses to a non telephoto lens because they were moving fast (another reason to convince my wife I need another camera).

 All i got was another rear end shot with snow flying.

 He stopped after he realized the effort was futile and gave me a candid look.

  He then moved off to the left in a cat-like saunter.

The moose quickly moved through the snow and lost the bear in short time.

I found him hiding in the willows a short time later.

The bear then moved to a snow free area and stayed close to the road and gave allot of shot opportunities for about 15-20 of us.

 Here are a few of my favorites.

 Got a song sparrow when i stopped to look at a cool rock. I enjoy photographing birds because they are challenging and they are so different and beautiful up close. He is not singing in the rain.

           

 When asked why I like to take pictures of birds I usually say...... Because I've never seen a flock of Bears fly by. 

Speaking of a flock of birds here is a shot taken in February.....

 Snow geese that gather about 20 miles west of Rexburg around Camas National Wildlife Refuge.

We only had around 10,000 geese come in this year. Last year we had around 80,000. They pass through in late February and early March. It is a sight and sound you have to experience at least once in your life.


Well, I got rained on and snowed on today but I find it often produces some of the most dramatic photographs I take. I never hesitate to go out when the weather is bad. Here is a picture of a Bald Eagle in a snow storm.

Taken in Yellowstone

I headed home and hit a white out snow storm on the Jackson pass and arrived home to the rain I left at 4:30 that morning. What a wet, wild, and wonderful day.

See you next time.

Opening day in Yellowstone National Park - April 18, 2014

Happy First Posting

April 24, 2014




Hallelujah, I have finally done it. I started my first Blog and shared my first pictures. I have been attempting this for many years and have not made the time. This is the first post of hopefully many more to come. I hope you enjoy the blog and the pictures and an occasional anecdote.

Went to Yellowstone with my good friend and fellow photographer Daryl Hunter. There was still a lot of snow, one to two feet, from the west entrance to Old Faithful and from the Madison junction to Swan Lake, just before dropping down into the Mammoth area. Things were very slow as for wildlife. We didn't see "The Preacher", a mystic bear Daryl has told me about that I've yet to see. It is a 700 + pounder that had been spotted the day before. Anyway no such luck on opening day. Reminds me a lot of fishing on opening day, never able to catch the big one. No wonder I enjoy photography, its a lot like fishing....oh wait........I just snagged myself with my tripod.

I guess I will just have to show a bad boy from last year for now, but stay tuned, there will be more in future weeks.

My wife mentioned he needs to brush better and that my teeth will look the same if I don't start flossing (enlarge for details).

Daryl and I headed to the Lamar Valley after passing through Mammoth. Not a lot of action there either. I have to say that it pays to pull over when talking on the cell phone and driving. I got a call from a friend and I pulled into a turn out because I was afraid I would lose the call (no not because you shouldn't talk and drive - dang it). Anyway, as I was talking on the phone a grouse strutted out of the sage and bitter brush and attacked the car. I was in his territory and he was not leaving without a fight. I ended the call and looked for him but he had disappeared. I started backing up to see if he was in front of us and just out of our sight.  He reappeared and then quickly disappeared behind us. I slowly pulled forward with my window down and all of a sudden I heard a massive beating of wings. I jumped out of the car thinking I had run over and killed him. Much to my surprise he was standing next to my back tire looking at me. I walked closer and he began beating his wings again. It was then that I realized I was parked on the last inch of his tail feathers and he was stuck. Relieved I hadn't run over him and shocked that I was on his tail, I quickly jumped into the car and with my door open I slowly backed up again. He shot out like a bullet and came towards me. He was not happy I had ran over his tail and he wanted to fight. I was amazed at the bravery of this guy. Anyway I started moving away and he followed me attacking my leg and foot from behind.

This is a Dusky Grouse. He had the craziest eyebrows and could change the colors from yellow to orange or a mixture of both. Obviously didn't want me to interfere with any ladies that might be in the area.

 Here is a closer look. Can you see the anger towards me for parking on his tail in his eyes? No Fear here.

 I knelt down to talk to him and he jumped on my hand and arm and started beating me with his wings. He was still mad I had parked on his tail. Thanks to Daryl for taking this picture.


We continued on to the Lamar Valley and got skunked on bears and wolves. We did get a few buffalo shots against some cool rock backgrounds.

I was a little tired but I'm pretty sure there was a slope on this hillside. If not let's pretend there was.

Well family and friends, all three of you, that's all for the first big day of posting. Hope you visit again.