Critters of Glacier National Park

We saw plenty of wildlife on our recent trip to Glacier.  Unfortunately they did not sit still and pose.  A better wildlife photographer than I would spend all day in a blind, camera on tripod, waiting.  Unfortunately, my tripod broke in transit and I didn't have the time needed to patiently wait.

Our most exciting encounter was with this bull moose.  It was in the grass near the dock when we got off the boat in the Many Glacier area.  Considered more dangerous than a grizzly, he was none too happy to see us.

Less threatening was this marmot we saw along the trail on our way back to the lodge.

Around Logan Pass, the goats ignored us, sharing the trails with the human hikers.

A group of rams ran across the trail and quickly moved away from human contact but still close enough for a shot of the impressive horns on this guy.

We just caught a glimpse of this bear from the bus.  It is barely good enough to see that it has the concave shaped face of a grizzly rather than the convex profile of a black bear.  While I wish it had been out in the open for a better shot I was glad I was in the bus rather than in the woods, up close and personal!

Linked to Camera Critters

Don't Feed the Wildlife!

Hubby and were headed out for an evening photo shoot when we came upon a van stopped in the middle of the lane.  What was going on?  A coyote on the side of the road.  I quickly grabbed my camera with no time to check the settings before Jules drove around the other vehicle (when will I learn to leave it in auto mode?)

This is what I found when I downloaded my images, woefully underexposed!  The camera had been in manual mode, set for much more light.  All was not lost, I was shooting in raw.

 Not the beautiful image I would have liked but good enough to make another point.  Not only had the driver stopped in the traffic lane, he was feeding the coyote and inviting it in to his van!  We then heard a woof of a different sort, a ranger pulled up behind.

The driver was pulled over at "Valley View", our first photo stop and I heard the ranger say he was giving a citation for stopping on the road but the "biggie" was the citation for feeding wildlife.  I don't know what this will cost the driver but it can be as much as $5,000.

Human food is not good for animals (much of it isn't good for humans, either).   Feeding wildlife can train them that humans are a source of food and they can become aggressive and dangerous.

Wildlife should not be fed or approached but no matter how hard rangers try, some folks just don't get the message.

See more critters at Camera Critters.

It's Turkey Time

I've been lax in my blogging, too preoccupied with the upcoming Holidays.  But this recent sighting was just too appropriate for the season to let slide by.

  Does this bird look nervous?

Actually, they seem remarkably nonchalant as they move out into the sun after hunting acorns under the oaks.  A few months ago it was easy to tell the hens from the chicks, now they are all about the same size.

See more critters at Camera Critters, hosted for us by Misty Dawn.

On the Ranch

Gone are the days when people knew where their meat came from.  The practice of factory farming has disturbed me for a long time.  When we moved to Northern California I was pleased when I found I was able to buy meat from the grower.

We were invited to a party at Coffee Pot Ranch last weekend and jumped at the chance to see how he raised his animals.  The ewes were in the pasture, getting close to lambing.

In another pasture were the cattle.  No feed lot for them, they will graze and feed on grass hay until the end. Much healthier for them and for us.  (This beef is very lean!)

Week old chicks were in the brooder.  They will be put out to pasture next month.

No factory farming of hogs, no gestation crates for the sows.  All appeared happy and content though I do wish the rancher had pasture for them too.  He says he is trying but he will need a new hog barn to give all of them access to dirt.

It's not pleasant to think about the source of our meat and I realize that most of us do not have access to nor can afford to buy meat from small producers.  My solution has been to eat very little meat and know where it comes from.

Find more critters at Camera Critters

Mega-fauna of Yellowstone

Yellowstone is more than just a collection of geothermal features, it is America's premier wildlife habitat.  Step away from the developed areas and you step into a different time and place, a place where the animals reign.

Bison are so plentiful in the park that after a while you are tempted to say, "just another bison".

There were plenty of elk, too, but only a few males presented themselves for a close up.  I would have liked some shots of the cows and calves but they didn't cooperate.

For years I have wanted to get a shot of pronghorn but they have always stayed out of reach from my lens.

The mature males were still elusive, here one was hiding behind some sage with only the back of his head and horns peeking out.

This black bear mom and cub was also hiding behind the vegetation.  I would have liked to have seen a grizzly (from a distance) but none appeared.

We did spot a wolf, though, trotting through a herd of bison.  It was quite a ways from the road, almost out of range for my lens.  It appears to have a radio collar.

We had hoped to see moose but were out of luck.  We didn't see sheep, either though if we had hiked up Mt. Wasburn we might have.  I'm not complaining, there is an amazing variety of wildlife in Yellowstone and I am pleased with what we did see.  I guess we'll just need to return.

Autumn Harvest

Enlarge these for a close-up view.

 On a recent camping trip I enjoyed watching this Chicaree or Douglas Squirrel.  I had to watch my head, though, for first he threw them on the ground.

It almost looked like he was eating corn on the cob.

He rips off the scales to get at the seeds.

Eventually he notices me watching him.

He runs off with the pine cone.  It must weigh more than the squirrel.

To see more critters, head on over to Camera Critters, hosted for us by Misty Dawn.

Watching Pika

Che Che, Pika calls

On rocky slopes he watches

Hiding in plain sight

There he goes, he's on the move.

What's this? Is it good to eat?

Smells good.

Tastes good too.

That's enough, Time to go.

I heard the Pika call while hiking but wasn't prepared to take photos, he is small and shy and I didn't have my telephoto lens.  I returned the next day, prepared to sit and watch.  This furry little creature is not a rodent as many think but related to rabbits and hares; no long tail like a mouse or rat, just a little puff of fur.
I had a good day and I hope you enjoy the results as much as I did. 

You can see more critters captured by our cameras at Camera Critters hosted for us by Misty Dawn.

Wildlife of Denali

It was time to leave Denali.  An early morning departure meant we might have some good wildlife viewing.

Denali was again wearing its white cloak.

The driver pointed out where he had seen a wolf eating its kill the previous day and there was the wolf, checking to see if anything had been left.  The carcass looked to have been picked clean.

Further down the road, this guy was along the road.  Was he licking his chops, expecting tourist for breakfast?

I didn't like the look in his eyes.

Down the road yet another wolf was hunting.  The driver said the black wolf was a member of a different pack.

Then we spotted this cow moose with her calf.

It was a challenge to get a good shot at such a distance.

Then we saw caribou.  It's amazing how they can hold up those antlers!

I think this one was scratching its chin.

A Dall sheep was just barely in view.  On the trip out of the park we saw four of the big five, only the grizzly eluded us.  As I have mentioned before, in this park the people are in cages (buses) and the animal roam free.  It makes it difficult to get great shots but I have never before been in a place that felt so wild, so real.

Then it was time to board this man-made critter.  After our six hour bus ride we still had a seven hour train ride.  Once in Anchorage we would grab a taxi to the airport for a 1:30 am plane home.  We had awoken at 5 am and would travel until 10:30 am the next day.

For more of the worlds critters, check out Camera Critters.