by Judy Lehmberg, BioPics Photography, www.vernelehmberg.com (25% off sale of all photos for a limited time if you use the code “4000likes” without the quotation marks)
I am working on a movie about what the introduction of lake trout has done to the Yellowstone cutthroat population in Yellowstone Lake and its tributaries so many days when we head out in the morning we have a particular goal of what we need to film. Yesterday was one of those days. We needed to go to the upper Yellowstone River and film trout going back up La Hardy Rapids after spawning.
We decided to go the Mammoth to Norris route because it was Saturday and the road construction wouldn’t be going on. Well we were wrong about that but before we discovered they were working we found a grizzly sow at the south end of Swan Lake Flats.
I am fairly certain I have not seen this grizzly before so if anyone has any ideas who she is I would love to hear from you. We stopped to photograph her and quickly discovered she had a cub. The sage was so tall the little one was almost invisible until he stood up.
She and her cub were wandering through the sage as she dug for roots and tubers. Occasionally the cub stood up to see what was going on. Once she did too. It was early morning but a small crowd began to gather. The bears remained unconcerned. Two very nice rangers appeared and thought the bears may want to cross the road. They were right. We waited about 15 minutes after they crossed the road and disappeared into some trees, hoping they might reappear in the nearby sage but we never saw them again.
We went on to the Yellowstone River and found a rising fish to film near Cascade Picnic Area. (More on that later.) We filmed them for about an hour when I finally realized ravens had been raucously calling near the picnic area for a long time. I went over to investigate and found 3 newly fledged raven chicks calling Mom and Dad for their lunch. They spent a lot of time, and energy, calling and fluttering their wings. Instead of looking helpless they looked like full grown ravens that could get their own lunch, but they knew their parents would bring it to them so they just sat there and looked forlorn.
We finally got to La Hardy Rapids but never saw a fish try to jump the rapids.
I loved the picture of Mama bear standing with her cub ! You really have some nice pictures. My heart is never far from Yellowstone and these pictures and stories keep me close.
Great photos and story, Judy. I love the bear photos,and those really are some forlorn looking young ravens.
Thank you Kitty. I guess I should have posted a photo of the ravens when they were calling. Then you would have thought they looked like pushy brats.
I wonder if this is the sow and cub I saw above the lakes two days after seeing Quad mom with two. This makes me think that she could still have the two cubs – which would be great and it would make her super mom of the year.
Was the construction going on? I was going to go to LeHardy but am glad that I did not. Another great story.
I am hanging on to that thought Deby because I so want Quad Mom to still have 2 babies. I know for a fact this bear is not Quad Mom. In the past Quad Mom has disappeared from frequent sightings as soon as the baby elk got big enough to run fast, so I am hoping that is what she has done this year.
The construction was going on both Sat. and Sun. but only on the new bridge going over the Gardiner. We went right through both mornings but had to wait over 45 minutes Sat. evening.
Judy wonderful photos. I especially like the one with the cub standing in front of mama. The cub is looking up as if saying, “Where to now Mama.” I showed the photo to my daughter and she noticed how big the paws and claws are on Mama. Thank You for sharing your adventures.
Thank you Barbara! Would you like to be my official translator for what the animals are saying? I really like yours and I am no good at it.