Crazy Eyes!
Yellowstone is full of life and endless adventures right now, providing long days of entertainment for everyone and hard work for the dedicated photographer.
Yesterday morning I got up and going bright and early, undecided which direction I would go because it is like a wildlife candy store right now. Headed into the park, forgetting to get gas, and at the turn to Lamar Valley, continued south past Mammoth Hot Springs.
On the way to Swan Lake Flats some were looking for Quad mom and her new three youngsters but it was obvious that they had not found her and so I kept going. Was hoping to beat the construction but it turns out that they are now starting earlier, at 6 a.m., going to 7 p.m. and will soon be going 24 hours a day. Well, I’ve learned to embrace my turn waiting in line as a time to collect myself, stretch, think, play solitaire on the iPad, watch the bison bull in a steamy meadow – a moment when there is nothing to do but exist.
Made it through the construction and found my friend, Sam Park, standing near Norris Campground with his camera out and checking the shots he had just taken. Now, if you are unfamiliar with this spot in the morning, the light and scenery can not be beat! Sam had decided to hang out there because his original destination was fogged in and hadn’t been there 2 minutes when a gray wolf walked by. Can you imagine!? Sounds like it was his lucky wolf. I looked but no luck for me but Sam did see it cross back over and head east. I went on.
Just before Canyon a female/nursing coyote was mousing in a snow covered field with great light on her. She was a blast to watch and photograph – drawing quite the crowd.
On I went, after filling the gas tank at Canyon, and found, “Little Girl,” the female twin of the Hayden sow, in Canyon, digging in the sagebrush. I stopped and set up, prepared for when she entered the snow field but she got close many times and then turned back the other way. After more than an hour I went on. The river was high at LeHardy Rapids and the ducks are not sitting on rocks. Went on to Lake and east of Overlook where it was reported that Raspberry was hanging out.
I have been working on photographing Raspberry for a while now, with little luck. Get photos but not good ones and yesterday was no exception. Too many heat waves for clear focus but it was fun to watch her for a couple of hours.
And then it was nap time beneath a tree at Bridge Bay.
By the time I returned to Raspberry and hopes of better light she had decided to move on.
So, back to the other side and through the construction.
At the black bears, cars and cameras lined the road and she had not been seen since one. I decided to go look for LA Sow and her new cub but didn’t find her or the Lamar Canyons. But, I did find plenty of bison in great evening light and so I hung with them for awhile and was thoroughly entertained. Turned out to be a good decision because the black bear family was a no show.
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Enjoy these fabulous photos of the bison babies!
