YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

Warm day in yellowstone, after a day of snow fall yesterday.  Been some crazy winter weather with not enough snow and very few very cold days.  Nice for standing out taking photos but not great for tracking animals and for their hunting.  But, we take what we can get around here.

There were no wolves seen by the time I left at around 1.  None!  People out looking but not even a lot as far as signals.  JBs on Specimen and 965 somewhere on the Blacktail.

I was okay with no wolves because it gave me time to explore.  Spent quite a bit of time around Round Prairie, watching 4 coyotes and what looks to be an old bison.  Checked tracks and looked for ermine and pine marten but no go.

That was about the time I decided to go on home and take advantage of a slow day in the park to get work done.

And then I found Amy at the Confluence, photographing a golden eagle.  I could see the coyote walking off, which is why I stopped but had it not been for that, I would have kept going.  Would have figured that it was just the big horns.

The eagle was on a lamb carcass – probably a kill by the coyotes because there were no wolves in that area today.

It was nice to have a chance to photograph the golden on the carcass but I had to move around a bit to find a spot where I could see the eagle well but not the carcass so much.  And, the magpies bugging the eagle were fun also.  But, all of that would have gotten old quickly if not for a second golden coming in to mix things up with some interaction.

The male was on the carcass and it was the female that came in.

The female was patient but it was fun watching the male spread his wings over the food in an attempt to keep it all to himself.

He wasn’t being very nice to the missus.

The magpie is rooting for her and she is questioning his sanity.

This is about the time he decides it is best to leave.

So, she gets the carcass to herself for a little while, until the coyote decides to come back in.

And, she flies away.

Mr. Coyote fed for quite awhile before Mrs. Coyote came in to feed also.  She fed for awhile and then made off with her prize, the head.  He later left, after running back to run the eagle away again, with a bone of his own.  He tried to cross the river where the ice was breaking and nearly got stuck but made his way back.

The eagles went back in and left and went back in.  I decided it was time to go.

There were moose in Soda Butte Valley and a lot of nice bull elk milling about.  The bison carcass at Slough is pretty much done for.

Let’s hope the wolves come back soon!