YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

Well, here in Yellowstone, we continue to experience the elusive nature of the wild wolves.  Although a few lucky visitors, here and there, have been very fortunate, such as when 911 visited the elk carcass that I found the other morning.  Apparently he chased coyotes, fed and walked down the road.  Meanwhile, further east, the Junction Buttes tore across the road near the ranch, chasing a cow elk.  And, even further east, the Lamar Canyons made a road crossing.  None of that while I was around and all in one day!

That is the way things go, feast or famine.  Yesterday, the Prospect Peak had moved way east, well out of their territory and were out of sight.  The Junctions were visible fairly close for a few moments and then headed for the trees and the mountain tops where their silhouettes stood out in the white snow while they chased some big horns around.  Laurie saw one big horn get caught in an avalanche and do a free fall, landing on its feet.

Me, I have bits and pieces caught over the days.  This beautiful bull elk was sleeping near the road for a couple of days in a row, as were some others around the park.  Not very smart of them because the poachers seem to be out as they found one bull with his antlers cut off.  They did an autopsy but I have  not heard if he was shot or possibly hit by a car and some opportunists came alone.  Sad that this happens in Yellowstone.  But, then everyday I see the hunters glassing the park, looking for their next target.  They see Yellowstone as their game farm, nothing more.

So, yesterday, with very little chance of seeing the wolves, I was going to head home early but decided to take a long, wonderful hike instead.  For some reason I thought that the snow was negligible and that walking through it would not be a problem, but add big snow boots and it made for a strenuous hike.  Strenuous for me anyway.  I carried with me, one camera with an 80-200 lens, binoculars, bear spray, glasses and iPhone, nothing more.

I struck out up Tower road, following the tracks of several wolves, coyotes, foxes and a few people.  Even found some cat tracks, large and small.  But, what took me by surprise was the fresh grizzly tracks.  Kind of exciting, the mystery of it all but I was certainly glad to have bear spray with me.  I followed the bruin’s tracks until they left the road and surmised that he was heading down to the Yellowstone River where there was probably a carcass.  May a big horn pushed off a cliff, maybe an elk that was chased up the river.  Not sure why all of the wolves are concentrating on this area because the elk are thick throughout the northern range of the park.

My plan was none, maybe hike to Rainy Lake, which seemed likely with the tough going.  But, for some reason I trudged all of the way to Calcite.  I dared not go further because of being told that the wolves were near Tower and I did not want to disturb them.  But, Calcite was plenty far and the views were breathtaking.

As I hiked along there was a persistent pecking close by.  I stopped to look and there was a three-toed woodpecker on a tree not 15′ from me.  Would have loved to have my big lens for some close-ups of this bird but as it was he was cooperative enough for my shorter lens and so instead of close, I got some environment also.

And a few that I could crop in.

And, he even let me get a little closer, so between cropping and that, I got to see more of the beautiful details of this bird.

The truth is that I thought perhaps it was an immature Downy – I know very few birds – but was confused by the orange cap.  And so I came home and looked at images of woodpeckers found in Yellowstone and the only one that matched was the Three-Toed but I thought it had more toes than that, until zooming in.  I remembered my friend, Judy, saying that they were a rare find, so I was pretty excited.

After the hike there was still plenty of daylight but nothing happening. Wolves still out of sight or a long ways off.  I did see the most beautiful of coyotes on the Blacktail and almost think it could be a coy wolf, looking at the scruff around its neck, the color of its coat, its size and slightly wider face.  Maybe – he sure acted and moved more wolf like than coyote.

Look at those eyes – there is something different about this guy.

And, nearly out of the park I discovered that the big boys with their full curls are finally out and about.  There was a standoff on the rock and I waited to see who would budge but it was getting too dark and so I budged before they did.