YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

We got up semi-early and headed towards Hayden Valley. We didn’t see much until we got close to Grizzly Overlook when I saw a fox that looked like it might cross the road from west to east. We went to Grizzly Overlook and got set up. A few minutes later the fox came over the hill, crossed the road and started heading along the road towards us. Then a car came from the south and the fox disappeared down a hill towards the river. We waited but it never popped back out.

As we crossed the Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge we didn’t see any ice coming down the river but it was piled up along the shore in Mary Bay and Sedge Bay. We went up to Lake Butte Overlook. We could see all the way to West Thumb. There isn’t any ice left there because it is all moving towards the Yellowstone River. I did a time lapse up there and I can see it move when I replay it. The following is one small section of the lake below Lake Butte Overlook. I love the squiggly lines in the ice. I wish I knew what caused them.

Down at the beginning of the road to the overlook there was a male dusky grouse booming and looking for a girl friend. I din’t think he found one.

We spent time looking for bears along the East Entrance Road and towards Lake but didn’t find any. It was then late enough in the day to go to La Hardy Rapids to shoot harlequin ducks. We found 13, 7 males and 6 females.

Harlequins do things a little differently than most ducks. They spend most of the year in the Pacific Ocean. But when it is time to mate and nest they move inland to rivers and streams. The harlequins at La Hardy Rapids mate at the rapids and then go too smaller creeks and streams to nest. The only place in Yellowstone where we have found them nesting is Soda Butte Creek and I have yet to see a baby harlequin.

Mating harlequin style is tough on the female because they mate in the water. The male gets on the females back and holds on to the top of her head with his bill. I guess it is good it doesn’t last very long or the poor female would drown. As it is I guess she just gets a head ache.