Most of the Bighorn I have seen this season so far look pretty rough as they shed their winter coats and their summer coats begin to fill in. This pretty lady though looked quite nice and almost seemed to revel in having her picture taken. Best of all, she came right by my truck so I was able to stay nice and warm which was welcome after spending a couple of hours exposed to temperatures in the mid-30s and nasty wind at 14,000+ foot altitude. 😉
An athletic push off and launch
Looking much like a professional swimmer leaping off the side of the pool, this Bald Eagle launches itself into the air from its perch. Kind of a fun picture that showcases the power and size of these incredible raptors.
All of the little ones at the nest sites I visit have fledged and the families are now spreading out and becoming a bit more difficult to find. Come the fall though, the seasonal visitors will return and I am already anxiously awaiting the time.
Portrait of a regal Bald Eagle
Striking the quintessential pose, this majestic male seemed to know he was top dog and loving all the attention he was getting. Taken back in February at St. Vrain State Park, Colorado, I was fortunate enough to spend more than an hour observing him before he finally got bored with me and moved on.
Big mama Grizzly Bear out for a morning walk
I tried hard to find Grizzly Bears while on my trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons but this was the only encounter I had.
Out early one morning, I spot a sow and her two year old offspring as they wandered through a small meadow. Unfortunately, not long after I arrived, so too did some rather noisy tourists and the bears opted to head off immediately.
It was very early and heavily overcast so the light was horrible and as a result, the pictures are not the best. Nevertheless, seeing one of these massive creatures is always a thrill and something I cherish.
Taken in the Pacific Creek area of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
A very naughty fox
Coming down Mount Evans, Colorado I came across this foxy lady. She was going down the middle of the road and when cars would slow, she would walk right up to them. It was clear she had learned some bad habits about begging for food and the tourists were probably all too happy to oblige. There was a house right around the corner so it could be the locals are feeding the problem as well. I didn’t feed her of course but I did take advantage of the photo op.
Please, don’t ever feed wildlife, no matter how much they beg or how much you think it looks like they might need it. You are endangering them and habituating them to going to humans for their basic needs.
Yellowstone’s impressive Lower Falls
Plunging just over 300 feet – nearly twice as high as Niagra Falls – the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park is nothing less than amazing. With lots of snowmelt following a very wet winter and recent rains, it was even more so during our visit a couple of weeks ago. Fed by the Yellowstone River, it is the largest volume waterfall in the Rocky Mountains. From this spot, the waters then enter the 20-mile-long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which at more than 1,000 feet high is astounding unto itself.
Brave little Burrowing Owl
There seems to have been a bumper crop of little owlets at many of the nest sites this year. One even had as many as NINE little ones! At one nearby, there were five. Here, one of the parents, probably seeking a break from all those hungry mouths, decided it would rather hang out on a roadside sign post than at home. Not a very safe thing to do but I can sympathize. 😉
Mountain Goat kid relaxes on the road
It is tough work living above timberline. The weather conditions are harsh, even in the summer, and climbing all those rocks can be tiring.
This relatively newborn lamb decided to take a break and soak in the morning sun near the top of Colorado’s 14,000+ foot high Mount Evans. This was my first trip of the season to the iconic mountain and it was fun as always.
The weather was pretty typical – 34 degrees and 40 mph winds – so it was a challenge but the rewards made it worthwhile.
Mountain Goats have a native range stretching from southern Alaska to the Rocky Mountains. The populations here in Colorado where I live are actually non-native, having been brought here in the middle of the 20th century as a tourist attraction.
Wildflowers and the Tetons
The weather during my trip to Grand Teton National Park wasn’t ideal with quite a bit of rain and a good bit of cloud cover whether it was raining or not. Nevertheless, there were times those clouds really helped pictures and added drama. Such was the case with this image. The blooming wildflowers dominate the foreground with the snow-covered mountain peaks in the background. Above, the mostly cloudy skies added some drama.
Marmot Monday brings a posing groundhog
My first pictures of one of these little guys this season. I had a great photo trip Saturday that took me to the top of the 14,130-foot-high Mount Evans. The wildlife was abundant and active, including this guy that almost seemed to be auditioning for a photo shoot. It gave me a number of great poses, including this one with a somewhat coy look on its face. Very cute!
Sometimes called a ‘rock chuck’, Yellow-bellied Marmots are actually members of the squirrel family. They are found above 6,500 feet in grassland, meadows and talus fields. Here in Colorado you are most likely to spot them above timberline sunning themselves on rocks.