Posts in Category: wildlife
Yellowstone! Never Cry Wolf
Wolf: Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — This is an accidental close encounter with a wolf. I was sitting on a hillside overlooking a fresh carcass where we had been watching 2 wolves come and go…always up and down the draw across the road. There had been a whole group of people there when I arrived, but they all left and I was alone. Suddenly I heard the folks up the hill from me yelling “behind you” and by the time I got to my feet this wolf crested the ridge no more than 15 feet from me. We looked at each other, and since it was too late to do anything else, I took photos. Eventually she (I think) decided to go around me, again at a distance of about 20 feet to cross the road and get to the carcass. She picked up a good sized section of intestines and departed down the same draw as the other wolves had used. That is as close to a wolf as I want to get, and closer than I would ever have chosen to be…but I got some great shots. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Hunting
Coyote: Haden Valley, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Coming back from a lightning one day tour of the Tetons to our AirBnB in Gardiner, we found this Coyote hunting a hillside right by the road. This is the long version of the typical pounce…several yards. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Pronghorn on the ridge
Pronghorn antelope against the skyline. Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Dad, mom, and junior
Moose: Floating Island Pond, Yellowstone National Park, USA, September 2024 — In the golden light of morning we stoped for a mother moose teaching her well grown calf to feed while swimming in the waters of Floating Island Pond, watched over by the Bull. When they left the pond we had excellent views of all three as they worked their way over a small ridge into the next valley. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. (Posting tonight as we are off early tomorrow morning.)
Yellowstone! Elk on the terrace
Elk: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, September 2024 — Something you don’t see every day. A herd of elk climbing a thermal terrace. The dominant stag is driving his harem to a new feeding area. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 222mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Colorado! Bison
American Bison: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, Colorado, USA, July 2024 — The Bison herd is, of course, what draws folks to RMANWR. I have seen Bison roaming outside the Bison area of the refuge, most appear to be in the confined area…what you might call the Bison Farm, and are easy to see from the road…too often through the obstructing fencing. Still, there is no such thing as a tame Bison. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Animal subject recognition. Processed in Photomator and TouchRetouch (to remove elements of out of focus fencing).
Colorado! fawn
White-tailed Deer (fawn): Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, Colorado, USA, July 2024. We were gifted a doe and fawn White-tailed Deer feeding in the angle between a well-used cycle trail the walking trail into a pond at the RMANWR when we visited. They calmly continued to feed as we walked slowly toward them, not bothered by us or the even closer passing cyclists. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Animal subject detection. Processed in Photomator.
Colorado! Handsome and he knows it…
Mule Deer: Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, Colorado, USA, July 2024 — We took the granddaughters to RMANWR yesterday to see the Bison, and whatever else we could see. This handsome Mule Deer Buck was bedded down for the heat of the day in the shade of a cottonwood right beside the road. This is a shot from the passenger seat through the open driver’s window. Notice the antlers are still in velvet. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 172mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Animal subject recognition. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! White-tail again
White-tailed Deer: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, October 2023 — Another study of the White-tailed Deer that came out onto the marsh at Laudholm while I was waiting for the Great Blue Heron to hunt its way down to me last week. It appears to the a young doe and was certainly wary as it worked it way out deeper into the marsh and into the open. I am not sure what it was looking for. When it saw me on the deck, right in plain slight and wearing my hunter safe colors, it had second thoughts and headed back to the forest. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! White-tail
White-tailed Deer: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA, November 2023 — I spotted this Great Blue Heron (upper left and upper right in the top and bottom photos) and decided to stay on the marsh overlook deck on the back side of the wet maple forest boardwalk at Laudholm to see if it would work its way down to me…it eventually did, but while I waited for it, this lovely young doe White-tail came tentatively out of the forest, maybe looking for a a fresh water pool. I was sitting on the bench and partially blocked by the deck itself and the foreground brush, so I eventually stood up in all my hunter-safe bright yellow glory, and, of course, the deer, who was already wary out in the open, saw me and, after due consideration, decided it was time to head back into the relative safety of the forest. Watching it run through the marsh was one of the most satisfying wildlife moments I have had in a log time. White tail indeed! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications (wildlife in this case). Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.