Posts in Category: animals
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.
Yellowstone! Bugler
Elk: Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, USA — a large herd of Elk have taken up residence right in downtown Mammoth Hot Springs, on the lawns and the central green and around the thermal terraces. This is the patriarch of the herd, bugling his dominance in the early morning light while the sun is still only on the tops of the mountains. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm. Close to full frame though we kept a respectful distance. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Little Red Vacuum Cleaner
Red Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2024 — A little Red Squirrel has been visiting our back deck, cleaning up the seed the birds spill under the feeders, for the past few days. It is not the same Red Squirrel we have seen in the past. This one does not have the notched and worn ears of our previous visitor. It might be a young squirrel, one from this year’s litter. It has that factory fresh look about it. They are so cute, and so troublesome…though the worst they have done to us so far is attempt to get more seed than the birds spill. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 334 and 600mm equivalents. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
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.
Colorado! Centennial Hare
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit: Centennial, Colorado, USA, July 2024 — Centennial is home to a variable population of Eastern Cottontail…despite my fanciful title. Last year at this time they were everywhere…on lawns, in parks around schools, in the medians of suburban streets. This year we have seen only two, but this one was right in the little lawn patches of the culdesac where my daughter lives in the late afternoon. My granddaughter came running to find me because it was actually in the front yard patch of her house, but it had moved a yard over by the time I got there with my camera. Still, a very cooperative rabbit. She wanted to get it a carrot, but grandpa said no. It deserved a carrot, but that is the way bad habits are formed…both in rabbits and granddaughters. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds and wildlife modifications. Animal subject detection. Processed in Photomator.