Yellowstone 2020 - Part 6

 For the first part of our visit, we avoided the thermal basins because of the crowds.  We usually saw the parking lots packed with overflow parking along the main roads.  We finally decided to try to visit the Norris Geyser Basin shortly after dawn.

When we arrived, the parking lot looked very promising.

The view down across the basin

A few images from the boardwalk trail

Thermophilic algae and bacteria colonies color the water channels.

In previous years we have seen hats blown out of reach in the thermal areas by sudden gusts of wind.

This year we saw very different headwear.

Steamboat Geyser is the worlds tallest active geyser, capable of eruptions over 300 feet.

We spent some time watching a couple of minor eruptions.  Several people had chairs and blankets for long term watching.  There had been a major eruption a few days before and people were hoping to catch the next one.  It finally came three days after we had been there.

When we left, the parking lot reflected the number of people we were seeing on the trails.

Yellowstone 2020 - Part 5

 Yellowstone National Park has a substantial population of American Bison (aka buffalo), with herds frequently seen in the Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley and near Lower Geyser Basin.

 

 

The bison seem to often claim the roadways as theirs and are a frequent cause of traffic jams.

Bison are often seen rolling in the dirt for a dust bath.  Barely visible in this dust cloud is a "bathing" bison.

Sometimes we see "hitchhikers" on the backs of the bison.

European Starlings like to hunt for insects in their fur.

This bull had just swum across the Yellowstone River and was shaking off water very much like a dog.

These two young bulls appeared to be practicing head butting.

 

Yellowstone 2020 - Part 4

In the northwest park of the park is an area named Sheepeater Cliffs.

In the rocks below this eroding cliff of basaltic columns we often spot one of our favorite small mammals, the extremely cute Pika.  This high altitude dweller is a relative of rabbits.

Other animals we have often seen around the park are coyotes out hunting.  We sometimes encountered people who had mistaken them for wolves.

Yellowstone 2020 - Part 3

 A few miles south of Mammoth Hot Springs is a small lake aptly named Swan Lake.  We often see at least one pair of Trumpeter Swans somewhere on the lake, but usually far out on the water.

One morning as we came by the lake we noticed a pair of swans near the shore not far from the parking area.  As we approached, they did not appear to be much affected by a few people standing along the shore observing them.

"What pose do you want?"

 "How about my eagle imitation?"

Those long necks are handy.

Swans are also sometimes found on the Firehole River near the Lower Geyser Basin.

A very inelegant pose for an elegant bird

Swans are frequently seen on the Yellowstone River in the Hayden Valley.  We learned that these nearly grown cygnets had been hatched and raised in captivity and recently released on the Yellowstone River.

Another morning at Swan Lake we found the pair of swans sleeping together next to the near shore.

 

Yellowstone 2020 - Part 2

 In the first couple of days of this visit, we heard that wolf pups from a den in the Slough Creek area had been taken to a rendezvous area to the east in the Lamar Valley.  It seems that the entire Junction Butte Pack had gathered in this location with about 34 members, including 18 pups and several  yearlings.  Unfortunately, this area is roughly a mile across the Lamar Valley from where we can park along the road.  Even with our spotting scope, they were hard to see.  Then we heard that the wolves had taken down a bison and the carcass was much closer on the near side of the Lamar River.  We headed out very early the next morning to set up to view the carcass site about 1/4 mile away as dawn was breaking.

A coyote was also out in the same area

Taken with Barbara's iPhone on the spotting scope

Here is a short video from the carcass site

Here are a couple of poor quality videos of the pups at the distant rendezvous site.