Yellowstone 2021 - Part 4

 One morning after a light snow, we felt that this scene with the old officer's quarters in the Fort Yellowstone complex in Mammoth Hot Springs was quite pretty.

Rustic Falls on the Gardner River south of Mammoth Hot Springs

We made another stop at Sheepeater Cliffs again hoping to see Pikas, but only found chipmunks, ground squirrels and one Marmot.

One morning on the way to the Lamar Valley, we found many cars and people stopped by the bridge over the Yellowstone River.  It turned out there was a Black Bear feeding near the river directly below the bridge.

A couple of "red dogs" scampering near their mothers

This trip was the first time we spotted Sandhill Cranes in the park.

One morning as we got to the bridge over the Lamar Valley, there was a carcass near the road.  There were a couple of wolves hanging nearby and would occasionally sneak down to the carcass to feed off of it.

Our lunch spot later that day near the confluence of Soda Butte Creek with the Lamar River

A bee foraging at our lunch spot

Yellowstone 2021 - Part 3

 We sometimes made the drive from Gardiner to Cooke City.  We often stopped as we passed Baronette Peak to look for Mountain Goats.  On this stop we noticed the large overhanging cornice at the top of the peak.

The weather had been warmer and the melting patches of snow and ice were creating waterfalls all over the cliffs of the peak ...

... including behind an existing frozen fall.

Another look at the Lamar Valley Osprey nest

One place we stopped at several times was along the Slough Creek Road to check for activity at a wolf den currently used by a female (known as 907F) of the Junction Butte Pack.  But viewing is challenging, because according to Google Earth, the den is about 1.1 miles from our favorite viewing location.

 

Even with a spotting scope, the effects of wind and heat waves made viewing difficult. Here is a very short video of mom 907F at the den entrance.

 

 

Stopping at another "animal jam" we were able to watch this Black Bear sow with two little first year cubs.

Undine Falls

Yellowstone 2021 - Part 2

Another day we stopped at the Sheepeater Cliffs to look for Pikas.  We did not see any Pikas, but we spotted four Yellow-bellied Marmots, which is an animal we had not seen at this location before.

Back in the Lamar Valley, we spotted these coyotes feeding on a carcass which was hidden in the sagebrush.

Heading back towards Gardiner, we found many cars parked and people out watching something.  It turned out to be a carcass on the hillside that various animals had been feeding on.  We were told that wolves had been seen earlier, but when we arrived, a Black Bear was feeding there while ravens waited for a chance.

The bear soon left and the rangers stopped traffic as it wanted to cross the road.

After the bear left, a group of coyotes came to claim their turn.

A Mountain Bluebird (very distant)

As we drove around the park, we saw increasing numbers of recently born bison calves, which are nicknamed "Red Dogs".

A Mule Deer used to traffic along the road

Back at the carcass hidden in the sagebrush, there were a few wolves that had been feeding there.  They were very wary of the people watching from along the road that they wanted to cross.

Lamar Valley panorama

Yellowstone 2021 - Part 1

 We spent the first two weeks of May based in Gardiner, Montana, to visit the northern part of Yellowstone National Park, especially looking for wildlife in the Lamar Valley.  Below are some random images from our first drive into the park.

Osprey and nest at west end of the Lamar Valley

Coyotes seemingly indifferent to either the bison or the cars

Red-tailed Hawk

Along the highway in the north-east corner of the park is a place named Ice Box Canyon.   We had driven by it in the fall and wondered why it had that name, but visiting in early May, it became clear.

In the north-east corner of the park is Baronette Peak.  Mountain Goats are frequently spotted on the steep walls of this mountain.

A few miles out the north-east entrance to the park are the small towns of Silver Gate and Cooke City.  Here are a couple images of Cooke City emerging from the winter snow in early May.

Staged at the end of town was one of the snow plows that was about to be put into use for the major effort to clear the Beartooth Highway.

This machine was equipped with some serious traction chains!

One of many Pronghorns we saw

A Black Bear feeding right next to the road

(a quick shot out the car window, as rangers were not allowing stopping).

Beautiful country