YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

LAMAR VALLEY

 

SODA BUTTE

Another crisp May morning (41F; 5c with lows hovering around freezing).   Awesome weather as it keeps the 'business' away.    Off to see what we can see in the fabulous Lamar Valley (east of Mammoth campground).

This 'travertine' (limestone deposited around mineral springs) formed more than a century ago.  The spring was once much larger and held much larger amounts of hydrogen sulphide gas from the hot spring.   A very fragile mound and it is illegal to climb on it or destroy any part of it.

This youngster was running around the herd and mom decides to play along then lies down.

Two magpies hitch a ride

PRONGHORNS

A pronghorn charges back to her herd

(they can run up to 60 miles per hour and long distances it reaches 30-40 miles per hour).

 Pronghorns are not antelope but are named American antelope.

The difference is, pronghorns shed their horns yearly while antelope keep theirs for life.    The Latin name, Antilocapra Americana means "American goat-antelope." 

Female

Males shed their horns in October and they have fully grown back before their territorial contests begin in spring.  A short mating season occurs in late summer/early fall. 

Females

Male

Male pronghorns have a broad black mask that runs from their eyes down their muzzle.   The horns curve in towards each other.

Herd sizes depend on the season.   During summer, females and their young gather in groups of about a dozen.   During winter, the herd will include male and female with herd ranging into the hundreds.   During winter, their diet changes from grassland to mainly sage brush and available plants.

SANDHILL CRANES

Sandhill Cranes 

They are found in several areas of North America and reach their peak abundance at migratory stopover points on the Great Plains.   In early spring they will gather in flocks over a quarter of a million on the Platte River in Nebraska, preparing for the journey north to Northern U.S., Canada, Alaska & Siberia.

This pair are busy building a nest.  Usually, cranes lay two eggs and both parents take part in incubation.   The young will leave the nest within a day after hatching.    The young remain with the parents for 9-10 months and accompany them in migration.

They winter in Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico and Mexico.

What do they feed on?

Mostly, they feed on seeds, plants, insects, mice, snakes, frogs . . . .

and crayfish

This crane picked off something from its back and brought it to the front for a better view.   

No idea if this crayfish 'climbed' it's way up the bird or how this came about.

"Get out of my nesting spot!"

COYOTE

This coyote came up along a bank, thought he was going to cross the road but find he/she is feeding on a stash of food in the bank.   

YUM - nothing like well seasoned food!

A very quick stop and off into the forest.

SLOUGH CREEK

A dirt road opens and about a mile down the road is the not yet opened Slough Creek Campgrounds.   There are 16 campsite here that usually open mid June.  All sites are reservable.

Spoke to someone living relatively close to Yellowstone who stated he has tried for four years to book into this campsite with no luck yet.

It is a prime wildlife viewing site as wolf dens and grizzly dens exist across the river, far away from people.   Also, a great fishing site. 

Here we have 'scopers.'  

They have spent the better part of the day (from 5am to 2 or 3 pm) watching wolf parents and their pups from a den across the river (the den is about 3 miles away)

Another black bear, peacefully eating (viewed from high up on the hillside)

WILDLIFE STORY:

Warning - some may not like reading these accounts so skip past this paragraph:

Some stories I've read are from years ago but tourists continue to do and say ridiculous things each and every year - especially as visitors are becoming increasingly large in numbers.

A woman asked a park ranger; "May I release my dog from his leash?"   He replied, "No, ma'am."   "Its strictly against the rules."   She complained that there are rules around everything that one wants to do in the park. He warned her of bears.

She ignored his warning and let her dog off leash before he could finish his sentence about bears.

She says, "Oh, if that's all that worries you, Von won't hurt the bears!"

Well, he ran to a black bear (mamma bear with two cubs), the bear took one swipe and the dog's back was broken.

The woman was outraged and stated, "I can't understand why such terrible beasts are allowed to run at large.   Why aren't they put in cages where the can do no harm?"

In the fifties, someone reported a long line up because of a bear and people were waiting for the bear to move along.   A young couple was noted to have placed their baby on the ground in front of a bear to get a picture.   The bear took a large bit out of the baby's head and killed the baby.   The couple was escorted to the Park entrance and instructed to never return to the Park.

ELK

A herd of elk make their way down from Mammoth Hot Sorings, through our campground frequently and over to the grasslands, down to the river.

    

Elk are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone and are an important species with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Yellowstone provides summer range for approximately 10-20,000 elk (6-7 herds) and most of which winter at lower elevations outside the park.

Of course, what photo is not complete without Canadian Geese present?   

End of post for now.  

Still have more wildlife to share but that will be next time (my favourite is the grizzly).   And, a couple more 'stupid' people incidents of which there are many!