A River Otter, relaxed and chill on a very sunny afternoon in Yellowstone last week, watched us from the edge of a pond. As we watched, it lay flat and slid through the snow. It was either playing or attempting to scratch an itch. After several minutes of frolicking, it slid into the water and swam across the pond. Then it disappeared from view into a safe hiding place on the shore.
For such a tiny bird, the adorable Oak Titmouse has a big sound. Yesterday along the Ferrari Pond Trail, we could hear a consistent chirping, the distinct call of the Oak Titmouse, long before we saw it. At the end of the trail, there it was, perched in a leafless fruit tree chattering away. With its distinctive top knot and continuous calling, it is easy to identify.
A Red-tailed Hawk has been frequenting the trees along Ferrari Pond Trail in Lincoln. It’s been there for a few weeks, off and on, not concerned about the proximity of walkers (and photographers) nearby. A couple of days ago, it perched atop a Coast Redwood Tree.
This GBH (AKA Great Blue Heron) seemed frozen in place the other morning at Angler’s Cove. Poised and alert to pounce when something passed, the bird didn’t move for at least ten minutes. I kept focused the whole time, thinking it would dip into the water and emerge with a crawfish or something else but the GBH’s attention span outlasted mine. I finally gave up and left it standing, still frozen in place.
With his perky topknot and feathers puffed up to guard against the chilly air, this California Quail perched on a bramble of blackberry vine off the Ferrari Pond Trail yesterday morning. The California Quail is California’s state bird. It wasn’t until I moved to Lincoln that I have seen this bird regularly, and not just with fleeting glances as they disappear into the shrubbery but perched, like this male, highly visible. I had never photographed a California Quail until I moved here, either. Now, I see them often and frequently get chances to photograph the males as they survey their territory.
In winter, Yellowstone National Park opens to snow coaches at 7 AM while it is still dark. On the freshly groomed roads, headlights reveal what critters may have crossed it in the night offering a tantalizing suggestion for what the day might bring. But before the morning light reveals any critters, a pullout past the 7 Mile Bridge along the Madison River offers the first glimpse of light and color that promises a great day ahead. Mist rising from the river as the cold air hits the warmer water creates a classic Yellowstone sunrise.
For me, it’s always a thrill to photograph a majestic Bald Eagle, our national symbol, especially in Yellowstone National Park, our first national park. A few days ago in Yellowstone, as we returned from a stop at the Mud Volcano and Dragon’s Mouth Spring, this mature Bald Eagle perched on the top of a dead tree just above Sulphur Caldron. We shot through the open door of the Snow Coach with an unobstructed view of the bird and with a perfect background, while the steam spewed from Sulphur Caldron completely obscuring the bird at times and then quickly revealing it again.
In winter, Coyotes and other wildlife in Yellowstone often use the groomed roads for easier travel through the park.