Saturday, June 24, 2023

Livingston, Montana & Yellowstone National Park

 

We will be living at Livingston, MT for the next two months.
We love being surrounded by majestic mountain views and family.

Black-billed Magpies are everywhere, over 30 on a daily walk.

Magpie juvenile waiting to be fed

Feed me!!

Black-headed Grosbeak female

Cliff Swallow colony under Yellowstone River Bridge

Cliff Swallow, just getting started with nest construction.

Western Tanager male

Horsetail

Western Blue Flax

Cottontail Rabbit

Western Meadowlark collecting caterpillars for nestlings

Doe with small fawn Mule Deer in town

Curious fawn

White-tailed Buck in velvet

Am. Robin fledgling

Male Osprey leaves female and chicks at the nest at Sacajawea Park

Note nesting material - sticks, mitten and cap visor

Male Osprey with trout

Junior calling to Dad to bring some fish over.

Birding at the local cemetery produced calling Great Horned Owl.

Large Owlet #1 

Large Owlet #2 (Not a happy camper)

Killdeer nesting on all gravel areas

Doing a great job of drawing away from nest

House Wren

House Finch

Black-capped Chickadee

A day trip to Yellowstone National Park provides vast vistas of mountains, forests, grasslands, rivers and abundant wildlife.
Frost covered Bison as it was 28 degrees that morning.


Bison numbered in the thousands

Great calving year as the little red calves were numerous.

We visited Lamar Valley, the local Wolf pack of 5 came running down the hill, swam across the Lamar River as they saw a large flock of Ravens gathering on an Elk carcass. They scattered the Ravens and within a half hour the five wolves consummed the carcass and carried some off to feed young.

Along the Northeast entrance road is Barronette Peak that is the best plack to look for Mountain Goats. It's over a mile away and high up and a scope is needed.  See if you can find the the ewe and lamb in the center of the photo.

The Mountain peaks are still covered with snow and the blue skies reflect in the Alpine cirques.

Beartooth Peak was a landmark for early explorers for the pass through the mountains.

Robust little Pika high on Beartooth summit

This Pika responded to pishing and answered back with it's own sharp bleat call.

Alpine Forget-Me-Nots

Purple Mountain Saxifrage protruding through the snow on the 11,000 foot summit- short growing season

American Pipit on snowfield nest at this altitude along with
Horned Larks and Black Rosy-Finches.



Yellow-bellied Marmot makes their home in the rocks, one is always on sentry duty.

Magnificent sunny day reflects in the mountain cirque.

Soda Butte Creek

Brewer's Blackbirds nest in the Sage

Violet-green Swallows nesting in Cooke City.

Black Bear cubs play 

Black bear cub stands on hind legs to see where Mom is headed.

Cubs (one is cinnamon colored like mom) scamper to keep up as she heads for a drink.

Black Bear boar causes a "bear jam" as traffic was backed up on all sides.

On the way back in Paradise Valley we saw an Elk herd of 75 animals.

Bald Eagle perched along the Yellowstone River, a great way to end our
day.

God created the heavens and the earth and said "it is good". we agree!

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann







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