Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Bighorn Sheep to California Condors - WY to AZ

Bighorn Ram overlooks his domain


We traveled east into Wyoming to Flaming Gorge, then south through eastern Utah, then back west to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to find California Condors.  Here are some of the treasures of God's creation that we found.

 

Least Chipmunk

Mule Deer Family
Buckboard Cross campground

Common Nighthawks by the dozens

This one sleeping in our campsight

Sage Thrashers - abundant

Green River flowing into the Flaming Gorge


Twelve-Spotted Skimmer

Jumping Spider

Sunrise over Flaming Gorge

Osprey Family with three young!!!

Dwarf Cottontail

Golden Eagle

Pronghorn Antelope

Eastern Fence Lizard

Tower Rock in Carmel Canyon by Sheep Creek

Bighorn Sheep - Ewes and Lambs

Four Bighorn Rams resting in the shade

American Dipper

Rocks along the canyon

Woodhouse Scrub-Jay

Double Arch
Arches National Park Utah



Delicate Arch or "Cowboy Chaps"

Sacken's Bee Hunter

Beautiful landscape at Arches

Wilson's Arch

Canyonlands National Park

Huge Rock formations

Another Golden Eagle

Wooden Shoe Arch in Canyonlands

Needles at Canyonlands Southern Unit

Western Whiptail Lizard

Rock formations at the end of the road

A pair of Common Ravens seeking shade
103 degrees 

Amazing mineral patterns

Canyon Wren

Two thousand foot high Vermilion Cliffs
North Rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ

Marble Canyon on the Colorado River 
By the Navajo Bridge

Home of the California Condors

Condor with wing band
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida







Saturday, August 14, 2021

Livingston to Craters of the Moon

Smoke shrouded mountains all around Livingston

Pinion Jay flock attack peanuts

Pinion Jays - dawn visitors

Pinion Jay Fledgling food begging

House Finch

Golden Eagle walking the balance beam for gold medal

Another Golden Eagle

Mountain Bluebird 

American Kestrel scolding

Mountain Chickadee fledgling

Evening Grosbeak eating wild chokecherry

Oh what a mess, time to clean bill.

Fawns are growing fast

Tail end of our Montana visit.  We will miss family until next year.

We left Livingston and headed through West Yellowstone into Idaho.

Yellowstone elk, cows and calves

Swainson's Hawk, one of 25 that were feeding on insects in a
freshly cut grain field.

Arrived at Craters of the Moon National Monument and were
welcomed to our campsite by this Antelope Ground Squirrel

Rugged Volcanic landscape and large cinder cones


Dwarf Buckwheat takes root on volcanic ash

Limberpine Cones

Clark's Nutcrackers constantly flying overhead

Nutcracker feeds primarily on pine nuts



Volcanic cinders



Forest fire smoke enhances the sunrise

Two Fox Kits scamper across the lava beds

Fox Kit number one stops to study us

Fos Kit number two sneaks a peek

Red-shafted Flicker checks out cavity

Giant Blazing-Star

Lava flow into older crater

Say's Phoebe watching for insects

Volcanic cinders support abundant lichen growth

Lava crust collapse reveals caves and lava tubes

Mountain Bluebird

As we left Idaho, we pasted around Bear Lake with it's turquoise blue waters.

Love & Prayers,
Ty and Ida Baumann