Day Trips - Searching for Wildlife

 

Mountain Bluebirds busily feeding young on Divide Creek Road

Milkweed in bloom

Red-tailed Hawks are more visible since young have fledged

Adult joining young as they test their wings

Savannah Sparrows are in all directions around Livingston.

Vesper Sparrow, one of the most common Sparrows observed

Yellow Warbler female protecting her territory

American Goldfinches enjoy Dandilions and Goat's Beard seeds

Sharp-shinned Hawk being harrassed by Magpies, Robins and Collared-Doves, visible from our home

White-tailed Deer getting an irrigation shower

White-tailed Buck in velvet nearly hidden in the Canola field

High jumper leads the herd in our neighborhood

Time of year for fawns..

Triplets?

or a babysitter?  Ty counted seven fawns in that yard at one time.

Dancing Red-shafted Flickers

Nuptial behavior for a second brood?

Mule Deer with twins, blending into the rocks

Keeping up with Mom

Cliffs along Mill Creek Road, rises to over 6,000 feet.

Dusky Grouse hen lays flat protecting chicks

MacGillivray's Warbler, singing but seldom seen

Beautiful gurgling stream, perfect habitat for...

American Dippers,  this one is checking under water for insects and fish.

They are amazing in that they can walk underwater in strong currents.

Butterflies are attracted to wet, sandy areas along the stream:

Silvery Blues

Weidemeyer's Admiral

Field Crescents

Western Tiger Swallowtail & Anise Swallowtail

Lazuli Buntings are always fun to hear and see.

Giant Red Indian Paintbrush in full bloom

A trip back to the Cottonwood Reservoir, we are greeted by a flock of American White Pelicans.

They begin their day of herding fish into the shallows

Then it's bottoms up as the school of fish is encircled and eaten.

Dark Morph Swainson's Hawk

Raptors utilize utility poles readily when tree perches are in short supply.

Light Morph Swainson's Hawk

Bald Eaglets area a few days away from flight.

Adult Bald Eagle still bringing in food for two hungry juveniles.

The few trees that are here are dominated by nesting raptors.

Juvenile Bald Eagle on his own.

The Willow Creek Ranch covers thousands of acres of grassland.

Herds of Pronghorn Antelope abound, note four young with the does.

Three male Pronghorns ran toward us and checked us out.

Mule Deer fawn defies gravity in it's haste to get to the dairy bar.

Twins arrive at the "Dairy Bar"

Gray Catbird in small stream area.

Pinyon Jay flock of a half dozen were feeding in canyon area.

A family of Upland Sandpipers respond to the "Wolf Whistle" of the adult.

They flew actively around us.

A surprise visit of a Long-tailed Weasel hunting for ground squirrels was our "find" of the day.

The "Ghost" male Northern Harrier was also hunting rodents.

Better duck, little ground squirrel, back into your hole, there is danger all around!

Every area, there are wonders to behold in God's creation,

We just need to look!

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏🏽

Ty & Ida Baumann

Yellowstone National Park & Grand Teton National Park

 

Our Son Troy and his wife Carmen came to visit us from Madison

Wisconsin for a week.  We spent time exploring Yellowstone National Park 

looking for wildlife and new birds.

Early on our first morning we observed this large Black Bear feeding.

He looks like he has really been chowing down.

Flocks of Sandhill Cranes were roosting in standing water at Lamar Valley.  Temps were in the 30's.

Gray Wolves were in the close hills in the background.

We headed east to Beartooth Pass, enjoying the beautiful reflection on Beartooth Lake.

Pleasant surprise of the day was three large Grizzly Bears feeding near the road.

Watch them forage by turning over rocks.

A Sow and here two grown cubs.

Silver Tip pelage was evident on two of the bears.

We all stayed in the vehicle and out of harms way.

Beartooth Pass is at 10,947 feet with lots of snow and a very cold wind.

On sun exposed areas  Golden mantled Ground Squirrels and....

Least Chipmunks were begging for visitor handouts.

Rock Wren

Cinnamon Black Bear, one of the many bears spotted.

Large Bull Bison welcomed visitors to the Hydrothermal features in the Old Faithful Geyser Basin.

Old Faithful on stand-by, along with the hundreds of people waiting.

Getting ready, water starting to bubble..

Thar She Blows,  

Minutes later, the Beehive Geyser erupts even higher and noisier.

Carmen & Troy enjoying the experience.

Blue Hot Spring

Another colorful Hot Spring

Old Faithful Inn, that was built in 1903,  

Last day in, we decided to go south to the Grand Tetons in hopes of locating Moose for their wildlife target list.

Trumpeter Swans

Cinnamon Teal

Trio of River Otters on the Snake River

Otters checking us out, people watching.

Common Merganser on take off

Do we have life off?

Destination to join the loafing drakes in the shade, while the hens are off nesting.

A stop at a likely moose habitat was successful!

Carmen spotted this large cow feeding on willow.

She wasn't alone - twin calves came out of the brush with her

Hey Mom!  Who is that looking at us!

Fun watching them feeding and drinking

A bird all four of us were hoping to see, Canada Jay!

Of course it was at the picnic area, Also known as Camp Robbers, &Whiskey Jacks always looking for a handout.

Checking out the picnic table.

Reflections of the Grand Tetons help us to reflect on the wonderful week we had together.

We enjoyed God's creation and variety of wildlife.

Troy & Carmen ended up with 139 birds for the trip and 26 life birds.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏🏽

Ty & Ida Baumann