I’m starting to experiment with the slow motion video feature on my Canon R5. Slow motion video on this camera has no sound which is both a good and bad thing depending on the situation. I’ve taken several videos of a few different species and find that it is interesting to see details of what they are doing that my eye alone sometimes misses. I’ve also discovered it can be a very long video clip if the animal isn’t doing anything particularly noteworthy. So, here are a couple of clips that may fall somewhere in between those two criteria (viedos are best viewed full screen).
One afternoon I crawled down near the Lamar River as a group of Barrow’s goldeneyes were diving to feed (they primarily eat aquatic invertebrates). They typically stay underwater for less than 30 seconds and this section of the river is fairly shallow so it may even be less here. They moved back and forth across the river as a group until another person came over to the edge of the road near me and the birds slowly moved away.
Their feeding behavior is like a graceful dance with water droplets and the splashes behind them adding to the beauty.
This next clip was taken along the Old Yellowstone Trail, a dirt road that parallels the main highway into Gardiner on the other side of the river. It is a great place to see pronghorn, elk, deer, and bighorn sheep, especially in winter. Any time I take trash out to the dump I always drive a few extra miles and cross over the river to take this road back to town. You just never know what you might see. On this particular trip, I pulled over to watch several pronghorn feeding on the very short grass out on the flats next to the road. To my surprise, a few of these elegant animals decided to walk towards my truck and start browsing on a row of sagebrush shrubs less than 20 feet from where I was parked. I took some video at the normal rate and their feeding action is quite rapid with many pulls at the shrub in quick succession before pausing to chew their cud. Slowed down, you can see how precise this doe is in pulling the tips of the branches. And then you get that long pause while she chews on it for a bit while keeping a pair of huge wary eyes on this thing huddled in a huge chunk of metal near her dining room.
Looking forward to filming additional behaviors (hopefully a bit more action-oriented) in slow motion as spring and summer bring new life to the landscape of Yellowstone.
Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude.
~Louie Schwartzberg
I had a couple of spinal injections this past week so I was taking it easy this weekend. Melissa and a friend went on a hike for a few hours but I decided to not strain the ol’ back and went for a drive across the northern range. It was a beautiful day (too warm for this time of year, but mostly clear skies). Wolf watchers were busy climbing hills in Lamar Valley to see the Junction Butte wolf pack but I decided to stay closer to the road. I was rewarded with the usual suspects – 5 moose, lots of bison, some elk and mule deer, and plenty of canid action from the other two species of park “dogs”.
I spent about an hour with the predictable red fox at Pebble Creek. He (I think it is a he, but not sure) makes the rounds most days and checks out the picnic tables at Pebble Creek for scraps dropped by careless humans. He then wanders over to the dumpster just in case. He is a bit too comfortable around humans but has not in my experience crossed the line yet to direct begging (something some other foxes unfortunately have learned in this part of the park).
Red fox at Pebble Creek (click photos to enlarge)
I normally don’t like to spend time watching wildlife with a crowd but the fox was so beautiful in the snow I decided to just stand next to the car and watch him for a bit. Once he got away from the picnic tables he was acting more like a fox should and was offering some nice opportunities for photos.
Standing up on the road looking down at the fox and his track trail. Notice the foot drag mark in the snow as the fox pulls each paw out of the snow going forward.
It was neat watching the fox trot effortlessly on the snow surface. A couple of people stepped out onto the snow for a closer view and sank a foot or more. Advantage fox.
Curled up in the snow.
The fox rotted up a wooded slope and bedded down for a nap. As most dogs do, it had to find just the right spot by occasionally getting up and turning around before plopping back down. This circling behavior probably serves several functions – flattening the space to make it more comfortable; one last check for potential threats (those pesky humans) before laying down, and maybe by creating a tight bed-like bowl in the snow it can help retain body heat. As often happens, the fox did something cool before I positioned the camera on the tripod…it rolled over and accidentally slid about 20 feet down the slope on the snow. It then jumped up, looked around (you didn’t see that , did you?) and climbed back up to its nap spot.
I left the fox and continued homeward passing through a few bison jams on the way. Near Junction Butte I spotted a woman off in the woods with her phone pointed up the hill. I pulled over and went back as she was headed to her car. That is when I saw the object of her photos – a coyote laying in the snow. The woman drove off leaving me and the coyote alone.
Coyote taking a break on the snow
I stayed in the car and watched as it looked around, gave a head scratch or two, and finally got up and stretched. I slipped out of the car to put the camera on the tripod since it was getting late and the light was fading fast.
The coyote pounced with its paws a couple of times as I was setting up the tripod (naturally, they never wait until I’m ready) without success. It then turned, and to my surprise, headed straight toward me. There was no one else around and I was standing behind the car as the coyote came down to the road and crossed about 40 feet from me giving me one glance as it neared the pavement.
Coyote glances my way as it is about to cross the road
Now down in a meadow below the road, the coyote uncovered what looked like a chunk of bone and started chewing on it. After about a minute, it dropped it and wandered over to a boulder and took a seat.
The coyote surveying its domain from a boulder throne
About that time a car drove up and a couple of people got out. The coyote looked our way and trotted off. I headed home after enjoying some time with a couple of Yellowstone canids. Watching them do their thing is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
In mythic systems from other parts of the world, the fox may guide a young person from one phase of life to another.
~Martin Wallen
One of my favorite animal species to see in winter is the red fox. They are masters of mousing and I have a goal of getting some good photos or videos of one doing that in deep snow. But this winter is not cooperating as we are way below normal snow levels in much of the park. We did have an early snow back at the end of October and we took a road trip down to Hayden Valley right before the roads to the interior closed for the winter season (typically the first of November through some time in April depending on snow levels). Visitation is down that time of year but there were some die-hard wildlife watchers in pursuit of great gray owls and ermine that had been seen in recent days in that region. We also looked for great grays and got lucky the next evening as I posted back in November.
As we were driving near Mud Volcano, we spotted a red fox out in the sage and grasses of a roadside meadow. It was slowly going along listening and hunting. There was only about 2 to 3 inches of snow on the ground so no classic head dive jumps were in order, but we pulled over to watch anyway.
Red fox hunting in meadow (click photos to enlarge)
The fox walked slowly and stopped, head tilting a bit from side to side. It saw or heard something just ahead.
A leap focused on something in the grass aheadThe fox splays out on the snow but comes up empty this time
That leap was a miss. We continued watching as the fox meandered around the meadow. It did catch a small rodent on the next leap but it was in some taller sagebrush so we couldn’t tell what it was for sure.
This was a successful leap
We had parked on a side road leading to a picnic area. I was out of the car watching the fox when it disappeared behind a line of trees between me and the meadow. Suddenly the fox appeared close and was walking straight toward us. I crouched and the fox continued on, crossing some deadfall along the drive.
The fox crossed a downed log right next to the pavement and only about 10 yards from where I sat.
It turned and walked down the road a bit and then hunkered and deposited some scat in the road (perhaps making some statement about our proximity?). Well, it’s not often you get to look at fresh scat so after the fox trotted away we walked over and, of course, took a photo (don’t worry, we usually don’t have this on the itinerary for guests).
The fox making a statementField guides describe red fox scat as 3 to 4 inches in length, tubular, and tapered to a distinct point at one or both ends. I”d have to agree.
It turns out they usually deposit scat at trail intersections or other prominent spots to mark their territory so maybe he just wanted us to know this meadow was his. The fox wandered back into the field and then came back towards the main road walking along a fallen log and pausing to look around.
Surveying from a vantage point
After crossing the main road the fox had another successful leap that was hidden from our view by trees. Next thing we know it comes trotting down the main road carrying a rodent.
Fox trotting past us on the road carrying its prize (photo by Melissa Dowland)
Then it did something that we felt privileged to witness…it cached this prize in the shallow snow right next to road about 25 yards from us. After dropping the rodent, the fox stuck its nose in the snow in a couple of places and then pushed snow aside, picked up the prey and dropped it in place. It then pushed snow over it with its nose and trotted off down the road.
The fox burying its prey in the snow
We debated for a second and then decided to go check it out. We wanted to know what the fox had caught. After looking at the general area where we thought the prey was cached, we started lightly digging in the snow (it was only a few inches deep) and Melissa found it. It looked like a montane vole, probably one of the most abundant rodents in the park and a very important prey item for all sorts of predators from canids to weasels to raptors.
The buried prey item was a vole
Voles are active year round and have tunnels beneath the snow (the subnivean zone) where they travel and feed. This year’s unusually shallow snow depths probably puts them at a disadvantage both in terns of risk from predators and extremes of temperature (the normal snow depth has an insulating effect and their subnivean habitat is maintained at a relatively constant 32 degrees). We reburied the vole in the same spot and drove home. The next day we drove back and decided to check and see if the fox had returned for its prize. I have been curious as to how long they might leave a cache and if they generally find all of them. After a little searching we found the vole still buried. I had to wonder if our scent might deter the fox from returning or did it just not come back. We’ll never know.
I’ve had a couple of other encounters with foxes this winter so here are a few more photos of these small elegant carnivores.
This fox has been regularly patrolling the picnic site at Pebble Creek. From my encounters with it, it doesn’t seem to be a beggar like some of those closer to Silver Gate, but it routinely stops by the Pebble Creek site to check the picnic tables (yes, soe people eat their lunch here in the snow) and dumpster for scraps.
On a January trip into the interior via snow coach our group spotted a red fox in Hayden Valley. The first glance was of it doing an impressive leap and head-first dive into the snow after a rodent (most in our coach saw it but I was in the back and missed that). We stopped and got out and watched as the fox continued on in a sea of snow, its fluid form jumping off the white canvas. This is the essence of the fox, a delicate ghost that adds a splash of color and mystery to a beautiful winter scene.
Our Hayden Valley fox moving across its snowy hillside homeThe fox seemed to ignore us as it moved across the hillsideBe like the fox…confident in your abilities, resourceful, and adaptable in your surroundings.
Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their attitudes.
~E.F. Schumacher
We are having a very strange winter here. Yesterday (and this is early February mind you) we had a high of 53 degrees, very spring-like. It had me thinking about our home in North Carolina and the woods and abundant wildlife.on our 14 acres. To add to that, I received our copy of the new field guide to the Moths of Western North America in the mail. It is a beautiful book and I quickly paged through looking for some of our “old friends” from our mothing nights back East. I was disappointed to see that we may only have one slug moth in this region. The slug moths are one of our favorites, at least their caterpillars are. So many bizarre and beautiful larvae like saddlebacks, crown slugs, and spun glass slugs. It made me a bit sad thinking about all those creatures we no longer see on a regular basis.
But then I thought about the day I had just had. A typical day of doing chores and running errands. It included making the 10-minute run out to the dump/recycle center a few miles out of town. I often drive back along the Old Yellowstone Trail on the opposite side of the river just to see what I might see. Much of this gravel road runs along the boundary of the park and ends up at the Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner. In winter, you typically see groups of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope grazing in the flats along the road. That’s when I was reminded about what a special place this really is…I was driving past about 50 bighorn sheep and close to 75 pronghorns all within a couple of miles of our house (not to mention the mule deer and elk walking in the streets of town as I left the house).
As I was reflecting on this amazing landscape we now call home, I saw it – the silhouette of a large bird sitting on a rock on the hill ahead. I thought, no way, an eagle? I had brought my camera in hopes of seeing an eagle along the river as I drove out on the main highway but had come up empty. I had never seen an eagle along this stretch of road as there are no large trees and this road pulls away from the Yellowstone River shortly after you cross the bridge from the main highway. The drove up the hill and, sure enough, it was a bald eagle.
A bald eagle perched on a rock along the Old Yellowstone Trail (click photos to enlarge)
When I stopped, the eagle glared at me with those piercing eyes and then turned its head and ignored me satisfied that I wasn’t a threat (I stayed in my truck).
When the eagle turned its head I could clearly see it was not a mature adult
Mature bald eagles are widely recognized by their white heads (hence the name, bald) and tails. Males and females look similar though females are larger. (an average of 25% bigger than a male). Younger birds have quite variable plumage. First-year eagles are considered juveniles and have dark brown plumage up to about 1 1/2 years. After that, it can be variable though plumages do tend to follow a similar pattern until they reach full maturity at about 5 1/2 years of age. From 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years they show blotches of white on their undersides. From 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years of age they begin to acquire the white head and tail feathers.
This bird shows the dark eye stripe and dark flecks on the head typical of an immature eagle of about 4 years of age
The dark patch through the eye and a few white blotches on the breast tell me this bird is about 4 years old. By next year it should have the definitive plumage of an all white head and tail that it will keep for the rest of its life (bald eagles can typically live 20 to 25 years in the wild).
Though we will miss seeing some of our beloved caterpillars here in this high desert climate, the habitat provides moments of magic if you just look (and get outside, even if you are just taking out the trash). And this year we hope to look more intentionally for the small creatures we share this new world with while still appreciating the abundant and majestic megafauna that surround us.
Coyote is always out there waiting, and Coyote is always hungry.
~Tony Hillerman
Winter is the time of the coyote. Always on the move, always ready to take advantage of any food supply, and more visible to those of us that love to watch these amazing canids. It has been a particularly good coyote time these last few weeks. Here are a few of the most memorable encounters with these mid-sized predators.
I was on a snow coach trip to the interior recently and we spotted a coyote high on a ridge line in Hayden Valley.
Coyote in Hayden Valley
The coach driver stopped so we could watch it. The coyote took a few steps then cocked its head as they do when sensing something in the snow. A slight crouch and I knew what was next so I raised my camera and took this shot through the window of the coach.
The leap!This is the classic mousing jump of coyotes and foxes, especially in winter. This one did make a catch and quickly gobbled its rodent meal as it disappeared over the ridge.
A few days later I was out along Soda Butte Creek when I spotted a couple of coyotes trotting along the creek bank. A couple soon turned into seven and I drove ahead and positioned myself along a high point near the road where I hoped to see the coyotes still following the creek. This has been an unusual winter out in Lamar Valley area with coyotes often appearing in large groups of 6, 7, and even 8 canids patrolling together. From what I have heard, groups of this size were more common back before the reintroduction of wolves when coyotes were the “top dog” in the park. After wolves became established the ever-adaptable coyotes tended to be in smaller units of 2 to 4 animals since wolves are dominant over the coyotes and will chase and kill them if they can. In talking with a few friends that have been here longer, we aren’t quite sure why we are seeing such large groups again. Perhaps it is just family units moving together until next spring.
A group of seven coyotes moving through the valley
The group did come closer as they followed the creek and paused at one point to sniff around, providing me with some nice photos (shot with my 800 mm telephoto and cropped).
There was something of interest in this spot as a couple of coyotes stopped to sniff around the edge of the creek here.
The next day I was back out on the northern range hoping to see more wildlife. It was cold with temperatures hovering just above zero. Though it was a somewhat slow day overall for critters, the coyotes did not disappoint. As I was headed home I saw a few cars stopped at a pullout in Little America. I soon spotted the reason – a coyote trotting along slowly near the road. I drove on with the intent of turning back and trying to find a place to park when I saw another coyote about 200 yard down the road from the first, and there was no one watching this one. I pulled off the road and watched from my car. It stopped and stood over a spot sniffing the snow. It then dug up a small carcass. I have no idea if this was something it had cached earlier or just found dead in the snow.
A coyote standing over a rodent carcass
The coyote soon started pulling at its find and chewing on it.
It wasn’t long until another car came by and stopped. Two people got out and started walking my way and the coyote looked up from its meal to make sure all was well. This is why I prefer to stay in my vehicle if possible. Most wildlife in the park seems tolerant of cars going by but the second you step out they become more concerned of that human form. If I do get out, I try to stay near or behind my car or squat down to reduce the human outline.
The coyote looked up when a couple of other photographers approached on foot.
The people stopped and the coyote finished its meal with one last gulp. After looking around for a few seconds, it wandered off angling toward the road.
After finishing its meal, the coyote sniffed the area and then trotted off.
Now there were three cars watching this coyote as it calmly crossed the road and then walked parallel to us before sitting down. It was close, but not watching us, just scanning out in the distance. It slowly got up and turned away from the road, moving in an irregular path toward a far hill.
A coyote scans the landscape watching for who knows what – potential threats, companions, food?
As it paused on top of the ridge, the coyote showed me an iconic predator surveying its majestic winter landscape.
The coyote in its vast home.
The next evening as I was driving through the Blacktail Ponds region, four coyotes were making their way between the frozen ponds. One stopped at a small hole in the ice that has puzzled us for some time now. What causes this hole, a small thermal underneath perhaps?
A coyote checking out the hole in the ice (or perhaps just admiring his reflection).
This next video clip may be a little tough for some viewers. It was getting late as I was driving home and I paused at a roadside jam of some sort to see what was up. I got lucky and found a parking space and walked down the road toward the scene. I was told a deer had been hit by a car earlier in the day and died just 30 yards off the road. Magpies, ravens, and a single coyote were on the carcass and a golden eagle just flew away when the coyote arrived (I had seen the eagle fly across the road as I approached). Within a couple of minutes another coyote arrived. Then someone up the road hollered, “a wolf is coming right toward you guys”. Not a wolf, but another coyote. I heard people call these wolves three times while I was there, a common mistake visitors make when they see a coyote in the park. Here is a somewhat long video clip of the interactions at the carcass. Notice the way the coyotes communicate with one another in addition to the growl and snarls which cannot be heard in this video.
As darkness started to settle in I got up and walked back to my car. Coming down the road was yet another small coyote. When I drove around the curve beyond the carcass site another small coyote was trotting down the road in that direction (presumably these last two were juveniles from this year). I stopped and checked the area the next day and there was hardly a sign that the carcass had even been there.
How amazing their sense of smell must be to zero in on these scarce food sources. It just shows the resourcefulness of these misunderstood animals. Before I wrote this blog I saw a news report of a predator “rodeo” where 80 coyotes were killed in one day in a nearby state. Unfortunately, this is a too common response to coyotes on the landscape. But, these song dogs have been around a long time and revered by many indigenous people, hated by many others, and yet they survive and even thrive. They has even managed to expand their range and spread across the country including to my previous home state of North Carolina. They are a creature that plays an important role in rodent control and are a beautiful addition to our lives if we stop to observe them and appreciate their survival skills. I look forward to spending more time with the “trickster” in the coming months here in Yellowstone.
Last week, I had the privilege to again lead an Educators of Excellence Institute in Yellowstone. On a sunny afternoon, our group laid on the ground near a hot spring to feel the thumping of steam bubbles collapsing beneath us. As we spent time reflecting on our Yellowstone experience in our journals, these words came to me…
Will You Join Us?
Will you lie on the frozen ground to feel the heartbeat of the earth? Will you stand in the predawn glow and listen to the silence?
Will you revel in the crystalline beauty of ice-kissed trees, the fairy-light of dusk on snowy mountain peaks?
Will you breathe deep of the crisp air, and of the sulfur belches of the underworld?
Will you allow yourself to linger in this one shining moment? Will you leave a sliver of yourself
And in that breaking forge a tie to this place, this moment?
Will you leave a gift of Thanksgiving for the wild within, and without?
Will you join us?
There have been things weighing heavily on my heart lately. The latest newsletter for our new hometown in Montana lists a $31,000 reward for information regarding a Yellowstone wolf that was illegally shot in December. Her radio collar was found cut off, tossed into a tree in the National Forest adjacent to the park. At the same time, I learned about the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. I read how he loved to spend time in wild places, just like I do. These two tragedies, the poaching of 1478F and the murder of Alex, have become linked in my mind.
1478, Alex
You stepped away from the warm fire, table cluttered with dirty dishes. One drop of red wine on the white tablecloth.
You walked into the dark, into the forest. Dark coat, rubber boots, rifle over your shoulder. Perhaps just walking off the roast, and the smothering company of family?
She trots across the far hill Alone, confident. Unaware of the invisible line she crosses. Unaware of the danger until she senses your aim, her intuition as a hunter, prey.
Your shot– straight and true. Her yelp– short and sharp. Did you feel vindication? Was there even a twinge of remorse? Guilt? Or just power?
You don a dark mask, wool scratching the lips that kissed your daughter goodbye.
Adrenaline rushes as you and your brothers in arms, brothers in injustice, Roll onto the streets.
He walks the yellow line, Fearful, brave. Unaware of the invisible line he crosses. Unaware of the danger until he is on the ground, until the blows land, victim.
The rush, fists pounding; holding a man to the ground. Sweat beads on wool. The rush of hatred screams free as you pull your pistol and
Fire again and again and again. When the rush recedes, what remains? Do you wander these streets in your dreams?
They both loved the wild– A man, a wolf. Perhaps, once, in a sacred moment, their eyes met. Brown. Gold. A flash of recognition as instinct sensed what fate had arranged: To meet once in peace, and again in death.
Two poems for today. One, an invitation. The other, an elegy. I hope that through both, our human connection with nature brings you a small moment of peace.
It has finally happened – after visiting this incredible landscape for over 40 years, I saw my first mountain lion! Our friend Beth texted us one morning last week that a mountain lion was visible from the road just outside Mammoth up on Mt. Everts. We were both headed to Bozeman that morning but we decided to run up there in the hopes of seeing it. We have just missed them on a few occasions over the years…”you should have been here 10 minutes ago” or “we are waiting on the mountain lion to return to its kill” (as we are headed to Bozeman to catch a flight home). We drove the 15 minutes to an area just east of mammoth and soon saw a line of parked cars and scopes, always a good sign that something is being seen. After getting some directions on where to look, we found the carcass in our scopes. It was an elk carcass on a steep slope about 1.5 miles away near the top of Mt. Everts. There was a lone conifer adjacent to the carcass and bare ground and rocks with scattered snow all around. It was in a vertical ravine and at that hour of the morning, the whole area was in the shade making it difficult to see any detail. Finally, we saw movement to the right of the carcass – the mountain lion was turning its head we were told, but, boy, it was tough to make out.
Melissa needed to go on to Bozemen to meet her teacher group at the airport but I decided to stay. The plan was for me to text her with reports on the lion so she would know whether to rush to try to get the group back in time to see it. I ended up staying all day. When the sun hit that part of the slope, you could finally clearly see that it was indeed a mountain lion – and she had kittens! People kept stopping by and I shared my scope view with a lot of park staff and other local folks that came by on their lunch break. In conversations with some biologists from the park I learned this was a collared female known as F210. That is how she was spotted at such a long distance – researchers studying her located her with a receiver that picks up signals from her collar. She was born in 2016 and this is her the sixth litter of kittens. This litter of three was believed to have been born back in October. These cougars (mountain lions go by various common names) are part of a population of mountain lions in the Northern Range of Yellowstone that is estimated to number around 40 animals. Their primary prey items are mule deer and elk though they will take smaller prey as well as the occasional mountain goat and bighorn sheep.
The scene of the mountain lion sightings. Taken with my telephoto lens and yet the area is still tiny. The carcass is next to that isolated single tree above the center of the photo. (click photos to enlarge)
The carcass and mountain lion are at the base of the lone conifer you can see just above the center of this photo. The sunshine finally gave me a chance to attempt a photo. Pics were taken with an 800mm telephoto and heavily cropped so the quality is not great, but at least you can tell it is a mountain lion.
The adult mountain lion feeding on the carcass. Look closely and you can see she is a lactating female.
I also shot some video through Melissa’s Swarovski spotting scope using my iPhone and a Phone Skope adapter. The heat waves were pretty bad at times giving the video a wavy look. Videos are best viewed full screen.
I had heard she had two or perhaps three kittens but I did not see them for quite some time. It turns out they were under and in a conifer above the carcass site. They started playing and shaking tree limbs and that was when I spotted them. I only saw two, but later videos by other people confirmed there were three young. The young of small cat species (like house cats and bobcats) are called kittens. Those of larger cats like lions and tigers are called cubs. Apparently, mountain lions are borderline in size so their young can be called either. But I must admit, weighing in at between 75 and 150 pounds, adult mountain lions seem pretty big to me (males are larger than females).
I finally did see two of the cubs come down to the carcass though it is hard to see the one at the base of the elk in this next photo.
Two young mountain lions feeding on the elk. One is on top and the other is at the base of the carcass. The young look to be about 1/3 the size of their mother at this point.
This mountain lion family fed on the carcass for a week without leaving it. The fact that it was on such a steep slope probably helped keep other carnivores like wolves away. Wolves and bears can drive a lion off a kill. Normally, mountain lions will cover their kill with nearby vegetation to help hide it from scavengers but there wasn’t much available at that site so she just stayed right there to protect her food supply. I did see her jump up and stare at a raven that flew over a couple of times and she was having none of it…no sharing. When the lions finally did leave, folks reported ravens, magpies and bald and golden eagles visiting the carcass to glean the leftovers.
Being close to Mammoth (the park headquarters) and visible from the road provided countless visitors (including us) with a chance to see their first mountain lions. What a rare treat for so many people. I look forward to our next sighting and hope that it is perhaps a tad closer.
To catch a glimpse of a moose in its natural habitat is to witness a fleeting moment of pure magic, a connection to the wild that stays with you forever.
~Douglas Chadwick
I went out into the park on Monday to refresh my brain and see what I could see. I eventually drove out to Round Prairie, the local moose hot spot and saw two bulls that had already dropped their antlers. Unfortunately, there was a large “moose jam” and so I just drove through. On my way back, the moose were apparently laying down in the willows and could not be seen. I pulled into the now empty pullout and soon met a wildlife photographer using a thermal imaging device which picks up heat signals in the environment. He let me take a look and I saw the shapes of two moose hidden from view in a willow stand. Pretty neat! The price tag on that unit was bout $2000 so i guess I won’t be buying one anytime soon:)
Continuing on toward Lamar Valley, I spotted three moose out along Soda Butte Creek – and no one else was there! I pulled into the closest gravel pullout and started watching the three bulls (one had dropped its antlers) as they fed on willows along the creek. Cars drove by me and I was surprised no one stopped. There were scattered bison near the trio of moose so I am guessing people just didn’t notice that three of those large dark shapes had really long legs! In what is an uncommon occurrence in Yellowstone, I had these moose to myself for over 20 minutes before some visitors finally saw them and stopped
Three bull moose along Soda Butte Creek . The lead bull has already dropped his antlers. (click photos to enlarge)
Here’s a short clip of the moose browsing on willow branches. Videos are best viewed full screen.
I continued to watch these big guys as they fed and interacted. The one without antlers was larger and would often lay his ears back as the other two would half-heatedly spar with one another. Here is a slow motion clip of one such interaction. These next two clips were filmed with my Canon camera and telephoto.
They would also occasionally take off running a short distance and then stop and resume feeding. One bull lagged behind after one running bout and walked away from the willows towards the creek, crossing a large expanse of snow and ice.
One bull heads to the water
I drove a short distance down to the next pullout which was closer and where there was already a group of visitors excitedly photographing this incredible scene. The moose slowly ambled to the water’s edge and then paused as if to admire his reflection (the rest of us sure did).
Moose and reflection
After taking two long drinks, he slowly made his way back to the willows (leaving many happy photographers on the other aide of the creek).
The three moose made one last run and essentially disappeared into a thick stand of willow shrubs. I’m always grateful for these moments in the wild in this winter wonderland.
For life and death are one, even as the river and sea are one.
~Kahlil Gibran
Living in this wild place you see the reality of how the death of one creature provides sustenance for others. This happens in all natural systems but here in Yellowstone it is more visible than in the forests back in North Carolina. The landscape here often provides long views that facilitates seeing the wildlife. And the wildlife community is one of the richest in terms of species in all of North America. This past week provided two examples of the interconnections of life and death that were easily observed by park visitors – an elk killed by wolves and a bison that died after apparently being struck by a vehicle. Both carcasses were easily viewed from the road that crosses the northern range (the only road open to regular vehicles in the park in winter).
I had heard reports that a fast-moving vehicle hit a few bison one evening but did not know anything about their fate. On our drive into the park we came across a crowd with scopes and cameras near the spot where that had happened. As we got closer, we saw a huge dark mound maybe 50 yards off the road with lots of ravens and magpies nearby. We pulled in and then saw a partially hidden (at least from our view point) coyote was also at the carcass. As we watched, someone mentioned there was another carcass down the road with wolves on it so off we went.
The main pullout was packed with cars and viewers so we drove by to an unpaved pullout just down the road. We could see ravens and magpies but no wolves until suddenly a black wolf stood up in the sage. Someone near us shared that the wolves had taken down a bull elk during the night and there were four of the Junction Butte pack feeding on it.
A young black wolf at the elk carcass in the sagebrush. We’ve been told that young wolves (those born this year) tend to have fur along the back of their neck that stands up like you see in this photo. (click photos to enlarge)
Other wolves soon became visible as they moved about the carcass. When the wolves moved, magpies and ravens would also move around fighting for a space at the dinner table.
A black wolf runs toward the carcass scattering a group of ravensA wolf flushes a group of magpies off the carcass area
We watched this scene for the next two hours with wolves appearing and disappearing in the sage. There were at least 4, maybe as many as six wolves feeding on the carcass at any one time with a couple having unusual color patterns on their back. Most of the wolves in this pack are black in color but note the one unusual color pattern on one wolf in this clip. These videos are taken with my iPhone and Phone Skope adapter on my spotting scope.
This next clip has two wolves feeding including a gray one. You will see its fur is stained red from the carcass when it raises its head up. Also note the elk antler from the carcass.
Melissa spotted some of the other pack members resting on a ridge above the valley. Then it happened – a magical moment when the wolves up on the ridge started howling (the sound was much louder than can be heard in this phone recording). Melissa captured this video clip through her scope.
It was getting late so we headed back in the direction of home driving through the expanse of Lamar Valley. We soon saw four dark shapes spaced out on the snow-covered valley floor. As we got closer we could make out they were coyotes, all resting on the snow.
A coyote taking a late day nap in Lamar Valley
As we passed by the bison carcass we saw a coyote and a few ravens still working on it. We should definitely come back in the morning.
We headed out early the next morning and found a great parking spot to view the bison carcass which was already teeming with action. There are several things to note in this next video clip. There is a raven with leg bands visible at the start of the clip. I believe this bird also has an antenna coming off its back that is from a backpack harness with a GPS transmitter to track the raven. There is a long-term research study in the park investigating raven movements. Note the eagle’s reaction just before a second coyote comes in from the right. Both coyotes end up leaving the carcass with tucked tails and we witnessed a coyote chase (two against one) that happened away from the carcass. And note how quickly ravens and magpies rush in as soon as the coyotes move away.
The last clip shows a coyote working hard to get at meat under the tough bison hide. It is a longer clip that shows how tenacious all of these animals are as they try to get scraps of food in this winter landscape. Note the tagged raven is back. And at the end of the clip you can see a raven tugging at the coyotes tail as if to say “my turn”.
We drove by yesterday (one week from when we took this footage) and you can barely see the bison carcass unless there is a raven or something else sitting there. We’ll try to walk out in a day or two to take a look. The cycle continues…
Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else. ~Fred Rogers
For a number of years, Mike and I have made calendars for friends and family. Each month has a picture from that month in the previous year (give or take a bit) and a quote.
Our 2025 calendar was slightly different. Given our departure from North Carolina after 24 and 47 years (for Melissa and Mike, respectively), we decided to make a “greatest hits” calendar. Each month featured one of our favorite photos from one of our favorite places in North Carolina, as well as a quote.
The Fred Rogers quote was on the cover. This year has indeed been one of endings and beginnings. So, as we celebrate the arrival of 2026, we thought it would be nice to share the photos and quotes from our 2025 calendar with you.
The Snow Goose Spectacle, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Hyde County, NC – Mike
Watching the animals come and go, and feeling the land swell up to meet them and then feeling it grow still at their departure, I came to think of the migrations as breath, as the land breathing. ~Barry Lopez
Sunrise, Lake Mattamuskeet, Hyde County, NC – Mike
Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty, if only we have the eyes to see them. ~John Ruskin
Egret Feather, Merchants Millpond State Park, Gates County, NC – Melissa
“Hope” is the thing with feathers— / That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— / And never stops— at all— ~Emily Dickinson
Barred Owl, Cashie River, Chowan County, NC – Melissa
I enter the swamp as a sacred place. ~Henry David Thoreau
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Male, Roads End, Chatham County, NC – Mike
The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them. ~Julie Zickefoose
Sundews, Green Swamp Preserve, Brunswick County, NC – Melissa
To think that plants ate insects would go against the order of nature… ~Carl Linnaeus
Sunset from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Haywood County, NC – Melissa
Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully. ~Kristen Butler
Monarch Butterflies Mating, Prairie Ridge, Wake County, NC – Mike
The butterfly counts not months, but moments, and has time enough. ~Rabindranath
Tidal Creeks of Portsmouth Island, Outer Banks, Hyde County, NC – Melissa
The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place. ~Rachel Carson
Bull Elk Breathing, Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, NC – Melissa
Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. ~John Muir
Sunset and Moonset, Mount Mitchell, Yancey County, NC – Mike
The sky is that beautiful old parchment in which the sun and moon keep their diary. ~ Alfred Kreymborg
Ice on the Ephemeral Stream, Buteo Ridge, Chatham County, NC – Mike
When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go. ~Alexandra Stoddard
We have most certainly carried the beauties of North Carolina with us to our new home. And, as we’ve shared in posts since our move in May, we have found many new beauties here in Yellowstone.
Today, we spent time in the park marveling at ice crystals decorating the trees, listening to the sound of moose antlers clashing, following the joyful tracks of an ermine across the snow, and taking in this huge and spectacular landscape. We’ll share more details and images soon.
For now, we reflect on a momentous year. We are grateful for our time in North Carolina, and for the wild places we love there. And, we are grateful that life has afforded us the chance for this new adventure in Yellowstone. Thank you for following along and sharing our journey!
Roads End Naturalist 