Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Author: Mike Dunn

  • The Living Lake

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    On our recent 11-day paddling adventure along the southern shores of Yellowstone Lake, we observed numerous types of wildlife from bald eagles to darting dragonflies. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Fast Water, Slo-mo Birds

    I spent some time at LeHardy Rapids along the Yellowstone River this week filming birds in the raging waters. Each species manages to utilize this extreme habitat to find what it needs to survive. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • The Wallow

    The wallow is an important feature of the rut showing a bull’s prowess and fitness. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Pika Perfect

    I spent some quality time this week in the Beartooths observing American pika, perhaps the cutest mammal in this region. I spent 6 hours in the area with bonus sightings of mountain goats and much more. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Raising Raptors Update

    We have been back to check on most of the raptor nests a couple of times since our last post. Things are changing rapidly. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Harlequin

    We always enjoy watching the harlequin ducks at LeHardy Rapids. This year there was a female hanging with the colorful males and they were spending more time in the whitewater showing off their skills in the raging current. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Raising Raptors Redux

    A chance encounter with a park visitor leads me to an amazing afternoon of observing an owl nest. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Raising Raptors

    I spent all day yesterday observing three raptor nests hoping to film the adults feeding their young. The spotting scope and phone set-up provided some great footage of these raptors raising their young. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Drumming

    On a recent 4-day camping trip we heard the unmistakable sounds of ruffed grouse drumming. While driving down a dirt road, Melissa spotted one of the percussionists on his drumming log and we spent several minutes enjoying the concert. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn

  • Let’s Take a Moment to Reflect on That

    Reflecting on an experience is the best way to learn something from it. And seeing all the reflections across Yellowstone’s many aquatic habitats always helps me appreciate the beauty of our new home. Read more…

    Written by

    Mike Dunn