Friday/Saturday June 1/2 2012 Yellowstone

Friday June 1

After our first trip to Yellowstone, we talked about our adventures with so much enthusiasm, other people wanted to visit and enjoy those experiences for themselves, such as my mom and dad and good friends of ours from Wylie, Earl and Carol Sue Newsom. The Newsoms visit the park every year now and we spend one to two days together finding treasures of the park.

Today was no different. We found a lot of wonderful wildlife opportunities. Just as we entered the park, we spotted an osprey looking for breakfast over the Gardner River. We tried to photograph him but he was not being cooperative as we followed him from one pullout to another. I was the lucky one, however. Staying in the car and hand holding my camera, I got great shots of him taking off from a tree. Great photos, and can’t wait to share them when I process the photos.

We then found a cinnamon colored black bear. He walked through the tall grass taking a bite here and there.

After he slipped into the heavy woods, we moved on to see what else we could stir up. In Lamar Valley, We briefly watched a whitish-colored wolf walking towards the river and then out of sight. He was very far away but we could see him so we count it as a wolf sighting, though we would have preferred him to be a bit closer!

Now you have to realize, there are elk, pronghorn, and bison throughout the park, and I fail to mention sightings of them because they are so common. However, we did find a large group of bison crossing the river and that was spectacular to watch. Even though they were a good distance away, it was fun watching them cross to the other side, including the little red doggies (baby bison) swimming through the cold, clear water.

We drove through tower were a black bear and two cubs have been regularly spotted but the traffic was crazy and photography opportunities limited so we moved onto Hayden Valley. Here we found a coyote that was being conditioned to humans, unfortunately. He was eating something off the ground and people had positioned themselves within feet of him and he wasn’t scared. It’s a sad sight to see because human habituation can be lethal to a wild animal.Fortunately, a ranger came by and scared off the coyote and lectured the people. He was excellent at his job and I thanked him for it.

We traveled onward and at a junction we found a red fox trotting along. She was a bit scraggly but definitely on the hunt for dinner. We had some nice opportunities with her before she slipped behind the trees.

Our last sighting of the day really excited Carol Sue and Earl. We stopped at a spot that is known for a Horned Owl nest in Mammoth Springs. Sure enough, the two owlets were trying out their new wings moving from the nest onto nearby branches. Mom was inches away watching her brood.  Mom grew tired of the awkward pair and popped over to a roof top, allowing us better viewing of her. She is a beautiful owl and we were so blessed to see her and her family before calling it a day.

Oh, but one more sighting occurred at the trailer. A nice woodpecker came by and tried out the fence post right in front of the trailer. The cats had their eye on him!

Saturday June 2

It was the Newsom’s last day, and we had promised Carol Sue we would find her a grizzly. Ever since they joined us in 2007, they could not find grizzly sightings without a scope or binoculars. After breakfast and five years later, we found her one. And not just one but THREE!

This grizzly has been in the area for the last three years now, caring for her cubs. She gave birth to three cubs in spring 2010 and adopted a fourth one. Appropriately named Quad Mom, Rick and I saw her at a great distance with all four. In 2011, she had lost two of the cubs over the winter but we spotted her, once again at a great distance, with her two yearlings. Now in 2012, we get to see her one more time before she will release her two cubs to set out on their own. It was a great sighting for all.

We drove around some more and found a flicker bird who has made his home in a sign post. Took a few shots of him and then called it a day. Tomorrow, it will be just Rick and I and I can't wait to see what we find!

Ah, but just before going to bed, Rick takes bailey Mae out for a walk but calls for me just as he steps out the trailer. A female elk had bedded down not 15 feet from our door. She was HUGE and not startled by us at all. Bailey Mae didn't go on her nightly walk after all. :)