Travels with Mildred (In search of Canis lupus) (5 Viewers)

[Steve Babbs]

I'm looking forward to it: it's helping me check I don't miss anything when I write up my notes.

 

[edenwatcher]

It's awfully quiet in here!

Rob

 

[Farnboro John]

It's awfully quiet in here!

Rob

All the pictures are now captioned and photoshopped to the end of the trip (except a few sparrows I still have to check in the field guide - if that doesn't work it will be "what's this" time.)

Also I have finished all the frantic Lancaster chasing and subsequent editing, and all my cards are now free for the impending October rarity fest. Consequently, I am now ready to resume my narrative. Once the sun goes down!

Now I'm off out.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Day 7 - Saturday.

We decided to get up fairly early and head for the Washburn parking area where the Grizzlies had been again. We stopped a couple of times once we reached the mountains because we had been cruising in mist and under low cloud, and as the landscape rose we ended up on top of the fluffy whiteness looking at glorious sunshine. Obviously this required photographing so we got out, shivered and deployed short lenses for a change.

Notwithstanding that, we were soon back in position at the Washburn view turnout, with more landscape magnificence to look at. Soon after our arrival a family of Mule Deer hurtled out of the woods and across the corner of the meadow below the road. Our alertness sharpened and we checked our cameras were ready for some real action, but the minutes passed and if the deer had been spooked, the cause had gone in another direction.

Overhead a couple of Red-tailed Hawks circled while another perched on one of the conifers high above the road, surveying the higher end of the meadow. Clark's Nutcrackers were calling all around and eventually one came to sit in a tree near the long-drop toilet that Maz was fastidiously avoiding. I stalked it and managed to get some shots with the light behind me: far better than the blips I had obtained so far but still not the shots I wanted.

Meanwhile Maz had been stalking bikers, intent on getting pictures of helmetless ones in proper US regalia. One objected mildly, rumbling "I'm not part of the wildlife!" - an opinion with which I do not entirely agree.

We had a flight view of a male Cassin's Finch, and distant views of a family group of Red-shafted Flickers - but no sign of any bears. In the end we gave up and headed down to Canyon Village for lunch. Wandering about the enormous car park looking for birds I accidentally found a Least Chipmunk sitting up. Rubbish background but nice animal, and the camera quickly rattling its 6.3 frames a sec tune.

After a lot of back and forth between several indifferent cafes we lunched on sandwiches and took some snaps of Oregon Juncos before going for a walk along the Yellowstone River. This was a big impressive beast in its own right, fast-flowing, deep and clear dark blue - despite which our fifth American Beaver of the trip was swimming in it. We were hoping for American Dipper, which was one of Jeff's target birds and about which he was becoming increasingly worried, but his concerns were not allayed on this walk. One thing we did find, in addition to the world's supply of Audubon's Warblers, was a Yellow-bellied Marmot perched on a riverside rock outcrop. It seemed this was the poster boy for the species, because it sat tight no matter how many tourists rocked up, took snaps, chattered their heads off and wandered on. It almost seemed more worried by our quiet stealth.

We took quite a few pictures ourselves, and in the end not all of them were quite up to BBC Natural History Unit ethics (or perhaps its just composition...) Continuing our walk we encountered a couple more Ruby-crowned Kinglets, which typically didn't offer a single chance of a photo. A passing Osprey was the last bird before we moved on again.

John

Misty Morning
Clark's Nutcracker
Least Chipmunk X 2
What's this (presumed) Tiger Moth sp?

 

[Farnboro John]

A few from down by the river:

Yellowstone River
Yellow-bellied Marmot X 2
Marmot and Me

John

 

[Farnboro John]

I forgot to mention that after lunch a further stroll in the car park found us some more Least Chipmunks in a more natural setting in woodland by the entrance. A White-tailed Deer doe was also lurking among the trees there.

It was very hot and very bright even along the riverside path under pine trees, and we were quite glad to move on and back up the mountains to the Washburn turnout: still no Grizzlies though. On we went to the Canyon overlook, where a Western Tanager was showing in the open and finally went properly into the can after I'd completely failed in California fourteen years before. There was also an Empid which, so far as I can tell from the photos it posed for, was a juv/1w Dusky Flycatcher.

Having finished with the passerines we carried on into the Lamar Valley, stopping to admire the scenery in brilliant sunshine with little haze, and hoping to find a Coyote trotting about - we didn't. We stopped to use loos by the entrance to Pebble Creek campground and checked the creek for Dippers: still no luck, though Cliff and Violet-green Swallows at head height were splendid. Some of the trees had obvious animal-inflicted damage that we took to be bear claw marks. A few Sand Martins were mixed in with the other hirundines. There were butterflies and a few moths there and further along the creek towards the edge of the park, but still no Dippers.

Returning towards the Lamar proper we stopped at the Soda Butte where someone had told us there were Golden-mantled Squirrels in the rocks - but all we found were Uinta Ground Squirrels (you inta ground squirrels? - no forget it again....) - maybe some crossed wires. There were ducks around and perhaps the heat was getting to us because I thought the one pictured was Blue-winged while the other boys inclined to Green-winged: none of us would normally have difficulty with either!

As we patrolled back along the Lamar, we had a fabulous view of an adult Golden Eagle soaring around really low. It was ideal photo fodder and the light was perfect, but due to the nearness of a wolf den (we worked out later) there was a strict no stopping policy on this stretch of road and we had to continue past it. Rats.

Back up at the Tower junction end, where the Black Bear family had been by the road, there was a Buffalo jam. The light was still fantastic so we stopped and filled our boots. There were one or two huge bulls that were starting to get wound up for the rut and we had to be a bit careful about how far we got from the car. One bull out of his head on testosterone dared to look daggers at a Ranger's pick-up and was given a dose of blue lights and horn for his trouble.

Once again heading back along the valley we found that as the sun was sinking it was picking up the haze and the dust raised from the dry ground by rolling, sparring and just dragging their feet Bison, allowing us some quite atmospheric photo opportunities of the herds spread across the golden grassy floor of the valley.

Back towards the corner where the eagle had been we came upon a male Pronghorn near the road and with the sun behind us, so we stopped and ripped off a few shots of this very charismatic antelope.

We finished the day with a Soda Butte wolf watch that was unsuccessful. Frustratingly we had missed a great performance from Wolf 926 (black breeding female) who had crossed the entire valley from the slope beyond the creek, crossed the road not far from the watchers and then made her way up into the hills towards the den. We decided this would be where we concentrated our early morning and late evening efforts for the rest of our time in Yellowstone.

Home to Cooke City for beers and food! This time we didn't get the village idiot and although it was packed out when we arrived the staff found us a table inside in short order. This was a relief as outside was quite chilly and there was a family there led by one of those unpleasant types who aims to find fault with everything so he can underpay the bill. As he was also loud, his obnoxiousness was spilling onto everyone else.

John

Nearly forgot:

Western Tanager X 2
Dusky Flycatcher X 2
Lamar Valley Sagebrush

 

[Farnboro John]

Some more pix:

Teal sp
The Soda Butte
Uinta Ground Squirrel
Moth sp (Plusia?)
Fritillary sp

Please feel free to comment on the unidentified ones!

Cheers

John

 

[Farnboro John]

And more:

Wild Photographer (all right its Jeff)
Bearclaw damage
American Bison X 3

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Bit of a Bison fest:

Three Wild Photographers
American Bison X 4

I make no apology: the Bison are spectacularly charismatic either individually up close or in numbers spread across these iconic landscapes. A natural wonder that is a pure joy to watch and an epic conservation success. I just wish I could bring you the sound as well, its just as much part of the experience.

John

 

[JWN Andrewes]

I just wish I could bring you the sound as well, its just as much part of the experience.

John

Having tried to kip in a car with you on a Speyside trip many years ago I am quietly confident that this will be within your skill set. You just might have to be sound asleep to do it.

Great report John, as ever (looking forward to starting my own in a couple of weeks).

Cheers

James

 

[Farnboro John]

Having tried to kip in a car with you on a Speyside trip many years ago I am quietly confident that this will be within your skill set. You just might have to be sound asleep to do it.

Great report John, as ever (looking forward to starting my own in a couple of weeks).

Cheers

James

Was that the night we got moved on about three times? It was dreadfully warm and I slept outside at least some of the time, if I remember right.

Looking forward to your report once you've been (if that makes sense!)

John

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Was that the night we got moved on about three times? It was dreadfully warm and I slept outside at least some of the time, if I remember right.

Looking forward to your report once you've been (if that makes sense!)

John

On the first night you snored like a herd of bison on the and I took refuge under the stars. Second night roles were reversed. Both nights the fuzz paid us a visit; the first night we satisfied them that we were harmless bird-spotters rather than poachers, second night it looked like they just kept on going when they saw it was us.

James

 

[Farnboro John]

On the first night you snored like a herd of bison on the and I took refuge under the stars. Second night roles were reversed. Both nights the fuzz paid us a visit; the first night we satisfied them that we were harmless bird-spotters rather than poachers, second night it looked like they just kept on going when they saw it was us.

James

Aye, thats right. Well done.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Last ones for Day 7:

Pronghorn
Bear warning
Soda Creek Sunset

John

 

[Farnboro John]

Day 8 - Sunday

We had a bit of a slow start because we weren't heading into the park this morning. Instead we were going the other way, up the Beartooth Highway onto the mountains in search of White-tailed Ptarmigan and Rosy Finches again. We also had sites for Gray Jay and other subalpine species, so it was with a sense of expectation that we set off on another blisteringly hot fine morning.

On the way we kept checking the river we were following, but no Dippers, Moose or anything other then Least and Yellow-pine Chipmunks deigned to show themselves until we reached the picnic area at Beartooth Lake. The entrance track was pretty rough but our vehicle survived and we deployed to take pictures of some amenable White-crowned Sparrows and await the arrival of the promised Gray Jays. While we waited, some Clark's Nutcrackers tantalised but like most of their species, wouldn't come right in. This we regarded as unfair. The world over it is understood by wildlife that people at picnic sites have to be mugged - but not around Yellowstone. Mountain Chickadees and Ruby-crowned Kinglets passed through but wouldn't stop - then suddenly we were joined by a pair of Gray Jays, which came in, paused, dived onto the table we were next to, surveyed it quickly and scorched off again. And that was very much that, with no second chances for anyone who was a bit slow with the ol' shutter. Mind you, the lake, and the red rock mountain above it, with flower meadows on the lower slopes where there weren't dark cloaking pine forests, was stunningly beautiful: but there were fearsome mosquitoes.

On we went: forward into broad sunlit uplands. We emerged from the forests into wide vistas of lakes, rocks and lush grasses that as the road wound more steeply and sharply upward became less grassy and lakey and more rocky, with mosses and lichens and small wiry plants replacing the greenery. No mammals trotting across all this open space, though.

With a series of sweeping zigzags we reached the top of the ridge we were climbing, and the view was stupendous. For miles in any direction proper craggy mountains - the bones of the Earth sticking up through the flesh - towered up to our level but not much beyond it. The thing is, the road was so well engineered that it hadn't frightened me despite the landscape. Again I was struck by just how great Americans are at conquering difficulties. Once they decide they need a road over the mountains, build a road they will, and a proper job too, not some gravel track clinging to a rock face with shrines every few yards to the people who have fallen off.

We went for a walk on the high landscape hoping to put up some of the birds we were looking for. The walk was perforce slow, not because the land was steep - we were on a gently rounded wide ridge - but there was a distinct lack of air that you felt the moment you exerted yourself. The abundance of American Pipits were not having the same difficulty! We also encountered a Prairie Falcon that resolutely circled away from us, some butterflies we couldn't identify though one was quite Clouded Yellow-like , and eventually a young Red-tailed Hawk that circled right over us allowing good pictures. No Ptarmigan or Rosy Finches.

There were a few Marmots, which didn't want to be photographed, and once we started back down the way we had come, we found a colony of Pikas that were quite confiding and which had either completed or not started their moult. The first ones we had seen all those days ago (by Day 7 it felt like we had been going for a month or two) had been really ragged, but these were immaculate and thus deserving of another photo session.

The facilities up there were quite limited and we stopped at a place that had a public convenience. It was here that I overheard a conversation between two bikers, one of whom related to the other that a third (not present) had told him that a Japanese tourist had walked up and got on his Harley without even asking.

I can only assume that the biker was so surprised that he forgot to beat the Japanese person up. Tourists...!

John

 

[Steve Babbs]

Day 8 - Sunday

some butterflies we couldn't identify though one was quite Clouded Yellow-like

John

That was a sulphur sp. - I'm still working on that. The others were: yellow-dotted alpine, Milbert's tortoiseshell and Rocky Mountain parnassian.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Rocky Mountain parnassian.

 

[Farnboro John]

Thanks Steve, I don't have a butterfly book.

Right! On we go....

Back down at ground level we stopped off for a bite of lunch in Cooke City. We also topped up supplies at the store: the caffeine stocks in particular were getting low, but some beef jerky and other snacks also went into the car. Incidentally we didn't get warned against having this stuff in the car at any point, although we made a habit of removing it all overnight. Maybe we just didn't see the right notices. The locals were very friendly though a bit baffled by our high-speed constant banter. Its a different pace of life out there.

We had spotted a track to check not far into the park, that led along the side of the creek. It looked a dead cert for American Dipper, although so had a lot of other places where we hadn't seen them to date! Anyway we parked up and hopped out to find a female Harlequin with a clutch of well-grown ducklings sitting just the far side of a fallen and water-scoured treetrunk. We couldn't get close but we did manage to get some distant pictures without disturbing the ducks.

Further up there were squeaks of delight as despite a family of tourists intent on doing family riverside things we found first one and then two American Dippers hopping about and interacting sufficiently boisterously that we initially thought there was a territorial argument going on. After a while it became apparent that the two were a pair as they fed in close proximity without hassle.

Once we had taken our pictures and watched the two grey birds for a fair period, we decided we had to move on and begin an afternoon/evening hunt up and down the Lamar Valley for Coyotes. We knew they were present, but for some reason we couldn't connect, and it was starting to rile us. We stopped and gave the landscape a proper grilling from each of the main turnouts along the valley and then prepared to start back. At one of the turnouts we stopped quite abruptly and the cameramen were out of the car scampering back along the road pretty sharpish, because Jeff and Steve had spotted a Prairie Falcon sitting on a big square boulder not far from the road, below it on the valley flats. It sat tight while we got some shots then decided to move a few yards further off, allowing us to have a bash at flight shots as well.

As team liaison officer I wandered along to a happy brash family whose young attractive female driver had just made my ear twitch with the word Coyote. It turned out she had spotted one across the Lamar River, by the rocky bluff at the West end of the valley, from the car, while she was driving. I never had that sort of eyesight but I've always respected those who do. I got the full directions and chatted a while, then scanned the far side of the valley and found a Black Bear on the lower part of the slope. My new friend picked it up at once, without optics!! It was really distant and into the sun. I was even more impressed. Then I found another one further along, admittedly with bins again but at least I was picking these things up first!

Sorry - quick trip to the shops. Back in a minute.

John

 

[Farnboro John]

The family decided to move on, but we went the other way to check out where the Coyote had been earlier. The light was golden as the sun sank westwards, the Buffalo (all right, Bison) were drifting about the borders of the river including a big ol' bull splashing the clear water up around his knees as he forded the fast but shallow stream, Sandhill Cranes were pecking after the grazing Bison and a Bald Eagle rowed itself through the air along the line of the river. No Coyote, despite a thorough scrutiny from the entire team.

Intending to finish with a wolf-watch we headed back the other way, delayed en route by a buck Mule Deer right by the road feeding by a marshy pool and attended by several crews, of whom he was taking no notice whatever. Of course, this took some minutes and at the junction of the Lamar and Soda Butte waterways when we rejoined Miss Hawkeye and her crew, it turned out they had seen another Coyote - of course it was long gone. The wolves didn't turn up either, but it had been a varied and interesting day and we returned to Cooke City and both dinner and beer quite content. At least the Dipper spectre had been put to rest.

John

Beartooth Lake
White-crowned Sparrow X 2
Gray Jay
American Pipit

 

[Farnboro John]

More:

American Pipit
Sulphur sp
Beartooth Range
Maz on the Beartooth
Red-tailed Hawk juv