Monday, September 12, 2011

Yellowstone National Park


Bison are easy to see in many parts of the park. They are massive, bizarre animals that you would not want to get charged by. Their low, rumbling groans seem more at home in Jurassic Park than Yellowstone.





Yellowstone River.






Green-winged Teals in eclipse plumage.



Not exactly a Yellowstone specialty, but here is an American Robin with gratuitous earthworm.






Pollination Party.






An Elk family. Notice unabashed ear-nibbling. 

This big bull elk was in a state...itchy antlers? The velvet was just beginning to shed. I can't imagine lacking fingers to scratch an itch.

Barrow's Goldeneye juvenile. Or eclipse male? I've never seen them in the summer before.

Besides its scenery and wildlife, Yellowstone is legendary for its geothermal features. They are incredibly striking. This spring is at West Thumb Geyser Basin. More pictures soon!





5 comments:

  1. oh, I cannot WAIT for your other thermal pics. It's SUCH a BIZARRE PARK! So amazing, and every day I was there I would say "This place is SO WEIRD!" And I know from weird. Bison. Yeah. Big.

    Good point re: itchy. Happily I have long, skinny arms and am flexible, so I can pretty much reach wherever I need. Spoiled. It's cute to watch cows rub up against fence posts, trees, anything that won't move away, to get a good scratch.

    Nice shots!

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  2. Whoa, hell yeah. Sweet pollination party. Sad elk. I remember the instant I realized I was being stared down by a bison at Grand Teton last summer. Kind of a vomity stomach in throat dear god why did I get so close kind of feeling. They are beasts, and man do they give a good stink eye.

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  3. Those bison are gorgeous and that aerial shot is spectacular. Crisp, clean, perfect. Steve, you're a born photographer and a right smartass. I'm addicted to your page.

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  4. who doesn't like a little ear nibbling?
    Pollination party. I like it. I LIKE IT! Give me more!
    When I worked at Wind Cave NP in high school, some jackass put his little kid on a sleeping bison for a photo op. Probably that parent should have been shot.

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  5. @BB I'm afraid to sort through all my geyser pics...theres so many!

    @Jen I took much enjoyment from watching tourists get too close to large animals. Highly entertaining to watch them skitter away.

    @Anne Thanks! You're too kind.

    @Jill Nibbles. Hella mushy, yet stimulating. Wow, putting your kid on a bison is impressively stupid. Like Darwin Award stupid.

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