Chech out west 2019

[bama57]

Great pictures thanks for sharing

[Chechem]

Thursday May 23

It was cold and sunny at first this morning, then the snow came.  It snowed most of the morning.  But I got some pics taken before that at the carcass along the Madison River:


The coyote was back chomping.  Saw another one later along the Firehole River.

THIS SERIES OF PICS IS FOR RICKY.  HE ALWAYS LIKES BALD EAGLES.
Three bald eagles fought over the carcass.  The 2 adults finally won and drove the juvenile one away.


Sorry, but this was half a mile away.











And before leaving I saw these sleeping Common Merganzers (duck-like birds that eat fish):

[N.AL-Tider]

Awesome pics Chech. I like the bald eagles too.  That second eagle pic looks like there is an alligator rising out of the water too... 

[ricky023]

  those were fantastic. The beauty of the Eagle is just plain good. I noticed the log sticking up in the pic it reminded me of an alligator,  . Gosh thanks so much Chechem but the real beauty of nature is God's smiling to us. Rest easy brother and thanks. RTR!

[Chechem]

Thanks, guys.

The coyote and eagles were back on the carcass again this afternoon.  And I saw a different pair of merganzers; took pics so you can see them without their heads buried in their feathers:

[2Stater]

Outstanding pics, Chech! Glad you're getting to encounter all of this.

[Chechem]

Friday May 24th

Up early and off to Lamar Valley.  Had to go through Mammoth, because Dunraven Pass was deep in snow; closed until 8am.  It started snowing even before I got halfway, and kept it up all morning.  No problems with the roads, though.  Saw huge herds of elk; hundreds.
  
Got to Lamar Valley by 6am.  Was chatting with folks from Carolina when I saw a large black bear in the tree line.  While we watched that the wolf watchers radioed that wolves were on a carcass.  Got there and saw 4; then 2 hikers innocently passed near them and the wolves moved away.  

I moved west through Lamar Valley, and was watching bison when the radio told us that a black wolf was coming our way (north of the road).  It went into the sage, so I never saw it.

Was standing with Mark and Carol (from Colorado).  They have a pet Husky that is the "mascot-in-waiting" for Colorado State's teams.

Saw a grizzly with 2 cubs, and got distant pics of them.  Drove home via Dunraven Pass (and deep snow).  


Black wolf howling (1/2 mile away)


Last-year's pup of Junction Pack; resting along the river.

Wifi down - more pics later......    


Too far away to get a good pic, but here is the grizzly sow and one of her 2 cubs.


Dunraven Pass.  Check the depth of that snow!

[ricky023]

  that was some serious snow Chechem. What do they do scrape the road and pack it on the side? RTR!

[Chechem]

that was some serious snow Chechem. What do they do scrape the road and pack it on the side? RTR!

No, that's how deep the snow was before the plows cut down through it.  It gets thrown downhill on the opposite side of the road.  Here's another pic from today that finally uploaded:

[2Stater]

The snow's beautiful, Chech, but I get cold all over again just looking at it. Yesterday, we had to go straight to the office to do commissions. While my partner was in the middle of it, I left to run an errand. The temperature on my car thermometer was 101 degrees. Two extremes on weather if there ever was one.

[N.AL-Tider]

Awesome pics Chech.  I was thinking that you may be driving through Siberia with all of that snowpack...

[ricky023]

Wow from the snow of Chechem to the heat of 2Stater. That snow wouldn't last long in in S.C. lol, RTR!

[Chechem]

Saturday May 25th

Got up at 3:30 for a 4:30 trip to Lamar Valley.  No problems with Dunraven Pass, except some fog.  Got to Lamar Valley by 6am.

We stopped first at "Footbridge", and people had already seen wolves coming our way from Soda Butte cone.  There were 2 Junctions (996 and gray yearling).  Within minutes we had them in our scopes.  They joined a third wolf (black yearling), and ate at the carcass and entertained us for over an hour.

Next we watched grizzlies at a different carcass west and within view from Slough.  Eventually 2 grizzlies and 2 gray wolves battled for the carcass.  At one point we watched a wolf teasing and running circles around the bears.  The entertainment went on most of the day, but we traveled elsewhere.
  
I got updates on softball from both 2 and Jamos during the grizzly show.

Excellent day.  We saw 11 new bears, 2 moose, 5 wolves, and lots more.  

Met a Dutch couple and had lunch with them; delightful young people.  


Two of the Junction Pack.  The gray was playful, and jumped on the black (see its GPS collar?).  No collar on the gray.




Big grizzly high up the mountain



Cinnamon-colored black bear.


Moose with its new antlers just growing a bit already.


Cow moose


This was over a mile away, so fuzzy.  Video is better.  As soon as I can get YouTube to work I'll add video for y'all.
Two grizzly (sow at left and 2-year-old young one sitting at right).  Just right of young bear is a gray wolf that was playing chase with the grizzlies.


Wolf in middle between the bears.


My fishing buddy taking a pic of a baby bison.  Our car was surrounded by bison, and we were stuck for a while.


Buddy has a high-dollar telescope; here is a better pic of the sandhill crane on its eggs.


Even though we were 100 yards away, his scope could zoom right in on the crane.


Black bear yearling at Calcite Springs


Great Horned Owl on nest


Peregrine Falcon on next.

[2Stater]

These are great, Chech. Keep em coming!

[ricky023]

Again Chechem thanks  . I am so grateful you get to visit these places it is almost like we are there with you. RTR!

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