There was a black bear sow that had dug a den for her two cubs to winter in. She has been there for a couple of weeks, only wandering out during the warm spells. It looks like she may use it for her permanent winter den. It is located near the petrified tree turnout on a steep bare hillside. It is pretty unique to be able to look inside of an occupied bear den.
Over near the Blacktail ponds some of the Bison had found an ashy like dirt to wallow around in.
Fall is supposed to be a good time for Great Grey Owls. On our second session out we found a very cooperative owl down near the Lake Area.
This one was actively hunting from low perch to perch. We had to refind it a number of times to get photos.
In the afternoon we found the Grizzly sow, Snow, near the lake shore.
My appetite was wetted for more Great Grays. I had a couple of hours to kill near Gardiner, one evening, so I hiked out to the Beaver Ponds behind Mammoth. It sure seemed like good meadows for the owls to hunt in, but I did not see any. These deer were the only thing I saw. They were comfortable with me and did not even rise up. I took that as a reassuring sign that there were no bears nearby.
Most of the birds had migrated home for the winter but there were still a lot of these Gray Jays.
One quiet morning I was watching some coyotes visit an established carcass near Soda Butte. I was hoping some bears or wolves would appear.
A ranger showed up with an axe and interrupted their feeding.
I wasn't sure what he was up to until he emerged with the rack and head of the elk carcass.
I 'm not sure if they were taking it away for a biology study or if they just wanted to keep it away from any antler poachers. It looked strange out there in the meadow while they moved the truck closer to pick it up.
The Lamar pack were busy making regular kills in the Hellroaring area. Good scoping, but too far for camera photos. I went back towards the Lake area and found Raspberry and Jam well within view, below the Lake Butte.
There seemed to be a lot to eat out there. They foraged many days in a row looking for sedges and forbs then taking long naps, then waking up and foraging between the downed trees some more. This is Jam, she is almost as big as her mom now.
The slower I can drive in Yellowstone, the more wildlife encounters and photo opportunities I notice.
This photo reminds me that even if there is no one on the park road at day break and there are no animals on the road for as far as a driver can see , it is important to still slow down for animals like this Great Gray flying low over the road. As long as a car was going below the speed limit these owls would have a good chance to spot it and avoid it.
We found another Great Grey Owl further south than the first, this one had more of a bronze tint to it and the light was better.
Their furry legs remind me of cat.
Preparing to pounce to the ground.
The Wapiti pack had made a kill in the Gibbon meadows area and there was still a lone black wolf feeding, not intimidated by the cars and crowds.
This eagle swooped in and snatched a morsel off the water.
The wolf waded across the Gibbon twice. to reach the rest of the pack, hiding in the forest.
The weather was good during my stay. It snowed a bit a couple of the mornings but that melted away within hours as the day warmed up.
tv
Seriously, great photos and we thoroughly enjoy seeing them as a reminder of what the animals looked like as we saw them through our binoculars. We must have crossed paths that day. Too bad we didn't realize it or we could have introduced ourselves. That photo of the black bear is fantastic and likewise the GGO's. Thanks for posting such great pics.