|
|
"Multiple Meese", Yellowstone National Park
January 4, 2014
Isn't that the correct way to call a group of bull moose? Okay, maybe not...but
none the less, it does sound kind of right... Right?
So far this winter, 5 mature (yet small) bulls have been hanging together in
Round Prairie along the Soda Butte & Pebble Creek area. It is nice to see
so many in one location... Happy New Year everyone!
|
|
|
Old Bull, Yellowstone National Park
January 23, 2014
I have been watching this old guy though the winter season... He holds a great
deal of life memories under that 7x7 rack of antlers! This old bull has most
likely seen a lot in his time on this earth.... Basking in the warmth of the sun,
contemplating what has transpired. He is a bit gaunt. He is missing some fur
due to scabies. I have seen him filling his belly with Douglas Fir needles....
This might be his last winter, but for now ~ he is making due and persevering.
|
|
|
Bald Eagle in Flight, Gardiner, Montana
February 1, 2014
I anticipated this mature Bald eagle to be perched in a Cottonwood along the
Yellowstone River ~ low and behold, there it was! Waiting for it to take flight,
I hoped to capture the open wings.... I was fortunate to have these few fleeting
moments with this majestic feathered creature!
Mouse over this image for a look at an old bull bison who was blanketed with a
new snowfall... It amazes me how their thick hide keeps their body heat in and
allows the snow to build up on their backs!
|
|
|
Winter Happenings Along the Firehole River, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
February 17, 2014
Guiding a snowcoach tour to the interior of the park proved exciting with a
few winter scenes.... It was great to see the Firehole Falls which are found in
the Firehole Canyon, just south of Madison Junction. If you mouse over the
image you can see a cow elk standing in the Firehole. She was pregnant and
attentive to some nearby bison. Standing in the river for up to a half hour, she
can graze on vegetation without becoming hypothermic. It helps to have
arteries running warm blood near the cooler flowing veins in the lower
extremities!
|
|
|
Bobcat Hunting, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
February 26, 2014
This day promised greatness, we had our "cat in the bag" if you will.... We saw
the cat was hunkered into a log jam along the river's edge, so we just had to
wait for it to emerge. Six hours later, it did! We watched this magnificent wild
cat stretch, mark, scratch trees, stalk in the snow, jump, hunt, lounge, etc. for
over 2 hours...
Mouse over this image for another view of this wild bobcat.
Very soon I will be updating my bobcat gallery with more images and omitting
older pictures.... Please stay tuned!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge, MD
March 23, 2014
This year's trip to Blackwater was filled with exciting photo opportunities!
From a Bald Eagle eating a fish, a quiet moment with some Sika deer,
hundreds of Snow Geese, small song birds and Pileated woodpeckers - as
well as the images you see here. I tried to play with the composition of this
Great Blue Heron. I hoped for something unique, not just the bird in pose. I
like that the bird relaxed enough to close its eyes. Mouse over the image for a
view of a captive Barn Owl that I photographed at the annual Eagle Fest.
Stay tuned for updates to my image galleries and new images from Blackwater!
|
|
|
Bull Bison & River Otter, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone NP
April 4, 2014
It has been a hard winter for many creatures, but this old bull bison seems to
be holding his own.... Wouldn't want to get on his bad side! This was taken
from the safety of a vehicle with a telephoto lens... Please remember that this
is NOT the time of the year to test any wild creature, especially the
grazers.... They are on the edge ~ the green-up isn't here yet, and your
pressure could be their tipping point between death & life! Mouse over this
image to see an entertaining aquatic animal found in Yellowstone's Winter
Wonderland!
|
|
|
Wild Turkey Roosting, Silver Gate, Mont.
April 16, 2014
A small band of wild turkeys are still hanging around the Silver Gate area, a
small mountain town just outside the NE gate of Yellowstone. I liked the
contrasts and composition that this one offered as it went to roost in a tree.
|
|
|
Full Moon Rising ~ undisclosed location, Montana
April 23, 2014
This little calf was born as the full moon was rising to the east of this family's
bison ranch (hence his name).The white bison is considered spiritually
significant by many Native American tribes. It seems as though this young bull
is leucistic rather than albino ~ he has blue eyes, not pink. According to the
National Bison Association, white buffalo (bison), are extremely rare,
estimating only 1 out of every 10 million births does it occur!
Full Moon Rising seems to not have any difficulty with sight or hearing at this
point in his young life. I was asked to keep the ranch name anonymous as they
do not want to make it public at this point in time....
|
|
|
Mountain Bluebird, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
May 16, 2014
I set off with a coffee and camera the other morning with the intention of
finding a Great Gray Owl, a Bobcat and a Mountain Bluebird nest. The first
wasn't all that far of a long shot as I had heard their calls but could not isolate
one. The Bobcat was a stretch, but I had to look around for one.... Finally,
while photographing a landscape scene, the muted calls of the bluebird pair
captured my attention towards a new nesting cavity that I had not seen
before! I think I will be posting more images of this pair in the weeks to
follow.... I love springtime in the Rocky Mountains!
|
|
|
Eared Grebe, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
June 1, 2014
The most abundant grebe found in North America, yet this was my first time
ever photographing this amazing looking bird! Taken a few weeks ago, it was
the ripples on the surface of a small pond that caught my attention. It was then
that I noticed the piercing red eye of the grebe as it emerged from below the
water from feeding.... Breeding & nesting occurs in Yellowstone during the
spring/early summer time. With elaborate courtship behavior, mates appear to
"walk on water" as they rise out of the water, necks extended, swimming in an
upright position parallel each other.
Mouse over this image for a profile look at this beautiful bird!
|
|
|
Elk Calf, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
June 6, 2014
It is the time of the season for elk to have their young... This little calf was
actually right off the roadside! It was the attentive mother elk that caught my
eye - she was by herself and alert. I watched her for a few moments, but
couldn't notice a calf. As the cow elk bedded down, I began to drive off and
there it was, just out the driver's side door! I snapped a few images from the
truck before moving on... I didn't want the calf to spook and run, nor did I want
to cause any undo stress on the mom. It was a nice opportunity to photograph
this little one! Last time I had this chance was when I nearly stepped on a calf
walking off trail, maybe 10 years ago!
|
|
|
Sunrise Grizzly, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
June 25, 2014
The alarm woke me at 3a.m. and I was on the road by 4a.m. from Gardiner to
get to Hayden Valley over Dunraven Pass by 6:15a.m... It payed off as this
grizzly bear was munching on something delectable across the Yellowstone
River near Alum Creek. We got there just before the sun peaked the eastern
tree line, so were able to capture the progression of the early morning light.
Mouse over this image to view a different grizzly bear! This sow was being
courted by a much larger male. Previous to this image, he was chasing her right
towards our vehicle! This image was taken after the chase had mellowed down
and she was busy digging Biscuit root (yet still looking back for him)....
|
|
|
Coyote Pups, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
June 25, 2014
With a little knowledge from a friend, and a short walk over a hill, I found this
den surrounded by purple Sticky geraniums in the early morning light. With
limited time I was not able to watch these lil ones much, but felt blessed to see
mom with her three pups out along Yellowstone's Northern Range.
|
|
|
Bison At Sunrise, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
July 22, 2014
It is the beginning of an age-old tradition ~ the bison rut..... With bull bison
getting ready for the next month of lack of sleep, food and drink ~ this bull
was not happy about me crossing his path at morning's first light. He would
not let me pass him, leaving us in a 15 minute stand off. Do not mess with the
bulls!
|
|
|
Pair Of Moose, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
August 14, 2014
An early morning view of a pair o' moose. It was a surprise to drive over the
hill and see these two grazing in the vegetation of Floating Island Lake.... Not
the mating season, I pondered if they might be siblings reuniting or is this early
romance? I guess we will never know.... Nature in Yellowstone continues to
show us moments.
|
|
|
Fall Brings the Bugle, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
August 29, 2014
As I drove over Dunraven Pass in the early morning light, the colors stopped
me and I had to watch the natural changes of daybreak. It was beautiful and
quick to change! Mouse over this image for a view to a velvet-free bull elk!
This is one of the "Boys of Summer" who shed his living skin and was ready
to rut, just south of Canyon Village. The elk mating season is near!
|
|
|
Bull Elk Moment, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
September 22, 2014
An early morning drive on the Blacktail Plateau Drive brought a wonderful
pre-sunrise view of a bull elk chasing a younger satellite bull away from his
harem of cows.
Mouse over this image for a look at the Autumn Colors along the high
elevation meadows near Baronette Peak, in the park's northeast corner.
|
|
|
Season of the Proghorn, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
October 5, 2014
Mid-day on the Old Yellowstone Road the proghorn were in full go mode! It
is their breeding season, or rut... At speeds up to 65 mph, they have no
problem escaping predators, but this female who did not seem interested in
the males attention, certainly had some difficulty keeping ahead of him!
Mouse over this image for a look at the confused twins, as they pondered why
mom was running so much!
|
|
|
Ghostly Like Images, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
October 19, 2014
During an extended stay in the West Wing of the Old Faithful Inn, I took the
time to head out on the porch for an evening look-about with the full moon
rising... Just as Old Faithful Geyser was beginning to erupt, a large tour bus
parked down below me. The light adds a bit to the image, so I must thank the
driver for that! Mouse over this image for a look at the "Bobby Sock Trees"
in the early morning fog! It was quite the tranquil, yet eerie scene!
|
|
|
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, WY
November 13, 2014
Snow has covered the high country for the winter and temperatures have been
at -22 degrees in Gardiner, Montana for the last two nights.... The elk rut has
tapered off and the busy bulls are finally remembering to slow it down and
focus on food. This magnificent bull was 'slurping down' all the leaves fallen
from nearby cottonwood trees. I took a moment to narrow in my composition
on his eye.
|
|
|
Buck n' Ram Fever, Gardiner, Montana
November 24, 2014
The mule deer are in full rutting mode around Gardiner! Just a short morning
drive the other day found at least 15-20 bucks focused on the does... Mouse
over this image for a look at a Bighorn sheep ram who was focused too! The
Rocky Mountains are now alive with the sound of cracking horns! This ram is
fleming, lifting his upper lip and scenting the nearest female who is in estrus.
|
|
|
Cougars in the Wild, Gardiner, Montana
December 18, 2014
A friend happened upon a fresh elk carcass that was cached by a mountain
lion. I went back the next morning and set up two 'trail cameras'... After a few
days, we found out that there was not just one cougar, but a mom with two
young ones feeding.... This image is not for sale, but I wanted to show you a
bit of Yellowstone's true backcountry wildness! Mouse over this image for
another view of the female.
|
Back to the Home Page
|
|
| |
|
Click here to get back to the Home Page for
MacNeil Lyons Images
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
