And there are TWO!!

Northern Saw Whets that is!

The weather is beautiful today and I couldn't resist running out to Market Lake to search for the Northern Saw Whet.  

The first one I found was in the same tree that I found one in last week.  I was hoping it might be a regular spot for it and was happy to find one there again today.  

I didn't stop and take any photos - there were cars in the parking area and I kind of wanted to find out who else was there before I gave away his hiding spot and who do I see coming down the path towards me but Patty Pickett!  She had missed spotting him so we went back to him and got our photos. 

Patty went to her car to message a friend to see if he wanted to come up and I went on walking up the path in the trees.  Always scanning the trees to see what else I could find. 

And I spot a 2nd Saw Whet!!

I KNEW there had to be another!!

 
Sweet!!  

We also got some shots of the Great Horned Owls.

 
They had a disagreement of some kind.  Very interesting to watch!!  The one to the left was snapping his bill at the other and had ahold of his foot!!

 And later Gale and I found a PHEASANT - !!! - in a tree!!  Didn't expect that!!

Since hunting season has opened it might be a safe spot for him!!  I can honestly say I've never tho't to look for a Pheasant in a tree!! 

I'll keep running out to Market Lake as long as the weather is good.  Wish me luck!!

Fall Drive

Don and I do a Fall Drive every year.  There's a road that goes from Ashton, Idaho and you come out over by Flagg Ranch which is north of Jackson, Wy.  It's called the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road or Reclamation Road.  The east end is called Grassy Lake Road.

Whatever it's known by - Don and I know it's a beautiful Fall Drive.  This year we did it backwards!  Don had a truck he had to deliver so we dropped that off with the new owner at Moose, Wy (just north of Jackson) and then headed out on our drive.  

Here's the photos of the Fall colors.

It's not a drive where we see much wildlife but since we were at Moose, Wy we did the Moose-Wilson Road first and found a couple Moose.

And somewhere along the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Road we found a Mule Deer

A Squirrel

And this Grouse crossing the road.

Thanks for looking!! 

Oops!!  Sorry if you looked already but I forgot to add a couple photos.  When we came out over by Ashton we drove up to Mesa Falls!

Here's the Lower Falls

 

And the Upper Falls

 

 

Of Badgers & Black Bears

So happy to get a day to spend with Don!  The only bad thing (Really Bad!) was I had to work until midnight - when we go to Yellowstone that means getting up early and the alarm went off at 4:15 am.  But I'm not about to miss a chance to go to Yellowstone even if it means less than 4 hours of sleep!!

The ride up was uneventful and we pulled into West Yellowstone for a bit of gas, use the bathroom and more coffee for Don before heading into the Park.  While he's getting coffee I pull up facebook on my phone and see the bad news.  Dunraven Pass is CLOSED!!!  Oh No!!  Don suggests going around thru Big Sky/Bozeman/Livingston but that adds 3 more hours to our trip so we take our chances that Dunraven will re-open by the time we get there.

We find a nice Bull Elk just off the road along the Madison River and get some shots of him.  A bugle or two would have been nice but it seemed to be time for breakfast instead.

We had no way of knowing if Dunraven was open yet since we had no internet access - when we got to Norris we decide to waste a bit more time and went as far as the construction between Norris and Mammoth would let us and turned around at Roaring Mountain.  We did find some nice reflections at South Twin Lake so stopped for a few shots.

When we finally made it over to Canyon we see the road is open and head for Mt Washburn and Dunraven Pass.  Still snowy and icy in spots.

We've made it to the north end of the Park but find nothing at Tower.  Or Roosevelt.  We miss something at Floating Island Lake and there's nothing at Phantom Lake.  But the good news is that the Blacktail Plateau Road is OPEN!!!  The only thing we find are 2 cars who had found Mountain Goats - of all things - to the north.  I've never heard of Mountain Goats being seen there - it would be above the road that runs along Phantom Lake.  I'm looking for "white" and only find snow.  When I do finally find an animal - it's Big Horn Sheep.  

Silly people.

We cruise Petrified Tree and re-check Tower and finally head for Lamar Valley.  The area along the first part of the road is called Little America and at the end - we're almost to the Lamar River bridge I look to my right - it's where I spotted our Badger in the Spring.  What do I see???

Badger.  

Which is what I say to Don.  I don't yell it and he thinks I'm just mentioning "THAT" was where we saw one - and keeps driving.  So I quickly ask him Don't you want to stop for a Badger?  He finally understands that I've actually spotted one - NOT just making conversation!!

We grab cameras and tripods and head across the road and up the embankment.  The Badger is still there - now I wonder how close we can get.  When he finally notices us approaching he makes his way over to some holes.  We stop and set up and get some shots.  

He watches us closely - even tho' we're still some distance away.  He goes down a hole and Don and I wait.  But after that whenever he would turn or disappear - we'd pick up and move closer!! 

If he notices it doesn't alarm him.  He'd stop and watch us and then go about his business.  We had him for almost 45 minutes before I turned around and noticed a lady had joined us.  When he finally disappeared a family had also walked out to see what we were doing.  They were too late!
   

Twice as we watched him - he would stop and put his nose in the air and twirl around.  The second time I quick switched on the video - I'll post that on my facebook page so look for it!  Not sure what the behavior means but it was a surprise to both Don and I !!

He finally wandered over the hill so we loaded up and headed for the truck.  We didn't find anything going on in Lamar Valley but the Bison were a sight to see!  The far side of the valley was just dotted with them.  

We made another trip down the Blacktail Plateau Road and stopped for some Fall color.

I was disappointed not to find a Black Bear before we got to Calcite Springs and it looked like we would go home without seeing any - but 2 pull-outs past the Calcite lot we find a Black Bear grazing beside the road. 

It seems like once we got there - everyone else did too so it's impossible to get a shot of him as cars stop beside him on both sides of the road.  We went to the other side of the road but then there was grass and bushes in the way.  Lucky for us he found a spot to get above the brick wall and we got some nice shots.

But then as he got closer to us I had too much lens and all I could get were head shots.  NOT a bad thing!!

We were finally able to get ahead of him and here's the last one before we couldn't see him anymore. 

 
Time to head for home.  But just down the road we have to pause for another Black Bear - this one cinnamon in color as he grazed right beside the road.  Unfortunately I didn't get many shots of him and when we turned around and came back by the Ranger had chased him from the side of the road and was patrolling the area for people stopping.

It started snowing on the drive out of the Park and to the west of the Madison Campground we found a huge line of cars.  Only problem is we never did see WHY they were stopped and creeping along.  Sure took us a long time to go a few miles before things started moving again.  

We had a Great day in the Park and tomorrow we're going to do our Annual Fall Drive on Don's day off.  Mine too!!  I might have to make another blog post!
Thanks for looking!

You Gotta LOVE Owls!!!

Yup - if you check this post you better LOVE Owls because that's all it's about!  I had incredible luck on Tuesday when I went out with my camera.  I've been doing a Camas and Market Lake trip about every week and that's what I did on Tuesday - not much to see up to Camas - the birds are heading south before Winter gets here so they're mostly gone.  And there hasn't been much of anything to see at Market Lake all year but I go and walk the trees and look for the Great Horned Owls.

Had luck finding them today and here's the shots - the first ones are from the earlier trip of the day.

 This is a favorite - he looks - ANGRY!!
 

And from later in the day - I know I didn't walk under this one but I turned and looked back down the path and there he sat - watching me.

While I was watching the Northern Saw Whet one of the Great Horned Owls flies down and lands on branches just on the other side of these bushes that line the path - the path I'm standing on!!  He's just 10 feet away from me!!  I don't think he had a good view of just what was just on the other side of the bushes from him but he could hear my camera and kept bobbing his head trying to see what that noise was.

While I'm watching the Northern Saw Whet - behind me I hear a commotion and the Squirrel runs across the path and the Great Horned Owl flies up from the ground to return to his branch.  Guess he won't be having Squirrel for dinner!  But he does look like he blames me -

And I can't resist searching for the little Northern Saw Whet Owl even tho' I haven't seen one since mid-November last year.  TEN months!!  I still had hope that one day there would be another.  

And I FINALLY found one!!  I had already gone by him as I checked the trees going north.  Coming back south I wasn't sure why I kept checking the trees.  But I just can't stop searching the branches.  

And what do I find sitting up high??  A little Northern Saw Whet.

I didn't want to leave and decided to come back later in the day.  And when I get back - - he's still there!  

Not sure what he was checking out below him -

Since it was late afternoon I wanted to wait around and see if the sun would hit him as it set in the west - and it did.

Now it was time to head home.  I couldn't help but wonder if there might be a second Saw Whet so I searched the trees as I headed to the car.  

And what do I see - sitting to the left of a tree trunk??  What I was sure was my second Saw Whet.  I set up the tripod and put my camera on it and snapped a few photos.  There's still light but with him on the east side of the tree trunk and leaves on the tree - I checked to see what kind of shot I was getting of him.  I made some adjustments and snapped a couple more.  Checked them again.  

And said THAT is NOT a Saw Whet!!  

I had a Flammulated Owl !!!  The second one I've gotten to see - both of them at Market Lake.  

Now I was really checking to see if I was getting my shots!!  

I went back out late this afternoon in hopes one or both would still be there but I couldn't find either one.  

But you can bet - I will keep looking!!!