Wyoming wildlife

[cnycharles]

There is quite a bit of wildlife in wyoming, and it isn't all found in the jackson/teton village bars and night spots. While visiting my oldest sister's area while gathering for my mother's 80th birthday party, we saw many birds, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, foxes, tiny critters and bats, but this time no moose or elk. During my last visit to new mexico there were a few remote spots where we saw some distant antelope, but in these areas they are trained to avoid slowing or backing vehicles by running like mad. Not very good for a photo op!

pronghorn antelope in field nearby the black powder lodge where
most of us were staying (bondurant, wy). in this area, the local
ranches are cutting the grass for winter feed. when the grass has
been baled or stacked into mounds, the antelope herds come in to
feed on the remains and short stubs of grass; bucks, does and young
ones. if you stay in your vehicle and they aren't too close to the road,
usually they will just watch you. these animals likely aren't road-hunted
so they aren't trained to run from a slowing vehicle (and there are often
people on tractors and horses all around them in the fields and roads)

osprey nesting platform with two young and adults, on the
moose/wilson road just north of the teton village ski area
(where I worked for two winters back in the '80's)

some type of ground varmint that was surprised to see me when
I was photographing some native orchids and other interesting
wildflowers again north of the teton village ski area on the moose/wilson
road, very near the rockefeller nature preserve (wetland/boglands)

pronghorn antelope doing what they do best; not at top speed
but just enough to get them away from overly curious tourists

red-tailed hawk (one of very many) which can be found on any
upright post or power contrivance; I saw six in just a few miles
from my sister's cabin to the lodge where I was heading for breakfast

family of pronghorn antelope near sister's cabin (near bondurant, wy)

an unfinished bridge for migratory ungulates and other four-footed creatures
(near pinedale, wy)

parent osprey landing on nesting platform. as one parent arrives,
the other takes off. they stand guard a few hundred yards away
and keep their eyes open for food (teton mountains in background)

note in this picture that two of the osprey have tracking antennas
sticking up from their back between their wings. I think
that one parent and one child have antennas on their backs

more in next window

 

[cnycharles]

part two

mountain bluebird resting on a fence post, waiting for vehicle to pass
so that it can continue hunting for bugs on the dirt/gravel road. these
birds are very beautiful, but you often can't see most of the blue
unless they are in flight

hanging out on the back of a dump truck

one bluebird giving itself a good head scratching

probably same antelope family, different day

herd of antelope on the lower hillside

antelope standing far atop a hill near my sister's cabin. one
watched while the others were laying down (they all got up
when we approached)

hawk, not sure if red-tailed hawk or golden eagle. we saw
lots of hawks and other smaller raptors and were told that
there were lots of golden eagles around, but when at a distance
not sure which was which, though have read that eagles have
short heads and long tails

circling pair

red-tailed hawk or golden eagle?


couldn't get pictures of the foxes as they ran across the highways, and were many many ravens that I didn't bother to get pictures of. didn't happen to have camera ready when there were mule deer near the road, but was often intent on getting somewhere on a time schedule. we also thought we saw a moose cow while high up along the upper hoback river, but as I readied my camera for a unique photo op it lifted it's head and was saw that it was only a black angus calf feeding in the evergreens :rollhappy: . many ranches take their cattle up into the higher elevations to let them feed for the summer

also I didn't happen to get pictures of the crazy hummingbirds that were constantly visiting the nectar feeders along the porch of the black powder lodge where we were staying; many people sat on the deck benches watching them fly back and forth and attacking each other. interesting to note that there were black and white hornets that were able to drive the birds from a feeder

 

[JeanLux]

Interesting pics Charles!!!! Jean

 

[abax]

Nice to see red tails. We have red shouldered hawks
galore, but rarely see red tails. I suppose the rednecks have managed to shoot most of them.
The ospreys are gorgeous birds. Strange about antelope and deer...we have a 150 acre tree nursery
full of white tails. We can get very, very close to them when on a tractor, but the minute a human steps
off the machine, they run like hell. Puzzling since they're not hunted on our property and the tractors
make so much noise.

 

[biothanasis]

Wonderful pics Charles!!! Bravo!!!

The birds in question are hawks. Eagles have more "heavy", longer (compared to main body) and more square-tiped wings.

Oh, I'd love to see the hummingbirds...! Too bad you could not get pictures of them

 

[Shiva]

Love to see those photos. Thanks!

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the pics! I've seen some of those animal bridges in Banff National Park too, and they seem to work pretty good. The fences on both sides of the highway funnel the animals to the bridge so they can cross safely.

Cool pics of the Pronghorn too! Just one correction, though: Pronghorn are not antelope - just Pronghorn. They are a unique species, genus and family endemic to North America.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

It is nice to see so many wild animals around - I miss that since there are just a few in my area and they are hard to see most times.

What lens are you using for these shots? 500 mm?

 

[cnycharles]

for most of the distant shots i'm using my 105mm macro lens and for closer or wide-angle attempts, when not using the little digital i'm using my 50mm macro/digital lens. the 105 doesn't have the same coatings on the glass so the color is slightly different. also my camera has a smaller receiver plate that's closer to the lens, so that 'zooms' a lens and turns a 105 into more like a 140 or so

 

[Hera]

Looks like you had another great vacation. Nice shots
?

 

[NYEric]

MMMMM..lots o' good eatin'! :evil:

 

[Clark]

Great views Charles!
Wish I knew more about the camera when Christine an I were out there.
Those mountain bluebirds are a real treat. My shots of them ended up in the waste bin.

Nice to be able to get so close to pronghorns. Not a cooperative subject.

I don't think that is golden eagle either. Red-tailed hawks have enough color variations to make one nuts, but this is what I would tend to believe you have there.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

for most of the distant shots i'm using my 105mm macro lens...also my camera has a smaller receiver plate that's closer to the lens, so that 'zooms' a lens and turns a 105 into more like a 140 or so

Wow, that's a lot shorter than I had imagined. So you were pretty darn close to your subjects.

 

[likespaphs]

great photos!