Every wildlife photographer has their image bucket list. Usually it contains the more difficult animals to photograph. On the top of those lists are often the Wolverine followed by Lynx, Wolf, Grizzly and , of course, the Pika. The little Pika lives in the high mountains on talus slopes with his friend the Marmot. He is cousins with the rabbit rather than squirrels and other rodents. He is a fast little sucker and my camera had a hard time focusing before he would scurry away. He gathers the plants he likes and stores a warehouse full for winter.

We went up to the top of the Beartooth Mountains last wednesday. I noticed the raptor flying above and wondered what he was. Then he tucked his wings and dove down the cliffs in front of me. No question then that he was a Peregrine Falcon. They are capable of diving at 240mph.

The American Bison is our favorite animal in the Park. Most of the big attractions, Bear, wolves, Moose, Elk etc are usually a long ways away and you are looking through a spotting scope to see them. But the Bison are everywhere in the Lamar Valley. If you watch their movements and they look like they are going to cross the road it is time for a Bison jam. But we love them. We go find a pullout near the guessed crossing point and then just park and wait. Often the Bison will cross right around you allowing you to get a very up close and personal look at the animals. As long as you DON'T get out of your...

We went hiking at Bearclaw bakery into the high country looking for the BearClaw Bear. Helen was our guide to help find the reclusive animal. After a long hike we sighted the Bear on a rock in the snow. Yummy!

The Marmot is one of the first animals I learned the latin name for as a child. Marmota Flaviventris, the yellow bellied Marmota is really a large ground squirrel that lives in rock talus slopes in the high mountains above 6500 feet. There are lots of talus slopes in the Beartooth mountains and lots of Marmots live there.

After having a bison carcass within close viewing distance and having watched it consumed by both wolves and grizzlies you don't expect to see much the next few days. But as a wolf watcher you must never make assumptions. We went in early as usual, before daybreak, which comes early in the Beartooths. A group of watchers had gathered at a turn out. Six members of the Junction Butte Pack were hanging out across the river in the Lamar Valley. One of the wolves, we think the Mocha Yearling, was casually following a big bull bison. This yearling has been quite adventuresome this summer. It is pretty...

Yellowstone National Park is overrun with tourists. More than it can handle and it shows. Unfortunately tourists excited about seeing wildlife but with no understanding of the animals they are so exuberantly trying to see may hurt wildlife. There are road kills where people bring their impatient city driving habits to the park and end of killing wildlife. Also by not understanding the complexities of the animals they are viewing they can harm them. There is a kill near the road that is attracting bears and wolves who need the food. One wolf is collar number 1109 a female with puppies. Sometime...

There was a Bison death near the road, of natural causes, and that meant extremely good wildlife viewing. The Junction wolf pack was trying to defend the find. A Sow Grizzly and her two yearling cubs wanted some of the free food. But the wolf pack was not having any of it. So they dispatched four wolves to escort the Bear and cubs out of Dodge. Wolves can and do kill bear cubs but not apparently today. Wolves have a very sophisticated social order. They have good leaders and bad. Harsh leaders and gentle ones. In this case it appears the wolves were given marching orders to escort the wolves...

We watched this black bear enjoying his morning as he worked back and forth on a hillside eat ONLY yellow flowers. All the time we watched him. Just the top part of the stem and the flower. Yum. He probably waited all winter for these flowers to bloom!  

There is a bison kill in the Lamar Valley and the various residents have been taking advantage of the food source. Barb noticed a Bear swimming across the Lamar river. It turned out to be a boar Grizzly chasing a sow with two yearling cubs. The boar would kill the cubs if he caught her but he finally gave up to go check out the kill. Then momma bear was escorted out of the area by three wolves who would rather have the kill to themselves. The cubs did a good job of attacking the wolves and trying to defend themselves. Wolves can kill bear cubs. The wolves harassed the three bears until mom made...