Beartooth Glory

 Yesterday we decided to load up the packs and fishing gear and drive up the Beartooth Highway to do a little trout fishing. Our plan was to head back a legal two-track a few miles and hike from there to a couple lakes where we have had good luck in the past.

Our temperatures at 5000' have been consistently in the 90's and higher for the last few weeks so we might be forgiven for forgetting that it is still early spring atop the Beartooth Mountains! All the dirt roads are closed until at least mid-July due to snow and wet conditions. So we changed our plans and parked just off the highway, heading in on foot toward Duck Lake, not far from the larger Chain Lakes.

In the first photo you get a sense of the snow that is still scattered around the landscape. In case you think this is an insignificant amount, I took a shot of Ken in front of one of the 12' or so banks.There is still a lot of water to be mined from the melting snow bergs.

 The day was glorious and the views magnificent. The smoky skies of lower altitudes were not obvious and a slight breeze kept the mosquitoes away.

We each caught a few small brook trout that we then released before packing away our fishing gear and just enjoying the day.

The last photo shows the Bear's Tooth in the distance. This is the small peak that gives this range its name.

More Locals

 This morning I caught sight of a mama cottontail nosing around the yard with her baby by her side. It is unusual to capture a photo of the two together so I grabbed my camera and went back to try. As soon as I stepped outside the mama bunny chased her little one into the bushes.

I stood there with my camera ready for a few minutes but they were too smart for me so I shut down the Canon and turned to head back indoors. My movements apparently startled another observer that I hadn't even realized was there.

 Up rose the golden eagle from a rock just a few yards away! By the time I got the camera turned on again he was halfway across the yard - without his breakfast of bunny.

It is so good to see the eagle back again. It never ceases to amaze me how he can be intimidated (harassed) into leaving for the few months the ravens have their nest in action.

 The wonderful story by Kathie K left as a comment to yesterday's post inspired me to go back out last evening and attempt to get some better shots of the violet green swallows in action. I wanted to show the wonderful colors of these birds that earned them their name.

I am so glad I was sitting outside when the meeting above took place!

Look at that face!

Locals

 A couple of locals that entertain us most days are the violet green swallows - top two photos - and the rock wren - bottom. The song of the latter is a joy to hear while the swallows never cease to amaze with their aerial acrobatics!

More Red Desert

 Today I decided to post a few more landscape shots taken in the Red Desert last weekend. The area we were in is called Honeycomb Buttes and it runs for many miles. We only hiked a few hours but I took lots of shots.

 It wasn't until I went to post these four that I realized three of them have the same strange little rock sculpture as their focal point (maybe all four if I look close enough at the first shot)! All three photos were taken from different angles and locations. I must have really liked the look of this formation.

New Residents

Yesterday evening I opened the back door and startled a mama mule deer and her very young offspring. They had undoubtedly come in to the yard for a drink, which I hope they got before I inadvertently scared them back to the rocks.  

 This morning I opened the front door to let out Frank the cat and the first thing I saw was the golden eagle sitting on a hillside across from me. As I debated grabbing the camera, I caught sight of mama mule deer, head down, running at the eagle as if she were a bull and he the matador! The goldie apparently didn't like what he saw and he took to the air, headed south, as fast as he could go.  Mama watched him for about a minute before turning and walking back in the opposite direction. As she drew near a large juniper bush, up from the greenery popped her youngster. The baby seems to find it almost impossible not to run and jump, even in the intense heat of the past few days.

After breakfast I decided to water the garden and as I walked outside I caught sight of the second new visitor. He is also cute as can be but I am afraid he is not welcome to stay. This is an infamous pack rat; one of the most destructive rodents alive, I think. In this photo he is wedged between the house and the grill. The war is on.

Butterfly Beauty

 On Saturday I hiked up to Popo Agie Falls at the end of Sinks Canyon near Lander, Wyoming.

Along the way I captured two butterfly shots that I wanted to share.





The swallowtail is a little beat up but it was nice of him to land on a scarlet gilia!

Red Desert Resident

Yesterday I attended a group hike in Wyoming's Red Desert to an amazing place called Honeycomb Buttes. The last photo in today's post is a landscape shot of the area. I will post more scenery photos in the days to come but today I wanted to show a few images of one of the residents: a prairie falcon, likely with a nest nearby.

When we started the hike she landed on a rock above us and expressed her displeasure at our presence.

 As we passed by, she flew in circles overhead, wishing us on our way. Zoom in to see the amazing markings on her face and those wonderful leggings above her substantial talons.

After hiking for several hours we returned to our vehicles by the same route and she once again greeted us with her yells.

 I love getting shots of birds in flight! Look how those legs are tucked up under her tail.

This is a shot of one small section of an area that runs for about 20 miles just south of Centennial Peak.

Wired

Two osprey viewed yesterday.

What is wrong with this picture??!

Flying Artwork

Today's post is just a little eye candy from two shots I took yesterday. In the top photo you see a classic Checkerspot butterfly on a blanket flower. I remember as a child being told that orange and red don't go together. I guess no one told this guy - thank heavens!

Second up is a Nessus Sphinx moth. Even though these guys are nocturnal by nature, this fellow decided to take a short break in full sunlight on the side of the house.
The "normal" sphinx moth we see here is the White-Lined. This Nessus is a little far west of his usual range so we were especially delighted to see him!

I will be teaching a photography workshop in Lander, Wyoming on Saturday. Can't wait!

Raven Aerobics!

I have been traveling for a couple weeks - way too long to be away from home! 

While I was on the road, the raven baby fledged. Unlike last year's youngster, this guy has not gone far. He seems to be hungry all the time and he spends quite a few hours each day performing for us. I suspect he is practicing his moves for future situations. 

I have called this post Raven Aerobics because in this sequence he really looks like he is trying to lead a yoga or pilates class!

Everybody stretch high!

 Now try to touch your left toe with your right wing.

Everybody up on their toes and reach for the sky!

 The pose above is one of my favorites. He is stretching his wing forward while reaching the opposite leg backward.

And the graceful finale!

Garden

Because of a lack of water we have pretty much given up on any sort of vegetable garden. We do have a small flower garden in the back yard that has mostly native wildflowers and some dry climate vegetation. This time of year we get some amazing colors and an abundance of bees.

The hole in the rock on the right is actually a honey bee hive! It has been active for a number of years and we are astonished each spring when we see them back!

Grebe

 A few days ago I had a chance to watch a grebe feeding in the Green River. A couple of the fascinating features of these birds are their wonderful red eyes and the flat top hairdo!

 He swam out into the sun and turned to face me, giving a better view of his "do"!

What a show-off!

Rainbow's End

This rainbow was incredibly bright considering the sky was not that dark. It sure looks like the pot of gold should be right behind Tower Rock!

Ouch!

Tis the week for cactus blooms!

There are two varieties of the prickly plants that grow in this area. The first, shown above, is much less common and this is the first time I have been able to actually capture one in bloom. These are Pincushion Cacti. As with most things, it is pretty easy to see how they got their name. 

 Much more common is the Prickly Pear. It is hard to believe such a stand-offish plant can have these beautiful, delicate flowers, but here they are.

Although very similar, there is some variation in the color of the flowers as you can see in these three photos. The first shot shows the most typical.

Raven Update

 With the recent winter weather followed by a day or two of strong winds, I thought I should go check on the raven babies yesterday.

There were a couple surprises. First was the fact that the three are now one. Two years does not a study make, but I am starting to think that ravens are like bald eagles: they have two or three young and then let them fight for food until only the strongest survives. It seems a cruel way to enter this world but I have to assume it has a genetic benefit over time.

The other surprise was the size of the remaining baby - he has grown significantly since last I saw him. He almost looks like a full grown raven now and I suspect it won't be long before he fledges.

I looked at last year's record and see the baby left the nest on June 22.

In this third photo the baby has his eyes "closed".