2020 Teton Moose

The campground has been full every night with folks even in the overflow area. The moose have been slow to come in but a couple of mornings ago one bull was near my trailer so I got some nice images of him. The bulls will rub their antlers on shrubs to remove the velvet, and sometimes as a show of strength or threat, I think. The recent snowstorm means a lot of loose branches on the ground which look rather like bushes to them. This fellow picked up one branch, shook it loose them found a much larger one but didn’t get tangled up with it.

A couple of mornings later there was a cow and calf nearby. I’ve found it difficult to get nice images of a cow and calf but this morning it was worth the effort.

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2020 Teton Elk

 

Here in the Tetons there is a spot I often go to in the evenings. It overlooks a couple of little ponds with a stream running in front of the tree line. Moose can sometimes be seen there along with deer, coyotes, and elk. Usually the elk are so far away you really need binoculars or a spotting scope. However one recent evening there was a bull with his harem much closer so I was able to get some nice images of him and the cows. He was quite active moving among them and bugling.

Once in a while he would jus stop and survey the area. On other occasions he would chase a cow.

Watching the animals in the wild is special, being able to see them interact makes me appreciate them and this wonderful country so much.

 

 

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2020 Tetons Snow

Labor Day in the Tetons ended with a snowstorm complete with strong winds and heavy wet snow. Unfortunately the cottonwoods still had their leaves, which the snow clung to.  It was very pretty but caused a lot of limbs to break and fall and even a few trees. Fortunately my site was tree-free with no overhanging branches to cause damage

The next night I did get out and got a few images of the Tetons with the snow and Milky Way.

While the nights have been cold the sun is very warm and most of the snow is now gone except in shaded areas.

Campground managers had crews in on Tuesday with chain saws and loaders to clear the loops and there was a small street sweeper in on Wednesday to push the small debris to the sides of the roads. There are piles of debris everywhere but it certainly hasn’t put the campers off.

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2020 Tetons early

The full moon provided some good light at a couple of my favorite spots.

Moonlight on the Tetons

A few of the moose have been around but the campers are more numerous. I’ve never been in this area for Labor Day weekend and it is so totally different than after the holiday.

A moose cow has been around a bit but it’s easy to tell she’s not happy with all the activity. She’s very protective of her calf.

A few Bulls have been spotted but it means getting up and out very early. It can be pretty chilly, too. Some still have a lot of the velvet on their antlers. They rub the antlers on the bushes to remove it and sharpen the points. Sometimes the foliage gets caught in the antlers.

An hour or so later and they may well have laid down for a long period.  

Catching them in the sunlight really shows up their good condition.

2020 August Teton nights

Mouton Barn

Night photography in the Tetons is so much fun! There are certain places that make great foreground for the Milky Way. The Moulton Barn on Mormon Row has been captured many times at sunrise and sunset but I prefer it at night.

The Milky Way over water is particularly special for me.

Lastly, a new location, a pullout at the side of Jackson Lake provided a view across the lake with the mountains on the right. The water wasn’t really still so there weren’t any interesting reflections but it was another opportunity to see the spectacular night sky in all its glory. Truly humbling.

I was even lucky enough to capture a meteor in a couple of the images. More fun!

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2020 CO and WY, 1

On this trip west I returned to a NFS campground in Colorado that I first visited in August 2017.The election is about 9300′ so it was very pleasant after  the extreme  heat  to  get  there. There  are  some  interesting  birds there,including the  Western  Tanager  and  Stellar  Jay.  Both  photos  were  taken  through  the trailer  window  so  not  the  best.  I even saw a bit of wildlife in the form of numerous chipmunks and a marmot.

 

The goal was to get to the Tetons and it’s wonderful to be back here. The first night was very clear so the pull of the night sky won out. What a spectacular view of the Milky Way.

Two  morning later when I got the dogs out I looked across the main drive and there was a bull moose grazing on the willows! He  kept  looking  off  a  ways  so  I thought  there  might  be  another moose  around.  Sure  enough,  there  was  a  cow.

 

 

 

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2020 Comet Neowise

Last evening a good friend and I went out in hopes of capturing the comet Nowise. I had already been out 4 times with no luck due to low clouds. The location we selected would have water in front of us with a low tree line in the distance, not particularly interesting foreground but we hoped for some reflections….  Along with night photography we sometimes chase storms to get lightning images. Usually the storms pass on rather quickly or sometimes fizzle out before we even get a chance at them. Never in our wildest dreams could we have foreseen the evening’s events.

When we got to the location we realized a very large storm was taking place right in our line of view for the comet. At first the comet was pretty high up and getting much of the storm with it was difficult. As the evening progressed and it was lower in the sky we were able to capture some spectacular images.

At one point I put my wide angle lens on the camera and was able to capture the storm, the comet and the Big Dipper.

2020 Whitewater Draw, final

A pair of Great Horned Owls have  returned to the hay shed and she is sitting on a nest.

On Wednesday I moved to the over-flow camping area. This is north of the main one and right in the flight path of the cranes as they leave and return to the roosting area. Late one afternoon a great number of them settled in to a harvested cornfield to glean.Something spooked them and they all took off, flying right overhead.

It’s a challenge to photograph them overhead but fun to try.

Last evening there was a pretty colorful sunset and this evening while it wasn’t as colorful I was able to capture some of the cranes against the color. A pleasant way to finish up a good visit!

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2020-Whitewater Draw, 1

Whitewater Draw AZ G&F refuge makes a wonderful stop as a place to relax and enjoy nature. It is a major winter stop for thousands of Sandhill Cranes, along with some Snow Geese and various ducks.  In March it isn’t as cold as it is in January and the birds are still there.

The geese fly out to feed in the morning then return to relax before flying out for a late feed. Sometimes you get lucky and see them dance. Other times they’re just resting.

 

This visit there is a large flock of Yellow Headed Blackbirds. At one point they flew over the cranes and for some reason that caused many of the cranes to leap into the air very briefly.

While a lot of folks think “ducks are ducks” I have to admit some of them are very handsome with their vibrant coloring.

 

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2020 Apache Junction, AZ

After leaving CA we headed east to the Apache Junction area of AZ. We had a few days before checking into Lost Dutchman SP so we headed up the mountains to Tortilla Flats NFS campground. What a nice campground in a spectacular setting. Great views all around. One day we drove down into town, stopping at nearly every pullout to see the views. The mountains are home to some Desert Bighorn Sheep and we got to see a few of them.

From Tortilla Flats we moved down to Lost Dutchman SP. The mountains are visible from everywhere in the park. Looking out a window of the trailer and seeing them was a never-ending delight. Several friends were camping in the park and we managed a few get togethers before we all headed out. Other treats included lots of good places to shop and the huge flea market in Mesa.

One day a few of us went out into the desert to see some wild horses. This particular area has some pretty impressive Saguaro cactus, too. We spotted at least 3 bands and were able to watch one for a while. Watching the horses interact a bit was interesting. There were 3 stallions grazing a ways off from the band we were closest to (which included some foals). When the boys started moving closer one of the mares trotted out and greeted each of them, with a bit of a squeal and sniff. She seemed to make it clear they were not to come too close and she left satisfied she had done her job.

 

 

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