May 2019 trip, first four days, May 12-15

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lah
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:47 pm

May 2019 trip, first four days, May 12-15

Post by lah »

Been having hotel internet problems and trouble getting Flickr to work, so I have to combine several days of bad pictures.

So far it's been a trip of near misses and long distances for me. After I got to West Sunday evening, I took a quick trip into the park and found this bear just south of Beryl Spring. Some woman who loudly proclaimed she was an expert several times told everyone this was a grizzly because of the hump. It was in grizzly territory, but it looks like a cinnamon to me.

ImageBear near Beryl 5-12-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

On Monday, I drove up hoping to see Obsidian and her 3, but she'd just gone into the woods. Got to Hellroaring Overlook, and there was a black bear with 2 cubs just off the pavement, and they climbed up onto the pavement, and rangers made all the cars pull out of there. Poor lighting and branches in the faces most of the time, but this one was okay.

ImageCub at Hellroaring overlook 5-13-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

Went down the hill toward Hellroaring, and this coyote was at the double pullouts.
ImageCoyote near Hellroaring 5-13-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

Had hoped to find Rosie and her 3 yearlings, but they weren't out when I was there. Did find the former "angry mom" with her yearling at Calcite. Met Dawn (former Prairie Dee), so that was fun to get acquainted.
ImageAngry mom and yearling Calcite 5-13-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

I went to Lamar and on the way back as I was driving through a lot of traffic, I noticed a wolf running up the hill. I had to wait to shoot through the passenger window, and it was pretty far up by then. But it was a pretty wolf.
Imagewolf at Fisherman's 5-13-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

On the way back west, I got a parking spot, but the Obsidian gang had gone into the woods.
Some ducks on the Madison.
ImageDucks on Madison 5-13-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

On Tuesday, I decided to look for Snow and Raspberry. This grizzly was across the Yellowstone River north of LeHardy.
ImageGrizz near LeHardy 5-14-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

I did find Snow up on a hill about a mile east of the Lake Butte overlook road. At the same time, I finally got to meet James Yule. Have heard about him for years and seen some of his photos, so I was really glad to get to talk to him. He said Raspberry had gone east, and Snow was trailing her about a mile behind. I never saw Raspberry.
ImageSnow east if LBO 5-14-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

Didn't see anything after that until nearly to the west entrance when there was suddenly a huge line of cars going nowhere. Turned out there was a little black bear grazing along the road. Somehow my camera had gotten set to "monochrome," but, hey, it's a black bear, so I guess it didn't make a whole lot of difference.
ImageBlack bear on road near w. entrance 5-14-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

On Wednesday, I spent about 90 minutes waiting for Obsidians, but they never showed in the morning, so I went toward Tower. There was a black bear -- I was told it was a male -- just going over the hill north of the lake.
Imageblack bear above Rainy Lake 5-15-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

When I got to Calcite, bears were right next to the road but hidden from me in my car as rangers moved me along. Turned out it was Rosie, but I didn't see her until she crossed the road and went up the hill to the west. I drove by and saw her body in the trees, but they disappeared quickly.
I went toward Lamar and stopped because people were glassing the osprey nest. Before I could get out, an osprey landed on a tree limb above me with a fish, which it ate and then went back to the nest for a feeding, I suppose.
Imageosprey w: fish Lamar Canyon 5-15-2019 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr

Went back to Calcite and then to the Tower store. There was a cinnamon mom with at least one black cub down below the store parking lot, but there was so much brush in the way I never got a clear picture. That's a new bear for me. Don't recall a cinnamon mom around there.
Heading back, it was obvious the Obsidians were out at Roaring Mountain, but there were about 100 cars in front of me, and by the time I got close, everybody was leaving as she disappeared again. So I still haven't seen this great family.
Last edited by lah on Thu May 16, 2019 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Nikon_nerd
Posts: 117
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 4:06 pm

Re: May 2019 trip, first four days, May 12-15

Post by Nikon_nerd »

Great trip report Linda! Thanks for all the tips on where you found the animals. Sounds like the bears are really putting on a show this spring ! Can't wait to get to the park next week! Keep the reports coming if you have time. Thanks so much. Good luck finding more critters.



lah
Posts: 165
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:47 pm

Re: May 2019 trip, first four days, May 12-15

Post by lah »

Thanks so much, Nikon.
I've seen a good number of bears but not necessarily the ones I wanted to find, Obsidian and Rosie. They're hiding from me.



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