May 17

Share your latest adventure in Yellowstone.

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RikWriter
Posts: 488
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:36 pm

May 17

Post by RikWriter »

Day started out slow. Saw not much but did meet up with Heidi.
I got some shots of a coyote in the Lamar, then found a bison calf that had gotten itself stranded on an island in the Confluence and its mother had left it and wandered off. The calf had been there for hours when it finally decided to try the water. It got washed downstream and I thought it was a goner, but it made it to shore. It huddled down with four childless cows last I saw.
Then I found the shoot that made the day, a badger in Little America. Had it for an hour or so, filled up a memory card in the rain.
Not much after that, just a few elk and deer on the Old Yellowstone Road.
Head for the Tetons tomorrow morning.



yellvet
Posts: 224
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 5:54 pm

Re: May 17

Post by yellvet »

Rik, thanks for the report. Did you get any pix of the stranded calf at the Confluence? I saw something similar happen back in the 80's at Slough Creek. It was an incredible sight. A mama moose was leading her calf across the Creek, when the strong current, without warning, lifted the calf right off its feet and began sweeping it downstream in my direction. We were camped at the site next to the outfitter horse crossing. I had a 35mm Canon with a 200mm lens back then and got a chance to photograph a moose rescuing her calf. The incident went like this. When Mama reached the bank around the bend, she had turned her head around, to check on her calf. That's when she realized that her calf was gone and had been swept away by the current. I thought the calf was a goner. But Mama kept looking. When she spotted her calf, she raced frantically back through the trees to the horse crossing, across from our site. Keeping a close eye on the calf, she then ventured back into the Creek, keeping her body sideways and kept looking upstream for her calf. She kept repositioning herself in the middle of the Creek, so the calf would float into her body. And it did! Wow!! :o I was so elated to see the calf and its mama together again, that I cried. Mama finally led the calf back to shore and then up, onto the bank. I bet I watched them for nearly an hour after that. Mama knew I was watching but she was far more focused on the survival of her calf rather than worry about me, the pipsqueak photographer across the Creek. :lol: The calf was safe but it couldn't stop shaking. I remember Mama nuzzling and licking the calf, as if to console and reassure it, that everything was going to be OK. After an hour or so, Mama and the calf disappeared into the woods. A few years later, I did see two moose at the upper end of SC. Not sure if they were the same moose or not. But it was nice to think that maybe, they were.

That had to have been one of the most emotional wildlife experiences that I've every had in the Park. And, it was that experience, that changed my life forever. Not only did it give me a chance to witness, the magic of Yellowstone and wildlife behavior on a very personal level but it was also the special nature of the experience what has brought me back to the Park, every year, photographing particular wild families at Slough Creek. After all these years, I almost feel like a trusted member of their Slough Creek family. Notice that I said "almost". Like humans, many animals don't like or trust their relatives. For that reason, I'm always cautious whenever I'm watching and photographing wildlife. I give them plenty of space and never ever approach them. I sincerely hope that all forum wildlife photographers are doing the same thing. And, if you're not then I encourage you to buy and use a longer telephoto lens whenever you're photographing wildlife, to keep yourself, other people and your wildlife photo subjects safe.

Here's a weather update. It's still cold, raining and snowing near Nye. :evil: Looks like more of the same is forecast for another week.

Safe travels, everyone! And thanks, again, for posting your trip report, Rik. It really brought back a pretty special memory for me. Hope you didn't mind me sharing it. :)



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

Re: May 17

Post by lah »

Wow, great stories from both of you!



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

Re: May 17

Post by lah »

Wow, great stories from both of you!



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

Re: May 17

Post by Nikon_nerd »

One hour with a badger! Great job. Can't wait to see those images. Badgers always make for a great photo day.

Continued success!



Kat
Posts: 40
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 4:22 pm

Re: May 17

Post by Kat »

I enjoy how one new trip report can trigger a past memory of a YNP adventure, and then I get to experience both of them through your eyes. Thank you, Rick and Yellvet.



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