A mostly sunny and warm day, which was nice.
I finally got to see the badger kits. One woman told me she'd waited 12 hours for them on Tuesday and three+ hours several other days this week but didn't catch them until today, and she had to leave this afternoon. I was really happy for her because they put on a pretty good show.
I went first to the Tower area because I have my best luck there. The Calcite mom and cub were hiding down in the trees, so I kept going on out to Baronette, where I saw a few mountain goats. One lady let me see through her scope, which she had trained on a mother and baby. It was kind of fun to see.
I went back to Roosevelt and up toward Calcite. Rosie and her 3 were out in the thick woods moving very close to where the Calcite pair was. Rosie bedded down behind a log, so I went on out and down the Petrified, where there was a single black bear out pretty far near the trail. I think it was a boar, from what people were saying. A couple of hikers were kind of afraid to come back to the parking lot because the bear was kind of in their way. But then a bunch of people from the parking lot walked down the trail getting too close to the bear. I left because it was too far for pictures, and its face was always in a shadow. Went back up, and Rosie was on the move, going through woods and coming up to the road, then across and up, where she disappeared again. Later I came back, and she was just coming out on the west side of the road across from Rainy Lake, but there was such a crazy crowd I just headed back to my motel.
Had hoped to see the grizzlies near Tuff Cliff and a mile east of Seven-Mile Bridge, but they weren't out. After dinner, I went back to the bridge area, but still nothing, so I guess I've struck out on the grizzly front for this trip. No wolves for me, either. I could have gone out to Slough to say I'd seen a wolf, but they're so far away I didn't try.
May try to get into the park for a bit in the morning, but I'm not sure I want to fight the Memorial weekend crowd. More storms expected through the weekend in southwest Montana.
Badgers 3 5-25-2018 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr
Badgers 2 5-25-2018 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr
Badgers 5-35-3028 by Linda Hamilton, on Flickr
May 25, 2018 PIX ADDED
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Re: May 25, 2018 PIX ADDED
Those are nice shots! Thanks for sharing.
I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Re: May 25, 2018 PIX ADDED
So cute! Thanks for the photos. Are those badgers visible from the Hitching Post pullout? I may be willing to wait for several hours for a chance to see this! But if I don't get a chance to see this, thanks for the photos! They are great!
Re: May 25, 2018 PIX ADDED
Thanks, Dorothy. Yes, you can see from the Hitching parking lot if the kits or mom are out. It's a short walk from the lot -- 50 yards or so -- to where the photographers stand, so if they come out, it's easy to get close enough for pix.
Re: May 25, 2018 PIX ADDED
Wonderful shots of the "little rascals", Linda! They're such characters and so much fun to photograph. Glad you had such a productive trip.