"A Sand County Almanac"

"THERE ARE SOME WHO CAN LIVE WITHOUT WILD THINGS AND SOME WHO CANNOT."
"FOR US IN THE MINORITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GEESE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TELEVISION.".....Aldo Leopold



"LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE, AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER".....Albert Einstein


“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves”.....John Muir


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Smaller Wildlife of Grand Teton National Park (GTNP)

So far my posts about our recent trip have featured the larger species that we saw.  In this one I will describe some of the smaller creatures that I was able to photograph.

Surprisingly, this is the only coyote that I saw while in GTNP.  I find coyotes interesting and I look forward to seeing and photographing them whenever possible.  This one was hunting about one hundred yards from the intersection with Pilgrim Creek Rd...




I can't be certain, but he may have been searching for a Wyoming ground squirrel.  These rodents are known to be popular prey for coyotes, foxes and birds of prey...


Another possibility is that the coyote was hoping to find a marmot. Closely related to the woodchuck of the East, these larger rodents would make a significantly more satisfying meal...

 
We found this pine squirrel on Two Ocean Lake Road.  They are very common throughout the park and their numbers would leave one to believe that most predators are well fed indeed...
 

The last species  that I will share in this post is the river otter.  We saw these frequently in the Snake River, but always at too great a distance for good photos.  Luckily we found this group swimming in Jackson Lake...


 
Thanks for visiting, be well, and come back soon.

 
 



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3 comments:

  1. WillardAugust 9, 2014 at 9:00 PM

    A wonderful collection of excellent photos, Steve. I was to GTNP and Yellowstone once in late August and I treasure the memories.

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    Replies
    1. Steve FerendoAugust 9, 2014 at 9:28 PM

      Thanks, Willard. This was our fifth trip, driving out each time. It seems the parks are a magnet for us. I hope to see you and Coy in elk country next month.

      Delete
  2. BetsAugust 10, 2014 at 5:55 AM

    Hello Steve
    Nice pictures from a lot of animals. I think it was a interesting trip.
    Greetings Bets

    ReplyDelete

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