Jim Coda Nature Photography

June 21, 2010Uncategorized

A Week at Yellowstone’s Blacktail Pond

As I mentioned in my last blog, there were two bison carcasses in Blacktail Pond in the spring of 2010. The first scavenger I saw there was a coyote who was standing on the carcass which was in the water next to the east edge of the pond. However, it was the carcass in a narrow channel on the west side of the pond that became the center of attention for scavengers as well as park visitors. The first species I saw feeding on that carcass was a grizzly sow with a two-year-old cub. Here the cub nuzzles its mother. It’s May 20.

A grizzly cub nuzzles its mother at Blacktail Pond. — Grizzly Sow and Cub, Yellowstone National Park

The sow and cub stayed on a ridge above Blacktail when they weren’t feeding on the carcass. Another animal that I saw feeding on the carcass more than once was a lone wolf. Here he is the next day standing at the narrow channel. The bison carcass has slipped back into the water and is just under the surface.

A gray wolf stands on the edge of Blacktail Pond. — Gray Wolf, Yellowstone National Park

This wolf worked as hard as the bears to pull the carcass out of the pond and I was surprised that he seemed to get the carcass about as far out of the pond as the much larger bears, although in fairness to the sow she might have done better without her cub’s help because he always pulled at right angles to mom.

One afternoon the wolf howled after feeding which brought the sow and cub running full speed from the ridge above the pond. Here is a photo of mom and cub right after they arrive at the carcass. She is really “amped up,” over the wolf’s howls. When the cub approached the carcass as she was trying to pull it up on the bank she attacked it. More to follow.

A mother grizzly attacks her cub near a bison carcass at Blacktail pond. — Grizzly Sow Attacks Cub, Yellowstone National Park.

June 19, 2010Uncategorized

The Bison of Yellowstone

In my last post about baby bison I said that seeing and photographing them gave me a new appreciation of the adults. But for that I might not have stopped to watch and photograph this cow bison as she grazed on the succulent grasses in this pond. I wonder what the starlings are saying?

A Cow Bson Feeds on Succulent Grasses in a Small Pond — Cow Bison, Yellowstone National Park

Bison sometimes get into trouble when they enter the waters of Yellowstone. Not far from this tiny pond is Blacktail Pond. At the time I took this photo (May 2010) there were two bison carcasses in Blacktail. I’m not sure how they got in there, but once they got in they were in trouble. Blacktail is much deeper than this little pond and it has very steep banks. Because of its body shape, I think a bison would have a tougher time getting out of Blacktail Pond than any other species of Yellowstone. Their deaths, however, provided needed protein for several predators this spring. I saw grizzlies, wolves, bald eagles, ravens and at least one coyote feed on those carcasses.

June 3, 2010Uncategorized

Curious Bison Calf

Close up portrait photo of a bison calf. — Bison Calf, Yellowstone National Park

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of photographing at Yellowstone. With each new trip I find new interests. For example, I’ve never been very interested in photographing bison, but my last two visits have been in the Spring and that has meant baby bison. I have found bison calves to be about as photogenic a subject as there is. This little guy became very curious about me and kept moving closer for a better look. How can you not like a face like this? Spending time with the herds and watching these little “red dogs” run around and interact with other calves and their mothers has also given me a new interest in the adults.

May 22, 2010Uncategorized

Grizzly Sow and Cubs Out for a Stroll

I had heard reports of a sow grizzly with four spring cubs in the Hoodoos area of Yellowstone. I went there this morning hoping to see and photograph them. Four cubs is very rare.

I was fortunate. There they were. Unfortunately, they were about 200 yards away and partly blocked by branches. So, I waited. And waited. It was below freezing and very windy. The wind was really pushing my big lens around, even with me steadying it. Getting a sharp image was going to be a challenge.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, they moved into a relatively clear area. I was hoping for a good composition. Mom and cub 1, the runt of the litter on her back, and cub 2 were cooperative; but cubs 3 and 4 were not. This is one reason why photographing people is easier.

A sow grizzly walks with her four cubs in the Hoodoos area of Yellowstone. — Grizzly Sow and Four Cubs, Yellowstone National Park

May 22, 2010Uncategorized

Predators and Prey, Yellowstone National Park

Cow elk standing in water at Twin Lakes. — Cow Elk, Yellowstone National Park

I’ve been to Yellowstone many times, but this is the best trip of all. There has been so much going on. The problem with that is that it has caused me to fall behind in writing about all of it.

A few days ago there was a cow elk at Twin Lakes that had been chased by a single wolf. She escaped by running into the water and going far enough into the water that the wolf had to swim, which greatly reduced its ability to kill . He did manage to bite her in the right flank before that though. Here she is licking her wound in shallower water. As it became dark she walked into the woods where I assumed the wolf was waiting. I don’t know why she did that.

The next morning I returned to Twin Lakes and found that the wolf had made the kill. Here he stands not far from the carcass. Note the radio tracking collar.

A gray wolf stands near the elk he killed at Twin Lakes. — Gray Wolf, Yellowstone National Park

May 17, 2010Uncategorized

Life Is Not Perfect and that Includes Yellowstone

THis cinnamon-colored black bear has something wrong with its left elbow. He can't straighten it. — Cinnamon Black Bear, Yellowstone National Park

Yesterday was a good day for bear sightings. I saw seven black bears and one grizzly. One of them I know I saw and photographed before because he has a something wrong with his left front leg. It seems the elbow is locked. Sometimes he puts it and his whole foreleg on the ground when he walks and other times he puts just his paw on the ground. Either way he is unbalanced with that locked elbow. When he goes downhill he just raises his left foreleg and sort of “hops” downhill.

This is the second animal I’ve seen in the last week with a significant problem. The other was a cow bison with calf. The cow never put her left hind leg on the ground. If a grizzly goes after her calf she won’t be able to move well enough to try to fend the grizzly off.

Life can be tough. I hope they both make it.

May 14, 2010Uncategorized

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

Well, the title is a stretch, but I did see and photograph this grizzly bear. I started the day by going all the way to the east entrance and then driving 10 miles down Eagle Creek searching for grizzlies. No luck. At the end of the day I saw this grizzly at Swan Lake Flat.

I also photographed bighorns in Gardner Canyon, mule deer between Mammoth and Gardiner and bison in the Madison River drainage. All in all, a good day.