A monthly journal of wildlife reports, scenic opportunities, and tidbits for both photographers and Teton visitors!
Recent Daily Updates Archives:
2015: May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2014: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug: | July: | June: | May: | Apr: | Mar: | Feb: | Jan:
2013: Dec: | Nov: | Oct: | Sept: | Aug:
Check out the May Overview!
Monthly Overviews for JH / GTNP . Get a quick look at 12 months side by side.
May 7, 2015
New Feature Post: May Day at the Old Patriarch Tree For this page, I went back through my Lightroom catalog to find images taken on (or around) May 1st going back to 2008.
I stayed home this morning to finish this new Feature Post. It rained off and on all night and was still dark and damp. These kinds of days offer “opportunities”, such as rain drops making patterns in pools of calm water, drops clinging to leaves, berries and cones, and lingering fog. The Teton Range is seldom visible, so I spend the day “looking down” for subjects I might normally pass up.
Pronghorn Buck in Flowers: Balsom Root and a nice buck at the intersection to the old Teton Science School Road. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens
D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens
Circle of Animals —Zodiac Heads by Ai Weiwei at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
I’ll be heading north into Yellowstone and Cody for the weekend, but if you are in town, there’s an official dedication ceremony on Saturday. Even if you miss the ceremony, you can see the set of 12 sculptures anytime the gates are open thru October 11. Currently, there’s an exhibit inside called “Fight or Flight: Art, Action, Animals”. Worth viewing, too!
Zodiac Sculptures: Click this image to see them much larger. You will be amazed at the details sculpted into the pieces and also by the detail captured by the camera and lens! D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens
May 6, 2015
Setting Moon: I shot this one from the Albertson’s parking lot here in town. Clouds were thick and low in the Park during the morning period. I made a Kelly, Mormon Row, Moose-Wilson road loop, but didn’t take many photos. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
May 6 Road Updates, 2015
- May 1: Inner Park Loop Road and Moose-Wilson Road is Open.
- May 1: Curtis Canyon and Bridger Teton Forest Open.
- May 1: Mormon Row Road from Antelope Flats Rd. to Gros Ventre Road.
- May 1: RKO Road is Open.
- May 3rd?: Road to Schwabacher Landing is Open
- Road to Spaulding Bay: Barricaded.
- Road to the top of Signal Mountain: Barricaded.
- Cattleman’s Bridge area near Oxbow Bend: Open
- Road to White Grass Ranch and Death Canyon Trail Head is Open.
- Upper Gros Ventre Road past Red Rock Ranch opens later.
- Grassy Lake Road won’t open until at least June.
- Colter Bay Convenience Store and Signal Mt. Station and Store are open. The restaurant at Signal Mt. Lodge opens this weekend for Mother’s Day.
- Gros Ventre Campground is open.
- Yellowstone’s South Entrance opens early Friday morning.
Red Squirrel on Trunk: I came home early this morning, then set up my tripod in the back yard after seeing and hearing a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers. It looked like they might be interested in building a nest in this old hollow tree trunk, but my resident Red Squirrel might have dissuaded them. Maybe the Sapsuckers will find another suitable tree in the yard. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Red Squirrel Resting on a Branch: This Red Squirrel raised a litter of six babies last year. I believe she is using the big tree trunk again this year. Yesterday, I am fairly certain I saw fledgling Clark’s Nutcrackers in the yard. It seems early, but then everything does. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Northern Flicker: These are such distinctive birds. Even though it only came to a homemade feeder, I couldn’t resist taking a few shots. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Schwabacher Landing: I mentioned seeing the gates open this morning. I drove down and had the entire area to myself. There were a few footprints, so I’d have to assume the area was open yesterday. I heard lots of birds chirping around everywhere. Beavers have been active building their dams higher than last year, though I didn’t see one. There a couple of pairs of Barrows Golden-eyes along with other Mallards and common ducks. Around the valley, I have been seeing birds well ahead of schedule including White-crowned Sparrows and Chipping Sparrows. I am wondering how many migrating birds will hang around in town before heading on North this year? Some may pass through without stopping at all. We’ll see!
Pronghorn Doe: I went out this afternoon hoping for 1:Lightning, 2:Rainbow, 3:Baby Bison. I never saw a lightning bolt nor heard thunder. I found some bison, but didn’t see any babies. Instead, I found a very cooperative Pronghorn within yards of “Antelope Flats Road”. I shot from the window using a bean bag support. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Singing Meadowlark: This is a fairly tight crop, but it was still quite sharp. I look for them in the tops of the sagebrush, but will still photograph them on the fence posts. D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Cinco de Mayo, 2015
Afternoon storms are in the forecast for the next few days. They offer chances for Lightning, dramatic clouds, and rainbows.
Old Patriarch — May 5, 2015: I hiked out to the Old Patriarch this morning. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens
Old Patriarch — May 1, 2009: They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. I can talk all day about how much this year is different than many of the previous years but these two photos should illustrate it much better. Normally, moose, deer, elk, and pronghorns won’t venture into this area until the snow melts. Here’s a link to an earlier Feature Post: Revisiting an Old Friend: The Old Patriarch Tree
Lake Creek: Lake Creek is flowing nicely out of Phelps Lake. The Park Service closed the Moose-Wilson Road to parking a mile in either direction. The best way to enjoy Lake Creek is park at the Laurance Rockefeller Preserve, and hike up either side. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens
Yellow Bell: One of the first flowers to bloom in the valley each year. They are currently found in the lush, moist areas. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm lens
Wildflowers: I’ve been getting a few emails asking about Wildflowers. It appears the Arrowleaf Balsom Root plants are getting ready to kick off their season. They usually appear south of Jackson first, but I saw a lot of them along the Gros Ventre Road Monday afternoon. I saw some Low Larkspur and other small, ground hugging flowers. It’s still very early, but I am at least seeing some now.
Wildlife May 5: Taken along the Moose-Wilson Road. These were all taken hand held and are cropped significantly. Nikon D4 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Road Updates: The road into the old Cattleman’s Bridge near Oxbow Bend is now open. The road up to Whitegrass Ranch and Death Canyon Trailhead is now open.
May 4, 2015
First Band of Fog: Taken from Antelope Flats Road. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Peach Sky and Low Fog: Hand held out the window along Antelope Flats Road. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Morning Fog and Low Clouds: Lots of photographers were at the John Moulton Barn this morning. The cloud just to the left of the peak of the Grand quickly covered the tip after this shot. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Homestead Pano: I changed my angle to eliminate the photographers. This is a three shot stitched image in the new Lightroom. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
TA Moulton Barn: Low angle on this one. There were no other photographers at this barn today. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Curious Cow: This bison watched me for quite a while before rejoining the passing herd. Taken from Antelope Flats Road. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Dancing Pronghorn: Also on Antelope Flats Road. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Cow and Calf: I found three baby bison today. I had to wait (read the newspaper) for the group to slice across the sagebrush to cross the road. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Red Dogs: I took all of the Bison images from inside my vehicle, using VR/VC “on” and a bean bag on the window. Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Bison Mother and Baby: Nikon D800 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Barrows Golden Eyes: Taken in the afternoon at Sawmill Pond on the Moose-Wilson Road. There was a pair of Wood Ducks swimming around near this group, but flew off just before I had a chance to snap a shot. A pair of Ruffed Grouse were strutting around alongside the road, too. Sandhill Cranes were grazing alongside the road. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Bison and Baby: I found roughly 9 baby bison today. This one had much more white in the legs than the others. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Arrowleaf Balsom Root: I found clumps of Balsom Root in several locations today, including along the Gros Ventre Road a couple miles East of the highway. I saw plenty of sprouts along the East Boundary Road, but they are probably a few days or week behind. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
May 3, 2015
Gold Clouds: Looking back towards Shadow Mountain…taken from Mormon Row. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Morning Range: Tetons range only a few minutes later. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Murphy Barn: Encouraged by the moody clouds out my windows, I loaded up and drove north. I made it to Antelope Flats Junction just as clouds lifted from the Grand. Figuring that was my signal, I turned towards the barns. Yesterday, a group of people were heading north on the road in front of the barns. They were going out to view the Sage Grouse “strutting” at sunrise. I’ve never gone out, so I figured today was my day. I put the Tamron 150-600mm on a D800 and headed out just behind this morning’s new group of spectators. The grouse were there, but were only tiny specs several hundred yards out. Hmmmm. Not what I had hoped to see! I abandoned that grouse project and starting taking photos of the barns from some of the lesser photographed angles. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Moulton Homestead: Taken from the north, looking south. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Bunkhouse at the John Moulton homestead. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Peach House with Mt. Jackson: The white wash house was restored last summer. Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Coyote and Buck Rail Fences: Taken along Mormon Row. Nikon D4 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Watchful Coyote: Coyotes are typically skittish around here. Outside the park, they can still be shot as pests. Nikon D4 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Chambers Barns: Also along Mormon Row. Nikon D4 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Bison Herd in Early Morning Light: Nikon D4 and Nikon 70-200mm lens.
Spring Bison: We’re seeing more green each day—both in the grass and the aspens. Nikon D4 and Tamrom 150-600mm lens.
Bears? So far this year, I have been striking out when looking for any of the bears. A few people have seen them, but the reports I am getting indicate the bear traffic is slow. 399 and her two older cubs passed through, but hasn’t been seen since. Same for 610 and her two new cubs. Several large boars were visible for short periods. I didn’t hear anything today, nor did I go that far north.
May 2, 2015
Cow Moose in the Snake River: This moose was standing and occasionally sleeping along the edge of the Snake River at Moose Junction. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Moose Cow and Calf: The youngster in the back was a year old. These two were a few yards upstream from the moose in the river. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Door Knob and Lock: This was mostly a test shot to see how close I could focus at 600mm with the Tamron 150-600. I’ve seen numerous specs saying Minimum Focus Distance: 106.3 in. I shot this at 600 mm and I know I was much closer than that. I didn’t have a tape measure with me, but I’d estimate it closer to 78-80″. More tests later.
Chapel of the Transfiguration: I shot this image from a long distance using the Tamron 150-600mm lens. I zoomed in tight, took three shots, and then stitched them together inside Lightroom CC (Lightroom 6). That created a single DNG file which I processed and took into Photoshop. There, I converted it to black and while using NIK Silver Efex Pro. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
Chapel Entry: Shot from ground level with a Nikon D800 and 24-70mm lens at 24mm.
Chapel with Family: Also shot with the Tamron 150-600mm lens from a distance. Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm
String Lake Road: The camera was on the ground for this one. Nikon D800 and 24-70mm lens.
May 1, 2015
This is “May Day”. Somewhere around the world, kids are dancing around a Maypole….Around here, many areas of the park are reopened for the summer and fall seasons and photographers are dancing for all their own reason!
- May 1: Inner Park Loop Road and Moose-Wilson Road is Open.
- May 1: Curtis Canyon and Bridger Teton Forest Open.
- May 1: Mormon Row Road from Antelope Flats Rd. to Gros Ventre Road.
- May 1: RKO Road is Open.
- Road to Spaulding Bay: Barricaded.
- Road to the top of Signal Mountain: Barricaded.
- Schwabacher Landing: Gate Locked.
- Cattleman’s Bridge area: Barricaded.
- Upper Gros Ventre Road past Red Rock Ranch opens later.
- Grassy Lake Road won’t open until at least June.
Remember, this is the 1st of the month. You can view April of this year and April or May of last year by clicking on any of the Recent Daily Updates Archives: above.
Cathedral Group: Taken along the road into String Lake. Notice the lack of snow on the ground! I would have loved to see a few clouds! Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm
String Lake: In many prior years, I’ve walked out onto the frozen ice on May 1st. Nikon D800 and Nikon 24-70mm
Layered Mountains: I took this shot as I was driving East on the RKO Road. It is open early this year. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm
Elk: This was also taken from the RKO road. Elk and Bison have scattered into their summer ranges much earlier this year. In many areas of the valley floor, you might think someone sprinkled salt and pepper all over it. In reality, they are distant elk, bison, deer, and pronghorns. To see that, you have to be up very early! Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm
Young Moose: This youngster and her mother were grazing around the Signal Mountain complex today. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm
Amongst Civilization: Not exactly “Wild Kingdom” is it? Even in the wilds of GTNP, some animals choose to co-exist with humans—at least part of the time. Most of the adult moose look absolutely terrible right now. This youngster is getting a new coat without looking mangy. Interestingly, his mother was also slick, dark and clean. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm
Red-tailed Hawk: Someday, I’ll get a closer shot. They are beautiful birds! Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm
Gros Ventre Campground: Employees were reinstalling the campground sign. The campground opened today. Nikon D4 and Tamron 150-600mm.
Spaces Available for One-On-One Photography Excursions in May. I have open dates between May 4 and 15 and a space available for May 20-30.
Birding: Today, I saw my first Hummingbird visiting my back yard. I put out a few more feeders for them. In the past few days, I have been seeing Brewer’s Blackbirds in the back yard. Tree Swallows have been showing up in large numbers around the valley.
Please help me by spreading the word about this site with your friends. Feel free to link back to the blog on other forums and bulletin boards. MJ
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