GNP -- Mountain Goat

Pulled from last years archive, but still one of my favorite wildlife shots. Now that the goats have returned for the summer I am hoping to get some more shots like this one.

The Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its name, it is not a true goat, as it belongs to a different genus. It resides at high elevations and is a sure-footed climber, often resting on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach. The mountain goat is an even-toed ungulate of the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae that includes antelopes and cattle. It belongs to the subfamily Caprinae, along with thirty-two other species including true goats, sheep, the chamois, and the musk ox. The mountain goat is the only species in the genus Oreamnos. The name Oreamnos is derived from the Greek term oros (stem ore-) 'mountain' (or, alternatively, oreas 'mountain nymph') and the word amnos 'lamb'. Both male and female mountain goats have beards, short tails, long black horns, 15-28 cm in length, which contain yearly growth rings. They are protected from the elements by their woolly white double coats. The fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. In spring, mountain goats moult by rubbing against rocks and trees, with the adult billies (males) shedding their extra wool first and the pregnant nannies (females) shedding last. In the winter, their coats help them to withstand temperatures as low as -50 Fahrenheit (-46 Celsius) and winds of up to 100 mph (161 km/h).  A billy stands about one meter (3'3") at the shoulder to the waist. Male goats also have longer horns and a longer beard than nannies.  Mountain goats typically weigh between 45 and 136 kg (100 - 300 lb.);[2] females are usually 10-30% lighter than males.  The mountain goat's feet are well-suited for climbing steep, rocky slopes, sometimes with pitches of 60 degrees or more, with inner pads that provide traction and cloven hooves that can be spread apart as needed.  Dewclaws on the back of their feet also help to keep them from slipping.

GNP -- Moose with Twin Calfs

Sunday 04-19-2009 -- Taken near Many Glacier!

GNP -- Moose with Twin Calfs Nearby

Sunday 04-19-2009 -- Taken near Many Glacier!

Grizzly -- Yellowstone National Park

Grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis) - Yellowstone National Park, WY.  Grizzlies are normally solitary active animals, but in coastal areas the grizzly congregates alongside streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds during the salmon spawn.  Every other year, females (sows) produce one to four young (commonly two) which are small and weigh only about 500 grams (one pound).  A sow is protective of her offspring and will attack if she thinks she or her cubs are threatened.  Grizzly Bears are very aggressive animals that will take anything as a threat.

This Grizzly was actually still with his brother who is just ahead of him.  They were still quite friendly with each other, this will not be the case when they start competing for females.  If I had not talked with a local photographer and a park ranger who were familiar with this pair, I would not have been able to learn about these guys.  When my brother and I came across these two they were just having some fun by putting the run on some full grown bison, it was a lot of fun watching them sneak through the trees and then charge the bison.  After they did this several times they wandered off together.

GNP -- St. Mary HDR

View of Glacier National Park from the east entrance at St. Mary. There is just a sliver of St. Mary Lake in this view.

GNP -- Under the Bridge_HDR

This is the view from under the bridge. As you enter the park from the east side (Saint Mary) this is the second bridge that you will cross.

Deer Tracks along Bear Creek

Even though this photo is from last year this is essentially how it looked until a short time ago. I drive by this location at least several times a day going to and from work.