The wildlife in our neighborhood
The wildlife in our neighborhood
One of my favorite things about summering in this area, is there is always something to see.
This time of year there aren’t as many moose around, but we did see a mom with last years calf behind the RV. They will generally head for the river in the mornings, before bedding down for the day. She had some interesting coloring with her lighter brown face.
In the evenings we life to drive around Antelope flats to see who is around. Sometimes the bison herd is there, so far this year we haven’t seen them. We did spot this cute doe the other night, she was trying to decide what we were all about.
I will drive over to Antelope flats in the mornings to walk. There are a few dirt roads that are great for walking. The grasses and flowers are so tall this year, you have to have someplace clear to walk. I went on a new (for me) dirt track the other day. A female sage grouse appeared out of the bushes and started pretending she had a broken wing.
I have never actually seen a bird do this. It was fascinating to watch her try to distract me. I assumed she had a nest in the tall grasses.
But then I realized there was a tiny chick in front of me on the dirt road.
They obviously subscribe to the, “Stop, drop, don’t move” way of survival. I gave the mom and her baby a wide berth, and continued my walk. The road didn’t go as far as I hoped it would, and after a mile or so, it ended here.
This was an unexpected and beautiful end to the trail. I had set out that morning to get some nice morning Teton photos, and this was perfect.
As I headed back to the truck, I kept an eye out for the baby sage grouse. His mom must have got them safely to their nest, because they were no where in sight.
I was relived that he was OK, and still has the chance to grow up. They have enough predators to worry about, without me messing up the plan.
Oh Mary…..that last shot especially is the golden path. It’s like the end of the rainbow, the yellow brick road, the everlasting river. And that MOOSE! teeeheheee….I love their faces, and the sweet grouse and her chickie….yep, the bunnies employ the same, STOP-ACT-LIKE-YOU’RE-A-STATUE-AND-THE-PEEPS-WILL-GO-AWAY method. Nature is grand.
HAVE FUN! Anita
That last photo os a framer for sure!! What a gorgeous view:) Love all your wildlife, especially that moose!!
that was very refreshing. There is a bird where we live called a killdeer that cry and run across the ground with a fake injured wing to distract enemies from their nest. I never knew other birds did this. I love the random look of the grasses and flowers. You must feel so connected to Nature as you walk in those places. Are the starrs at night big and bright?
I simply adore the deer photo! Thank goodness the mama birdie came and all seems to be ok.
Stunning…. I must visit :-)
We would love to see a moose in our neighborhood, but that is not going to happen here. How neat!
It’s fascinating to see how animal parents will protect their young from threats many time their size. I try not to get close enough to wild animals to stir up a panic but I have seen similar protective behavior from kingfishers while kayaking and a barracuda while snorkeling.
Sounds like you have some wonderful neighbors.
Sage Grouse have been declared “endangered”, I think. So I’m glad you saw that baby. I had a similar encounter with our Dusky Grouse… the babies were so camouflaged that I almost stepped on them. There were 6, and I was scared to move my feet because they were so hard to see. I tiptoed out and didn’t go back for weeks.
That last photo is a classic! Beautiful.
So many gorgeous animals and the scenery in that last shot is just gorgeous!
Wowsers! That’s the perfect shot of an incredible landscape.
There was a spotted fawn in the yard today, all alone, looking for his momma. :( Poor baby ran across the fields, out of sight.
What a wonderful end to your walk…breathtaking! All of your wildlife is so cool. We used to see moose around here a lot more but not as much lately. I’ve experienced other birds doing the broken wing routine, it’s fascinating (I was never lucky enough to see the babies though!).
Such an abundance of wildlife in your neighbourhood. Beautiful photos, Mary.
What an unexpected treasure you got there. Beautiful photo!