Yellowstone in Winter - Part 9 - Wildlife

Friday, 26 January 2018

Today's wildlife sightings.

Getting out of the snow coach and setting up spotting scopes. The scopes give a much better view than our binoculars or cameras.

What might we be watching? Subjects such as this juvenile bald eagle.

We saw bald eagles and golden eagles almost every day.

Bison are abundant and their size makes them easy to spot. They also like to walk on the roads.

We saw two males head-butting several times.

Over the course of the day we saw dozens of trumpeter swans, mostly in the Yellowstone River. They migrate to the park for the winter.

The gray swan is an immature (cygnet) -- born this past spring.

Carnivores are usually more interesting to watch than herbivores. Here a coyote is on alert, focused on potential prey in the snow cover in front of him. The bison in the background pays no attention.

After some time, the coyote stood up, walked a short distance, and contemplated another snow pile.

Listening for movement under the snow.

Eventually the coyote decided to try another area to hunt.