This may well be the last batch of new photos I publish this year. This gallery features images from my getaway to Yellowstone in early June (which I documented in my usual trip reports). It marked my first time missing Yellowstone in May in fourteen years, but we did arrive on June 1st, and had many great adventures and memorable wildlife encounters.
You can immediately jump to the full gallery of 223 new photos, or start by checking out the short preview below.
Bison put on a nice show this spring.
Though it still looks cute, a yearling black bear doesn’t act young and playful, spending more time grazing like its mother. This was a rare opportunity to photograph this youngster without grass in its mouth.
I felt fortunate to see Harlequin Ducks, not only at LeHardy Rapids, but also at a couple spots on Soda Butte Creek (including our property).
We had a very nice session at LeHardy Rapids. The ducks were active, giving us plenty of opportunities to experiment with different photographic techniques.
The alpha female of the Wapiti Lake Pack shone brightly as the sun rose above clouds in Hayden Valley one morning.
I was fortunate to see a few badgers this spring, including one of the better den sites I’ve photographed in recent years.
This sett (that’s what you call a badger den) was in the perfect position: 25 yards away, just below eye level, with nice morning light shining on it.
Morning in Hayden Valley.
There were some nice opportunities to photograph Canada Geese and their offspring at Trout Lake.
We were fortunate to encounter a few foxes both inside and outside the park on this trip.
I finally got to witness the cooperative hunting behavior between a coyote and badger, after hearing about it for many years.
I was also lucky to see a couple of interactions between coyotes and pronghorns. These two species will often take turns chasing each other. Sometimes the pronghorn will line up and trot around in formation… it almost looks like the coyote is a sheepdog in those instances.
A Uinta ground squirrel hangs out at Soda Butte as a rainbow shines over the Lamar Valley.
We had a few nice wolf sightings on this trip, involving members of the Junction Butte and Wapiti Lake Packs. This encounter occurred on our final full day in the park, and I believe the same wolf greeted us near the road as we left Yellowstone early the next morning.
View the Yellowstone Spring 2020 photo gallery. And remember that you can order prints of nearly all of these images directly through this site. I’ve also added a few choice selections to my Fine Art America/Pixels store.
I’ll be back leading a photo tour in Yellowstone next spring. This is an annual tour that was waylaid by COVID this year, but it promises to be a fun and fruitful trip in 2021. We’ve still got a couple spots left if you’d like to join me!
