This is the “Grand Canyon” of Yellowstone but here were geysers, hot springs, thermal openings, waterfalls, and crystal clear, rocky rivers. It is truly an amazing place everyone should visit.

This is Gibbon Falls, a great place for solitaire, dippers, Harlequin Ducks, Canyon Wrens and a few other unique birds. Yellowstone has an endless supply of neat locations, each with interpretive signs (like my dialogue but not as funny). The rock here is largely volcanic and much of Yellowstone was formed in one, massive blast millions of years ago. It is said it would have dwarfed the calamity of Krakatau.

It was fitting that we discovered this Bald Eagle as we approached Yellowstone. Our national bird is common in this Park, some what more so than Goldens. They snatch trout and other fish off the surface and feed on carrion as well. This is a sub-adult, maybe four years old. They and Goldens are five-year birds, meaning they attain their full adult plumage at that time.

The largest and most adaptable songbird in the World is the Common Raven. This huge male looked like a condor sitting on a nearby stump. Their nasal bristles are not only helpful in keeping dust out of their nostrils, they help birders separate this species from the Chih, er, Chiuh, er, the other species. The Chihuahuan Raven of the deserts is largely a scavenger but this Common Raven takes birds’ eggs and chicks on a daily basis. They have been known to survive winters on the North Slope of Alaska, where temps exceeded -70 F.

With the beautiful rivers there are many interesting waterbirds. Here, a female Common Merganser swims with a Western Grebe, two fish-eating hunters from disparate groups. The grebe spears fish with its dagger bill and the merganser is the only duck group (genus) with serrate bills, like teeth. The merganser can be identified from Red-breasted by the sharp line of demarcation separating the dark, brown head from the gray neck.

Not the best picture but a beautiful bird. The male Common Merganser rides the rapids and snags small fish in the Yellowstone River. The name Common implies they live in both hemispheres and they do. We call them “Holarctic” as they are found most of the way around the Northern Hemisphere of the Old and New World. PS- I have learned a bit of World Geography in my travels but must admit having to switch from that course to Civics in the 8th Grade. My A.D.D. was creating problems for me but I WOUND UP IN MY SISTER’S CLASSROOM!!! I later had my father for a professor as well.

In Yellowstone there are many protected ponds where waterfowl like coots raise their young. Baby coots sport red on their heads which adults with white frontal shields fill with vegetation. Baby birds need protein, though, and aquatic grasses only have so much. Precocial babies like ducks and shorebirds know how to chase bugs and this takes the onus off their parents to feed each one. Coots are actually rails which have left the reeds and become swimming birds.

Yellowstone is about the easiest place I know to find the Townsend’s Solitaire. They sit atop spruces and sing down the canyon walls. Solitaires are thrushes, with most species found in the New World Tropics. Once in a while a solitaire will wander east in winter and cause quite a stir. A former student of mine found one near his dorm room in college in Alabama.

Soras are found along the shores of many small ponds in the West of various altitudes. They are insectivorous and short-billed for a rail. Curiously, we had very few this year in Texas until the spring migration, meaning most must have wintered much further south. They do not nest on the UTC but have been seen every month there except July.

Often found in concert with Soras are nesting Red-winged Blackbirds. These brown, streaked females often bewilder younger birders, making them think they are seeing large sparrows. This is the most abundant bird in our country and one of the few polygamous species. One male courts a small harem of females and he guards the territory while she makes grocery calls in the (extremely productive) marshes.

Also found in marshes are Marsh Wrens, formerly called Long-billed Marsh Wrens. Did you know Sedge Wrens were once called Short-billed Marsh Wrens? These birds sing multiple songs and even build multiple nests! It seems almost inescapable that these western birds are a different species from the eastern one but DNA and ecological studies will tell.

On the dry side, huge rocks of granite usually mean Rock Wrens singing away. Often times there are also Canyon Wrens above them on the cliffs, and both are quite entertaining. They both have longish bills to reach into rocky crevices and blend in perfectly with the ancient, geologic formations.

This is a full-sized picture of a Downy Woodpecker. Their family increased dramatically with the tremendous fires of the late 80s, eating the buffet of beetles feeding on the dead trees. Notice that its bill is shorter than the head and it has white outer retrices (tail feathers) with small, black dots. The sex is male (red on head) and note how long its #3 claw is!

Hairy Woodpeckers are larger than Downies but size can be confusing. It’s easier to see that the bill is as long as the head and it has white outer retrices with no dark spots. This Hairy has been going in and out of the nesting hole and is stained underneath. After the post-nuptial molt this August, it will regain its white belly. But you can’t write about Jellystone without mentioning Yogi and his friends…

Liz spotted a Black Bear when we drove through Yellowstone. They and Grizzlies are relatively ecologically separated (but not as much as the Black Bears would like). This species can be black, brown, cinnamon or combinations of colors. They are omnivores, loving berries, digging small animals and occasionally taking on large ones. They are seldom dangerous to mankind but feeding them makes them associate food with us. I’ve solved that problem because my cooking is so bad, not even a hungry bear would eat it.

Bison have become almost overpopulated in parts of Yellowstone and a large herd can usually be found near the exit to the West Yellowstone road. In the absence of many bears or wolves their herd will continue to increase. It’s impressive but nothing like the millions that once covered the Plains and supported an entire way of life of the American Indian.

Here is an up-close view of the American Bison, the “buffalo” that made the ground shake for a dozen states or more. Their hide, meat and blankets were staples for the Native Americans and the great beasts were interwoven into the Indian culture. It is almost more than one thinking person can contemplate that we virtually exterminated the buffalo to drive our “enemies” off their native lands. Have we learned anything?

Elk are large deer with light rumps and large antlers. This one is still a bit scraggly, losing his winter coat. By this fall, withoutthe velvet, he will sport a huge set of antlers and challenge other bucks for the rights to the cows. In the mean time, it’ll put on weight, watch for bears (and cars) and eat plenty of fiber.

This Wiley Coyote is remarkably colored just like the rock behind him. They are cunning hunters, usually foraging solo. Wolves hunt in packs.Their favorite food is the small mammals they dig up but birds fill out another large portion of their diet. It’s nice to see Coyotes out in the wild where they belong, rather than in neighborhoods.

And here I am with a Gibbon, er, I mean, photographing Gibbon* Falls with Liz. *Gibbon are the lesser-known of the Great Apes, known for their very long arms and aerial movements. No explanation for the name of the Falls but if I went down, I’d hope for very long arms. But I think death would be a gibbon. I mean, you get liquidated. I certainly wouldn’t go ape over it. OK, I’ll stop monkeying around.