or Holes in the Library!    

When I head into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to shoot or to scout prior to a tour, I have an open mind.  Whatever I might like to see, whether fur, feather or flower, I have always told myself not to wish for or to expect anything.  I have always been content and excited with whatever Yellowstone has presented to me, but lately I have found myself exploring and shooting with a rather different mindset.

As you know, I have been working on a new website for the past year.  When I came to select the photographs for each category of my portfolio, I couldn't help but notice there were some Titanic sized holes in my library.  What had Marmots, Sapsuckers and Humans done to deserve to be ignored? 

Mid-July I headed out with a friend to shoot in Yellowstone for several days.  She was keen to obtain some good Otter and Cutthroat Trout images, and we spent most of the first two days doing just that and having a wonderful time.  Now that the pressure was off, I commented that I needed some good Marmot photographs for the website, and the next thing you know we found Marmots all over God's creation – near Rustic Falls, by Upper Terrace Drive and posing gamely atop the columnar basalt at Sheepeater Cliffs.

The following day, feeling flush with Otters and Marmots in my back pocket, I mentioned I'd like some good photographs of Williamson's Sapsuckers and as we were heading to a location where I'd found Dusky Grouse feathers in the past, I added that a Grouse or three would be great too.  Once again we struck gold!  Having found a male Williamson's Sapsucker, we were watching him to locate where the nest cavity and chicks were, when we heard a very low booming.  On investigation, across the field was a dark circular shape, like the bottom of a tipped bucket, and in front something feathery and yellow, which on closer inspection was a handsome, male Dusky Grouse displaying and drumming for any and all hot-and-bothered hens in the area.  We watched and photographed as he called in a lovely hen and made his move.  Each time he was about to claim her, he made a sound like the uncorking of a huge champagne bottle, an extraordinary sound to go with his flamboyant behavior. 

A serviced, and now disinterested, hen wandered off and the male began booming again.  Behind me I caught the soft clucking of another hen and had just whispered excitedly to my friend that there was another hen coming, when she flew down from a tree right over my head and headed towards the male.    ……………   Cue the grouse!  Open the champagne! 

We returned to the Sapsucker, located the noisy nest cavity and photographed the adults bringing ants and grub-like morsels to the chicks for the next several hours.

Maybe next year I'll mutter about needing a few photographs of interesting humans ......