Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, and Lucky Peak Hawk Watch

I flew to Boise and with son Gary Bahr and granddaughter Anne Marie Bahr drove to Alpine, WY where we camped along the Snake River.  We continued through the Wyoming Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks camping at the Signal Mt. and Mammoth Campgrounds.  Weather was pleasant in the 70s and 50s for highs and lows.  Fall color was at a peak in most areas.  We observed 18 members of the Druid wolf pack in the Lamar River valley on 5 October.  They had cornered an elk cow in the cold river, but were reluctant to make a kill in the deep water.  We had to drive back to Boise before the drama ended.  As always, this is a magnificent area of the world.  Thanks to Gary and Anne for a delightful trip!  I then spent 6 October on top of Lucky Peak outside of Boise, ID, at the Idaho Bird Observatory Lucky Peak hawk watch and banding stations with Greg Kaltenecker, Director of the IBO, and other banders and hawk watchers from Idaho.

A series of photos, generally in chronological order, follows.

Click on photo to enlarge.

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4-8o08 Grand Teton National Park in October splendor, 3 October 2008

5-8o08 Jenny Lake, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

7-8o08 Grand Tetons, 3 October 2008

8-8o08 Signal Mountain Campground with Anne and Gary, 3 October 2008

14-8o08 Jackson Lake from Signal Mountain Campground overview, 3 October 2008

640-8o08 Anne and Gary at Jackson Lake, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

644-8o08 Mule deer doe resting at Jackson Lake, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

647-8o08 Chipmunk scavenging near mule deer doe, Jackson Lake, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

656-8o08 Mourning Cloak at Jackson Lake Signal Mt. campground, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

659-8o08 Jackson Lake from Signal Mt. campground, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

662-8o08 Some of nine river otter family playing on Jackson Lake dam water outlet barriers in Snake River, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

671-8o08 River otter family playing below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

674-8o08 River otter family playing below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

679-9o08 River otter family playing below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

682-8o08 Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

683-8o08 Moose cow with calf (next photos) in Snake River backwaters below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

 704-8o08 Moose calf in Snake River backwaters below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

705-8o08 Moose calf in Snake River backwaters below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

691-8o08 One Common Merganser of 11 fishing in Snake River below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

694-8o08 One Common Merganser of 11 fishing in Snake River below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

722-8o08 Beaver with den at base of Jackson Lake Dam swam multiple trips along river edge to gather willow branches and reentered river to carry them back to lodge, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

729-8o08 Wet beaver trail on left of photo and beaver returning to river with willows to carry to lodge (see previous legend), Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

 737-8o08 Beaver returning to river with willows to carry to lodge (see previous legends), Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

738-8o08 Beaver entering river with willows to carry to lodge (see previous legends), Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

739-8o08 Moose cow in Snake River backwaters below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

746-8o08 Elk crossing Snake River below Jackson Lake dam, Grand Teton NP, 3 October 2008

755-8o08 Aspen in Yellowstone NP, WY, 4 October 2008

758-8o08 Elk bull resting in Yellowstone NP, WY, 4 October 2008

762-8o08 Another elk bull resting in Yellowstone NP, 4 October 2008

763-8o08 Elk bull getting sleepy in Yellowstone NP, 4 October 2008

768-8o08 Elk bull getting more sleepy in Yellowstone NP, 4 October 2008

769-8o08 Elk bull sleeping in Yellowstone NP, 4 October 2008

18-8o08 Geiser Basin, Yellowstone NP, 4 October 2008

24-8o08 Old Faithful, Yellowstone NP, WY, 4 October 2008

27-8o08 Lamar Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

771-8o08 Some of 18 Druid wolf pack members in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

778-8o08 Some of 18 Druid wolf pack members in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

798-8o08 Some of 18 Druid wolf pack members in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

804-8o08 Bison crossing road in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

809-8o08 Coyote hunting in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

810-8o08 Coyote hunting in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

 816-8o08 Coyote hunting in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

816-8o08 Coyote foiled by rodent in Lamar River Valley, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

806-8o08 Old cabin in Mammoth, Yellowstone NP, WY, 5 October 2008

834-8o08 Idaho Bird Observatory hawk banding station on Lucky Peak, ID, outside of Boise, 6 October 2008

35-8o08 Road to the top of Idaho Bird Observatory banding stations on Lucky Peak, ID, outside of Boise, 6 October 2008

837-8o08 IBO hawk counter arrives from banding station with two hawks (photos follow), 6 October 2008

848-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Sharp-shinned Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

839-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Sharp-shinned Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

852-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Red-tailed Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

855-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Red-tailed Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

865-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Red-tailed Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

862-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Red-tailed Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

47-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Sharp-shinned Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

52-8o08 IBO hawk counter holds Sharp-shinned Hawk captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

34-8o08 Hermit Thrush captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

38-8o08 Golden-crowned Kinglet captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

40-8o08 Golden-crowned Kinglet captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

45-8o08 Golden-crowned Kinglet captured in net on Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008

56-8o08 Mormon cricket laying eggs in gravel road on top of Lucky Peak, 6 October 2008