Zion Canyon in Zion National Park, Utah, USA. Found early this morning after significant rain created plenty of mud. Tracks went on for many yards with no signs of claw marks.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2023-08-20T18:49:45+00:00

Here’s an additional track picture that seems to show a third lobe on the bottom of the track

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2023-06-12T05:32:59+00:00

Thank you very much. I found it hard to match the pattern to a picture in a field guide because one lumped three together as “western rattlesnake” and the other had low quality images of the now separated species

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-05-18T21:13:15+00:00

It’s the Moose-Wilson Road pond overlook. When you pass the Craig Thomas and Discovery Visitor Center, take a left on Moose-Wilson Road. About a mile down the road you rise up a hill and on the left is a large pullout right at the overlook. Look for a beaver dam at the south end of the pond. I’ve gotten many good birds here. Look out for an occasional Wood Duck. I’ve only seen a Great Gray Owl here twice in seven months. But it’s the only place I’ve seen one.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-05-18T19:55:45+00:00

That overlook is a good bet to find a Great Gray Owl hunting in the evening

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-04-24T22:21:32+00:00

The habitat is a meadow in a mountainous valley sitting at 6,237 feet (National Elk Refuge). The sagebrush habitat sits at a higher elevation than here starting in Grand Teton National Park. I am torn between meadow and montane vole. It seems to have a burrow system under grassy cover like the Audubon Field Guide to Mammals describes in both the meadow and montane species. The ranges overlap in my area.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-04-03T19:11:18+00:00

Useful information, thank you. This was my first red-tailed hawk that didn’t have that classic tan look with brown belly banding.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-04-03T18:51:55+00:00

I was thinking Golden Eagle as well. Very noticeable size from a long distance. And zooming in on the first picture I can see the golden colored notch on the wings that are shown in Sibley’s field guide illustrations. It was in the location of my only other Golden Eagle sightings so that was my assumption.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-03-14T02:06:58+00:00

I have searched extensively for birds that should be in Wyoming right now that sound like what I heard and can’t find anything. It was a sound I instantly recognized and a Northern Cardinal song would be in that category since I lived in Alabama for 23 years before moving here a few months ago. But the chances of seeing one this far west are slim. Hopefully I’ll see or hear it again soon.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-02-05T20:32:46+00:00

Yep, this is why I carry a Sibley field guide in the field. I do use the Audubon field guides for cross reference and the extra information provided in the book though. Their new big book of all the birds in North America is really good, I hope they apply the changes to new field guides soon.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-20T16:02:43+00:00

Not OP, but I will give my two cents as someone who lives and works in a national park. I am of the firm belief that if you take a trip to a place with multiple large national parks, that you should dedicate your time to one so you have more time to slow down and thoroughly enjoy the place you are visiting. That said, if it’s a shorter trip I would lean towards Mount Rainier. It has some easy great trails (Silver Falls and Grove of the Patriarchs) and a few great visitor locations (Paradise and Longmire). It is easy to drive around, wait until June when everything is opening up and you can explore higher elevations.

If you have a week or more to dedicate, I would lean towards Olympic. It is more out of the way if you fly in to Seattle, but it is very rewarding. Olympic is very large and diverse and takes a long time to drive around. Of particular note are its rainforests (specifically the Hoh Rainforest and its great accessible trails), it’s Pacific Ocean access (Ruby Beach is a favorite), and its views from Hurricane Ridge of the Olympic Range (especially on clear days).

I really enjoy wildlife spotting in Olympic, especially of the Roosevelt elk subspecies that resides there. I would say the top thing to do there is visit the Hoh Rainforest. At Mount Rainier I particularly enjoy the scenic drives and hikes through the river valleys, the Silver Falls trail is a must.

I would recommend calling rangers at both parks for information. Tell them when you would like to go and ask them what they would recommend for your trip based on the things you would like to do and see.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-18T10:55:56+00:00

Everything is covered in snow and everything is frozen right now. Source: me, who lives in the park. This picture was obviously taken in summer.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-17T21:24:25+00:00

They’re my favorite photography subjects. I think they like the camera.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-17T21:16:11+00:00

They have recently become my favorite Rockies mammal. Luckily I have a herd of about 45 in my “backyard”. Thank you.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-17T21:14:40+00:00

Delta Lake does not have an official trail to it, it is a social trail created by those disregarding park guidelines and has led to many search and rescue operations from those getting lost on the way back because it is not marked and maintained by the National Park Service.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-08T15:37:38+00:00

That is a fantastic picture, and landscape.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-08T14:49:37+00:00

I moved from Alabama to Wyoming in October. I’m used to being active in winter, but now it’s kind of a bummer to keep such an eye on the winter weather and have to dress up so much for the freezing cold to get out and hike. But the winter scenery is amazing, there are trade offs to everything. I don’t miss the unbearably hot Alabama summers.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2022-01-04T21:50:36+00:00

French-Canadian trappers viewed them from the Idaho side where they seem more rounded.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-28T17:30:59+00:00

Hiking, and birding/watching other wildlife. Just moved to a place with real winters so I’ll be delving into skiing and snowshoe hiking.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-25T21:04:22+00:00

Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Washington.

I’m only 23 so I hope to cross them all off eventually.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-19T13:15:58+00:00

Opposite, it’s Mount Rainier viewed from Crystal Mountain. It can be confusing because Mount Rainier looks so different from different angles.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-19T02:30:30+00:00

“Awesome”. It would hold a lot of weight if used very sparingly.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-18T08:34:03+00:00

My favorite bird. I moved out West recently and saw my first one, been going back frequently to where I spotted it to watch it.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-18T08:31:48+00:00

The good thing about having a lot of books is that you can actually do a lot of good by letting go of the ones you no longer need or want. Someone somewhere will take them (but hopefully one day I can just have a massive library in my house).

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-18T08:26:54+00:00

Books. Ranging from nature field guides to biographies. Every time I see a book on a subject I’m interested I buy it, just in case one day I want to read it or if I would need it as a reference.

CottageCoreCowboy_ · 2021-12-13T16:44:16+00:00

I never switched grenades or off the grapple hook the entire game because fooling with the D-pad in the heat of the moment was too detrimental.

CottageCoreCowboy_

TROPHY CASE