Photos: Little Critters in the National Parks

I’ve taken many pictures of the small critters I see in the wild on my journeys and they always make me smile. I hope you enjoy them too.

Baby Bison, Yellowstone National Park

 

This baby bison is adorable. He was walking along the side of the road in Yellowstone National Park. You can’t see it in the photo, but his mother is closeby. He still has his light brown curly baby fur and it’s hard to imagine but he will grow into an animal many times this size.

 

Chipmunk lunch break

This little chipmunk has a couple of blades of grass in his mouth, he’s taking a lunch break. I found him in Grand Tetons National Park and he was nice enough to sit still for me so I could take his picture.

Chipmunk or Golden Squirrel? Mount Rainier National Park

 This handsome fellow may be a golden squirrel, but I’m not sure. He doesn’t seem to have the distinct black stripes of a chipmunk, and his tail is bushier too and look at those long toes! If he seems close in this picture it’s because he was, he was no more than 2 or 3 feet away. I have a feeling people fed him, which reduced his fear of people and allowed me to get close. That said, if you are in a National Park PLEASE DO NOT FEED the wildlife. It is very bad for animals and people and can easily result in the animal’s death.

He sure is cute – but I’m not going to feed him!

 I know I said I saw this guy in Mount Rainier National Park, but actually it was on the way to Mount Rainier. Just outside the park you’ll find the Wenatchee National Forest, which is this guy’s local neighborhood.

 

Crow nestled in a pine tree - Grand Canyon National Park

 

Of course all National Parks have an abundance of wildlife, some which are familiar to us, others not. This crow was nestled atop a pine tree overlooking the Grand Canyon. I couldn’t resist the shot.

 

Wild Turkeys, Zion National Park

 

Where can you see wild turkeys you’d like to know? Why Zion National Park at dusk, of course!  This must be a natural formation for these birds because they maintained this “u” shape while walking in the grass looking for dinner. I know turkeys are supposed to be awfully dumb birds, but when you see them in a group like this they look magnificent.

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Zion Landscape – All the President’s Men

 

 

All the President's Men

 

Zion National Park, Utah is a gem of a National Park. It’s made up of the most amazing striated rock landscapes, including this one, which I caught with the light and shadows illuminating it just wonderfully.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

If you are wondering where I got the clouds in my header…

     If you are wondering where the clouds in my header image come from, this is the original picture. I took this shot in Zion National Park, Utah, December 2010 at dusk.  I had never been there before, and the Zion landscape is completely inspiring. If you like this shot, you may also like these.