Yellowstone Natl Park - Day 6 - Sept 22

After another hearty breakfast, we packed our gear and headed for the park for the last time. We arrived to find some of the roads closed again - but that was ok - as we where headed to the Lamar Valley again in search of elusive wolves.

We not sooner entered the park area when we encountered our first surprise of the day..a bull Elk laying in the grass near the Visitors Center.

We next encountered a yearly Big Horn Sheep walking down the road....quite a unique site!!

The day was starting off quite nicely. As we traveled the Lamar Valley road we again saw many Buffalo and Pronghorns - but no wolves. Not discouraged, we continued driving toward the Pebble Creek campgrounds area we came upon what we thought was a Buffalo jam..but after asking a few questions about what was spotted - it  turned out to a Bull Moose jam. The Moose was standing in the field about 150 yards off the road..and as luck would have it - it came trotting toward the road and right in front of us...quite the sight - they are indeed huge!!!

Moose

After  the Moose encounter, we drove toward the Northeast entrance, and again observed some people looking at a rock face wall....and decided to stop and see what they where looking at..turned out to be several Mountain Goats standing on the rock face.after watching them a some time, we proceeded to exit the park and enter Cooke City for some late lunch.

As we re-entered the park for our return trip thru the Lamar Valley our hopes of seeing the wolves was renewed by all the other species we had seen already. A few miles after we passed the Pebble Creek area (where we saw the Moose) we saw a lot of cars parked along the road - again we stopped to see what everyone was looking at and where told a pack of wolves was bedded down in the field below us.

Quite excited, I immediately got out my scope and started looking for them...we no luck...but then several of them stood up and started walking toward to pine tree line...giving everyone excellent (if not distant) views. There was not chance to get any photo's and I and everyone in our party just enjoyed viewing the wolves as they faded into the mountains. Having seen them on NatGeo specials - needless to stay I was quite excited when I (and everyone else in the group) finally got to see them.

Some stock photo's of wolves from the NPS.

 

After some time of continuing to watch the area in hope they would re-appear, we continued our return trip and eventually with much regret, exited Yellowstone Natl Park for the last time on this trip. We ended up seeing every major species in the park - with the highlight begin the wolves and the moose.

As we returned to the rental home, we saw this Mule Deer walking along the roadway.....a fitting end to our day of wildlife viewing....and we where all looking forward to dinner and a good night's sleep before heading to the Bozeman airport and the flight home in the morning.

We are already planning another trip sometime in 2019..and I can't wait to return to Yellowstone...it truly is a national treasure.

Until next time - good birding

Not all that wander are lost