Good Morning Elk
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Category Archives: wapiti (elk)
an enchanting face
elk
These two November photographs were made just a few days apart and forgotten until today. The first one was made on a very cold morning in Pine using a fence post as a tripod. The second photograph was made from the passenger seat while traveling at highway speed in South Park.
tripod
I first saw his magnificent head ornament as he grazed with two smaller bulls at late dusk. Then I saw the short hind leg and knew it was “tripod” a bull elk I’d heard about and seen in a recent newspaper photo. I chose an ISO of 1000 to make a few images of him on August 21 in the minutes available before darkness came to the meadow.
elk
In sunsets’ final gleam, a bull, a cow, and a calf from an elk herd during their seasonal rut, the only time the mature bulls and cows hang out together.
Two older bulls and two cows in the meadow near the creek. I was perhaps 600 feet from them, looking down into the valley’s dusk.
Most of the herd, including the largest bull, were across the road and up the hill into the shadowy forest.
Early the next morning, the herd was across and farther up the creek and again moving up into the trees with the bulls bugling and fighting as they went.
In this crop, two large bulls tangle antlers. In the full image below, a young bull can be seen moving in to join the fight. One of the large bulls briefly hooked antlers with him as they moved on into the trees and out of view.
I’d like to have more telephoto power and a faster lens for making elk images at these great distances at dawn and dusk. I rarely see them when there’s enough light for great exposures.
The young bull below was watching evening battles between the big guys from a safe distance. He was much closer to me than the action near the creek and just about the right distance for my 100-400 mm zoom.
Wild Things: elk, heron, sparrow, red wing, and buttercup
Elk in the early morning yesterday after a night of rain showers in a Staunton Park prescribed burn area. The burned area is turning green with new growth, but the tall grass in the unburned area is still brown.
Some minutes later at upper lake, a heron, startled when I opened the ranch gate, flew across and stood on the other side.
Captured with 100-400 mm zoom at 400, handheld at the gate, the photo above is a crop of the original. I chose an ISO of 1000 for the weak early light.
The bird didn’t allow me too close. It did stay while I drove in, closed the gate, and parked. The image above was taken across the small lake, also at 400mm and cropped to perhaps 1/2 of the original image.
My regret is that I didn’t change batteries after capturing the elk images earlier. I suppose, at 36 degrees F, it was cold enough to weaken the battery. I’d forgotten about the cold’s effect on battery life because these spring days seem warm to me. An early morning above freezing is a wonderful thing this time of year.
As I changed battery, the heron stretched its neck, then its wings, walked a few steps and took off. I got the battery in and was able to capture a few images as it flew over middle lake toward lower lake where it stayed until I left the area.
I’ll go back in a day or two and try again. After the heron left, I walked around upper and middle lakes and was able to capture images of a sparrow and a red wing blackbird.
I was surprised to see how far the sparrow could turn its head. I wish I could do that.
The redwing called again and again while I photographed.
When I got home, wild buttercups (aka pasque flowers) with raindrops were waiting for the camera.
It was a good day for photography.
Wapiti Weather Forecast
Snow all day today. The elk knew yesterday. They often come down into the creek valley when it’s going to snow. Yesterday evening there were 40 or 50 cows and young near the creek road. This one was willing to pose for the camera a moment when I pulled over to watch them.
wapiti
South Park – I watched a large herd of about 100 wapiti (American Elk) jump fences and cross a road toward a small lake. One of the babies couldn’t cross the fence. The whole herd stopped and called out encouragement, but still the baby could not make the leap required to cross the fence. Very slowly, the entire herd turned around and crossed back over the fences and road to join the baby. Then, they began running in the opposite direction stretching out in a long line silhouetted against the distant hills. At times like this, I wish for a 600mm lens. Here are a few images at 300mm.
