Ms Elk enjoys a snack

I came upon this pretty female elk grazing in a meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.  As I focused the camera, she looked right at me and smacked.  Then, almost as if she realized I had captured her in an inelegant moment, she quickly struck a more serious pose -- protruding grass stems and all.

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) - adult female

I photographed this Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) near the edge of a forest in a mountainous area of Larimer County, Colorado.  This individual is an adult female.  The markings of the male of the species are very similar, but the male has a red patch at the back of its head.

The diet of the Hairy Woodpecker consists mainly of insects, although they also will eat seeds and fruits. They are known to eat the larvae of the bark beetles that infest Ponderosa Pines in Colorado, so these birds are a welcome sight.

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) - adult female

Ground Squirrel Says: "I Haz a Cornz"

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis)

I had been out photographing wildflowers, and on the way home I stopped at a scenic overlook near the edge of the town of Estes Park, Colorado.  I saw a man sprinkle an assortment of seeds and nuts on the ground for the squirrels and chipmunks known to hang out there.  A dozen or so critters showed up in a flash and began picking through the scattered bits searching for their favorites.

While most of the animals scampered about, stuffing their cheek pouches with as much as they could, this one little guy, a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, picked up a single item at a time and daintily nibbled at it.  By a stroke of luck, my trusty macro lens was already mounted on my camera, so I was able to snap a couple of close-up shots of the corn-eating squirrel.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel eating corn

Drowsy Elk with an Itch

We were driving through a residential area in the mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado.  We came upon a bull elk who had decided to take his afternoon rest in a patch of sunlight right beside the road.  Not wanting to startle the drowsy animal, we eased off to the side of the road and stopped.  As quietly as possible, I stepped outside the car to take a few photos.

Elk resting by the roadside in Estes Park, Colorado

The elk stirred a bit, but did not get up.  As he turned his head toward me I was able to get a shot of his huge antlers.

Male Elk with beautiful antlers

Then he did something surprising.  He leaned his head back and began to scratch his back with his antlers.

Elk scratching his back with his antlers

He moved his head back and forth, rubbing his antlers across his back for about a half minute.

Elk scratching his back with his antlers

Judging from the expression of pure bliss on his face, he must have found just the right spot.  If he could have spoken, I think he would have said, "Ahhhh."

Elk says, "Ahhh - that's the spot!"

Itchy spot relieved, he resumed his nap.  We watched the big elk for a few more minutes, then slowly drove past him and went on our way.  He never stirred.

Male Elk at rest - Estes Park, Colorado

Critters blending in with their habitat

Blending in with the habitat is a survival advantage for creatures in the wild.  It is harder for predators to spot a critter who blends in well with its surroundings.  Wildlife photographers aren't exactly predators (we hope!), but sometimes we, too, have some difficulty spotting critters that blend well with their habitat.

Consider the photos series below.  In the first pair of photos an American Pika is  perched on a rock.  The color of its fur is so similar to that of the surrounding rocks that in the longer shot, the little animal almost could go unnoticed.

American Pika (Ochotona princeps)

American Pika - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

In the next pair of photos, a Yellow-bellied Marmot sits in repose.  This animal's larger size and golden color usually make it easier to spot amid the rocky background than the Pika .  In this instance, though, the critter just happened to stop next to a rock of a color similar to the animal's coat.  I do not know whether this was by intention or by chance, but it did make it tougher to get a photo in which the animal stood out from the background.

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Both of these mountain-dwelling species prefer high-elevation habitats. I photographed these two individuals in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park near the base of the Tundra Communities Trail, at an elevation of around 12,000 feet (3,700 meters).

Here are some earlier posts on this blog with photos and more information about these two animals:

• American Pika (Ochotona princeps)
• Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Prairie dog colony in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are rodents that belong to the squirrel family, Sciuridae. In fact, they do look like over-sized ground squirrels, but without the stripes!  Although this species is called "black-tailed," only the tip of the animals' tails are black.

They are social animals, living in colonies.  The colonies are a complex of tunnels and burrows and can be home to hundreds of prairie dog families.  Although prairie dogs will eat insects such as grasshoppers, they are primarily herbivores.  Thus, grasslands and prairies are their preferred habitat.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are found in 11 States including Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.  The prairie dogs on this page were photographed in the Big Dry Creek Open Space in Westminster, Colorado -- a suburb of Denver.  This is one of many prairie dog colonies on the outskirts of the Denver area.

Shy Mule Deer

Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Location:  Estes Park, Colorado, USA

While driving, I saw some deer grazing in a meadow near the road.  Armed with my ever-present camera, I stopped and got out of the car to photograph them.  The deer spotted me instantly and trotted into a stand of pine trees that bordered the meadow.  I waited a long time for them to re-emerge into the meadow so that I could get some clear shots, but they would not cooperate.  I had to be satisfied with a few images of the deer peeking at me through the tree branches.

Colorado Cutie: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) 

Location: Estes Park, Colorado, USA

One of the cutest and friendliest wild critters in the mountains of Colorado is the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.  They look like plump chipmunks, but without the eye stripe.  They are encountered frequently in parks, along hiking trails, and especially in picnic areas where they actively -- and sometimes aggressively -- beg for food.  Those tempted to offer these cute creatures a treat would do well to remember that while they may seem very tame, these are indeed wild animals, and they have been known to "bite the hand that feeds." 

Yellow-bellied Marmot

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

A large member of the Squirrel family, the Yellow-bellied Marmot is known to live at high elevations in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada mountains.  I photographed this individual in Rocky Mountain National Park near the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass, elevation 11,796 feet (3,595 meters).     

A Fritillary Butterfly visiting an Arrowleaf Ragwort

Fritillary Butterfly (Speyeria sp.) 

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA 

 I am not certain of the species of this pretty insect, but I believe it is a kind of Fritillary butterfly, probably of the genus Speyeria.   Fritillaries belong to the Nymphalidae family.  The wildflower this individual is visiting is called Arrowleaf Ragwort (Senecio triangularis). which is abundant in the western United States.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, ready for hibernation

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) 

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA 

My friend and I were hiking on an established trail around Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We spotted a bench that overlooked the small lake, and decided to sit there to eat the sandwiches we had brought with us.  As soon as we unwrapped our food, this little guy appeared to beg for tidbits.  Although he was persistent to the point of being somewhat a pest, we didn't feed him.  Judging by his girth, he certainly was not starving!  In fact he looked very plump -- all ready for his winter hibernation.

Here is another photo of a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel that I posted earlier this year.

Bull Elk In Charge

Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

The photos above were taken in succession just a few seconds apart.  I had been photographing a small group of Elk cows that were grazing in a clearing in a pine forest in Rocky Mountain National Park. Suddenly this bull Elk came crashing through the trees at the edge of the clearing, and he was heading straight for me.  He trotted toward me at a pretty good pace, vocalizing as he approached.  I got the message immediately: "You leave my women alone!"

I made a hasty retreat -- probably not a moment too soon!  Satisfied that I had withdrawn an acceptable distance, Mr. Elk slowed his pace and then stopped, but he remained vigilant until I was completely out of sight.

Rocky Mountain Goat - Mount Evans, Colorado

Rocky Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus)

Location:  Mount Evans, Clear Creek County, Colorado, USA

This Rocky Mountain Goat probably is a male.  The two sexes of this species look very similar, but the males may have somewhat longer horns than the females, and males are most likely to appear alone rather than in small family groups.  We saw this solitary goat surveying the tundra at an elevation of about 12,000 feet, on Mount Evans, Colorado.

Mount Evans, not far from Denver, is one of Colorado's many "fourteeners" -- i..e. mountains whose summits rise to an elevation of more than 14,000 feet above sea level.  The height of the Mount Evans summit is 14,265 feet (4,348 meters).

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Location:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

I was on my belly in the grass, inching along, trying to sneak up on a certain Canada Goose so I could take its picture.  I glanced off to my left just in time to see this other goose sneaking up on me!   I quickly decided to photograph this curious onlooker instead of the bird I had been tracking.

The Egg of the Common Myna is "Robin Egg Blue"

Egg of Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

Location:  Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii

You may know that the American Robin lays eggs that are a pretty pale turquoise color.  You may not know (until now) that the Common Myna also lays eggs that are, um, "robin egg blue."  We spotted this one under a shrub near the edge of our garden in Hawaii.

Our Backyard Bunny: A Desert Cottontail

Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

Location:  Westminster, Colorado, USA

This is a Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), a rabbit species found in the southwestern and Rocky Mountain states of the U.S., as well as northern and central Mexico.  One of this rabbit's noticeable features is the rust-colored patch of fur on the nape of its neck.  And like all cottontails, the underside of its tail is pure white.

Several times each day, we see this bunny hopping about in the yard at our house in Colorado, munching on grass and clover.  If someone approaches, the rabbit scampers away to hide beneath the lowest branches of a Colorado Spruce tree near the edge of the yard.  Most of these visits are in the early morning or very late in the afternoon.

European Starling in non-breeding plumage

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Location:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

Here is a little factoid about this very common bird that I'll bet you didn't know.  According to the entry for the European Starling on WhatBird.com's Field Guide to Birds of North America:

All of the 200 million European Starlings found in North America today are descendants of approximately 100 birds released in New York City's Central Park in the early 1890s by an industrialist who wanted to establish, in the U.S., all birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare.

Who knew??

Elk portrait

Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Here is a female Rocky Mountain Elk.  Although elk are members of the deer family (Cervidae), the female is called a cow, not a doe.  This elk was photographed in early June, thus she is still sporting her shaggy winter coat.

Canada Goose in Profile

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Location:  Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

We saw a large flock of Canada Geese on a grassy patch next to a marsh near the edge of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Most of the geese seemed skittish and shy, but this individual let me get close enough for this portrait.

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)

Location:  Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

This little critter's common name reflects its status as the smallest of all chipmunks. They are found throughout the western United States, especially in mountainous regions. They eat berries, seeds, and certain insects such as beetles and grasshoppers.