Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon

The very last stage of our holiday was a return trip to Las Vegas. The wildlife there doesn't really suit a blog of this sort but we did take a helicopter trip from the airport via the Hoover Dam into the Grand Canyon for a spot of lunch.

This was my second ever helicopter ride, I have very faint memories of a brief trip about 30 years ago when I was seven years old...

This was our bird (you can just make out the company name, Sundance ,on the side):














Since then I have developed vertigo and Helen claustrophobia, so we were suitably nervous before take-off :) The initial take-off was aborted as the pilot couldn't get his radio working so we quickly returned to the ground. After some re-setting of switches we took off again and headed up and over Las Vegas and off towards the Grand Canyon, via the Hoover Dam. This is the best snap I could get of the dam, due to being on the right hand front-window side and us approaching from the left:














The white line at the base of the rock shows the ongoing reduction in water levels due to both the drought and the burgeoning city population of Las Vegas; which now uses far too much water for the supply to be sustainable. After a forty-minute flight we touched down on Native American soil for a brief lunch and mooch around. I took some snaps of the rock walls, the river and some of the local flora:












































Our hearts had calmed down sufficiently in the 30 minute break to allow us to appear semi-composed when we re-boarded the helicopter. It felt worse second time around, though we did pass by the Valley of Fire, seen here:














We'd visited the Valley on foot on our previous visit to the area in 2004. Finally we headed back into Vegas, with the sunlight bouncing off the Luxor and beaming at us, to touchdown and a quick trip back to the hotel. After that we packed and got ready for the flight home ;-(

Grand Teton, day 4

Day 4 in Grand Teton was pretty much a day-trip back to Billings Airport, for our flight on to Las Vegas. We rose very early, ate and jumped in the car, heading back into Yellowstone. We stopped at LeHardy rapids to photograph this California Gull in the park:















In the Hayden Valley, the herd of Bison was about, including this male:















and this calf, close by:















I was delighted to finally see some Brown-headed Cowbirds sat atop a Bison, these two look like they're courting too:
















A little further up the valley a Cinnamon Teal soaking up the early morning sun:















We broke our journey at Mammoth, as we felt we hadn't checked out the Hot Springs area properly, and George had recommended it as a must see. The following snaps illustrate some of the features of the area including the terracing effects:

After Mammoth it was time to leave the park. I will always remember visiting both Yellowstone and Grand Teton, they are remarkable places where man mingles with the wilds. The biggest issue is going to be the preservation and if possible the extension of what is wild, which will require resolve to ensure it happens. Hunting should only be for essential herd maintenance with man having as little impact, in every way, on the area as possible. Then these parks and their wild inhabitants will be preserved for future generations to visit and be awed.

p.s. looks like a return visit is on the cards, plans are being hatched and we're still less than a week from our return flight, going to need to start saving up very soon indeed :)

Grand Teton, day 3

Day three in Grand Teton National Park and we needed to both get another walk in and complete the loop road to take in all the sights. We decided to do the Bradley and Taggart Lakes trail (all the trails can be got from the Ranger Visitors Centres dotted about, we bought 'Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks - Top Trails', ISBN 0-89997-368-X, but already the habitats are evolving post fire so not everything in the book is fresh up to date).

Heading up the trail you pass through some light woodland behind a corral then over some noisy fast flowing rapids, heading uphill alongside the river and then on to first Taggart lake and the Bradley lake.

This area is recovering from being burned through in the late 1980's and is a combination of fresh Lodgepole Pines and burned out stumps, which provide ideal perches for lots of the birds of the area. This Savannah Sparrow, nevadensis was one such:
















We saw various birds of prey but they were distant from the trail and hard to distinguish. This Yellow Warbler closely resembles a race only found in Southern Florida, so it can't be one of them, therefore what indeed is it?


















As you rise beyond Taggart Lake the view back across is dramatic:
















One thing that perplexed us throughout our stay in the Grand Tetons was the complete lack of waterfowl. There was just nothing about. We'd picked up a copy of common birds in the area from the Rangers Visitor Centre, which lists Trumpeter Swans and others as common, but we saw none. We did however spot this Green-tailed Towhee off the trail:





















And of course lots and lots of smaller mammals stuffing their faces, including this Red Squirrel:















and this Uinta Ground Squirrel (click on the pic he's really very cute!):















Having completed the walk from Taggart to Bradley and heading back we spotted this multi-coloured Lazuli Bunting singing from the treetops:



















Having completed the 5.8mile 550ft elevation trail, we hopped in the car to explore the rest of the park. Next stop Menors Ferry Historic Area. This place is absolutely full of birds. It's a very small footprint to explore with some historic information, a refurbished historic cabin, etc. but the number of birds was amazing.

We spotted a strange (to us) looking bird on a dead-tree. I only realised what I'd photographed when we got back to the UK and I trawled through the (1,200) photos we'd taken. My first ever Waxwing, this one a Cedar Waxwing:














There were three or four of these Waxwings. They took off from their tree hovered over the river, catching passing insects and then glided back to their perches. I don't know how long the feeding is this easy for them, but they really did look completely relaxed, taking off every now and then to eat again. Also above the river flew a large number of Tree, Cliff and Barn swallows, darting around feeding. One strange looking bird hove into view, with a wing-shape I'd not seen before:















The local Ranger guessed it might be a Shrike but we weren't so sure, the very visible white patches on the under-wing and the white throat markings being very distinctive. I had no idea what it was and could find nothing like it in the bird of prey section of our field guide (National geographic - Birds of North America). Some more experienced birders at the Northants Yahoo Bird Group identified it as a Common Nighthawk (known as a Nightjar in the UK).

By the cabins I spotted this Hairy Woodpecker female with mouth full of food for the nest.















We followed where she flew to and discovered that her young had fledged, here she is feeding her youngster:















The youngster was very cute, with under-developed beak and wings but with a well developed begging call!

Next stop on the loop was Blacktail Ponds overlook, where we saw Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-winged Blackbird, American Goldfinch, lots of sparrows and Cedar Waxwing. That was just meandering along the top and observing what was in the air or settled just down on the ground below. The view of the Tetons was excellent too:
















Next stop was to have a look at Two Ocean Lake, our last chance of waterfowl, before hitting the road again the next day. The road to the lake however is 'rough' and our rental car wasn't up to the journey, so it's a 4x4 when we return!

In the river by the turning however there was the most impressive Beaver lodge:
















This one being at least 3 times the size of anything else we'd seen in either park! For our final stop of the day we headed back around the road loop to Leigh Lake to walk alongside the lake. This Common Merganser female was teaching her youngsters to dive for food, while we watched, in the area of rapids between the two lakes, and away from most of the humans:














Watching mum dive followed by 5 or 6 of the juveniles was very cute, they were clearly learning how to feed; though not all of them had mastered the 'dive and follow mum' technique by the time we headed on.

Grand Teton, day 2

We decided that, with Willow Flats closed we'd complete the Hermitage Loop trail, as it was local and a good 9.5mile walk. We got down to the trailhead and met a couple who told us there was a bear with a carcass about 1/4 mile ahead on the trail, and showed us some video of it tearing into whatever it was eating. They were determined to see a Moose if they could so they headed off on the loop trail the other way. This gave us a dilemma, as we could either follow them and hope the bear had moved on 4 hours later, or report it. We chose to report it, and the trail was closed. So we needed plan B, which we decided was to head to Jenny Lake, get the boat across and try the trail from there.

A mother bear with two cubs was reported at Jenny Lodge that morning, but we didn't see them. The boat took eight minutes to get us across. The trail winds up, first to hidden falls, at about a third of a mile:

A full mile, and about 750ft up is Inspiration Point, a view that takes in Jenny Lake and landscape beyond.

Approaching Inspiration point there are a few switchbacks on a thin (looked thin to me!) path. Below, a few Aspens growing one of which a Red-naped Sapsucker had made its nest in:

We headed from Inspiration Point into the Canyon, the trail runs along the river to a fork 3.5 miles ahead. One fork takes you into backcountry, the other to a lake on a circular trail of 19 miles back to the boat. Today we decided to get to the fork and a little beyond to a Ranger station marked on the trail guide and then turn around and head back, roughly 10 miles with an elevation gain of over 1100ft.

Once in the canyon, the number of people around you drops notably. Some Yellow Warblers were about at the start of the trail:

Heading out of the first wooded area we spotted this chap, who looks like a cross between a ground squirrel and a chipmunk:















The whole time we'd been in Yellowstone and since arriving in the Grand Tetons we'd heard a song very much like an electronic flute, rising and descending, but the bird had always been distant, though its song carried. We'd caught up on the trail with some other hikers when one started singing just off the trail in a clump of dead trees. The Swainson's Thrush sang from his first perch and this stump for a good five minutes, uninterrupted:
















Right next to the trail this chap was munching his way through the foliage, I believe possibly a Yellow-bellied Marmot - though I have very limited reference material:

Another thrush made an appearance, this one a Hermit Thrush, Auduboni:

As we got further along the trail we noticed a lichen that was growing on and killing the lodgepole pines:

We made the trail fork and progressed on towards the marked Ranger cabin, which we couldn't locate, however we did come across a powerful if low height falls about 1/2 mile beyond the trail fork:

We headed back and met more and more groups of hikers heading out, even in the building heat of the early afternoon. About 3 miles back along the path a small crowd had gathered watching this Moose, trying to cool off in the river:

The way down proved quicker than the way up, by some distance. All along the path we'd seen Yellow-rumped Warblers, Chipping Sparrows and others. We are resolved to return and complete the loop to the lake and around the next peak, though only with at least 10 days acclimatisation.

Beyond Inspiration Point and heading back down to the boat the Red-naped Sapsucker was returning with more food for the nest:

The day proved to be the best walk we'd had, in either park, for distance covered, height climbed and general adaptation to the environment. Back at the cabins a Barn Swallow enjoyed the afternoon sun:

The walk up into the canyon was, for me, the best of our holiday, as we had adjusted to the air, the heat and were able to take in a lot of what we passed through, as well as mixing with other hikers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Grand Teton, day 1

For our first day in Grand Teton we decided to stay local with the Hermitage Point trail, or at least part of it. The trail-head is by the marina and only a short walk from the cabins.

In the trees at the start of the walk and regularly occurring thereafter, Gray Jays, including this one:





















We headed first to Swan Lake in the hope of seeing Trumpeter Swans, alas none were present. We did however glimpse this female Moose on the water's edge:














Further along the trail I managed at last to photograph one of the many bright orange Butterflies that seemed everpresent. It is, I believe, a Great Spangled Fritillary (good name!):














As the heat built and having again seen fresh Bear scratchings and scat we took the trail cut-off and headed down to Heron Pond. This is the view of Grand Teton itself, from the edge of the pond:















A couple were approaching us on the trail when I spotted a huge bird, heading at pace for the surface of the lake. It pulled up and glided across Heron Pond to alight in trees on the other side. I had no idea what it was other than an Eagle, The couple who joined us were Audubon members (and spookily enough have relatives in Bedfordshire, have been to Sandy and know the membership secretary of old...) and identified the bird as a 2nd summer Bald Eagle:
















We chatted whilst the Eagle just sat in the tree, no doubt pondering the failed hunt and then headed off our separate ways having enjoyed the moment.

Along the trail I managed to snap another Butterfly, although this time I have no idea, what it is :)


















Towards the end of the trail, approaching the Marina, this Mule Deer was snacking close to the trail:














Having walked about 5.5 miles we decided to head out of Colter Bay and check out a few birding spots. We first stopped at Willow Flats overlook. Willow Flats was closed, with police incident tape, as there's a Grizzly and two cubs in the area and there was an 'incident' in June...

Hopping around the car park was this Brewer's Blackbird:















We headed on from Willow Flats to the Oxbow Bend pull-out, downcast as we'd planned to spend a day walking the trails thereabouts. At the first pull-out we checked out the Canada Geese and Goldeneye on the far shore when Helen spotted a large bird, hovering like a tern close to the next pull-out. We hopped in the car sharpish and drove the near 200 yards to the next pull-out in time to photograph this Osprey seeking prey in the river below:

















The Osprey dived, made a catch and took off again behind the cover of the trees. I did get a few blurry snaps which show he had a fish caught in his left claw, then he flew away.

The view from the Oxbow bend is impressive:














Flitting in amongst the trees we spotted a warbler, in fact another Yellow-rumped Warbler, Auduboni, but this time an adult:














On the way back to Colter Bay we stopped to get another shot of the view into the canyon on the other side of Jackson Lake: