Category Archives: mammals

  On adjacent days I watched two rather different mammals graze: marmot and elk. The two occupy different habitats and differ in weight by a factor of a hundred, but for each, grass is a staple of its diet. A Yellow-bellied Marmot … Continue reading →

  Around here, the Yellow-bellied Marmot emerges from hibernation in the latter half of March (2012, 2013, 2014). Yesterday’s marmot is having grass for breakfast after its long winter’s nap.

    We have two species of deer around the Lake: Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer. White-tailed Deer are seen mainly at the valley bottom (discussion of white tail, facetious comments). Mule Deer are seen mainly on the mountain slopes. It … Continue reading →

  As I watched two coyotes this morning, I sensed a pattern. So, I looked through all my (dated) coyote pictures for a decade and the pattern became clear: I only see coyotes hunting from December through April. Now, I live at the valley … Continue reading →

  This has been a good season for hanging out with Bighorn Sheep. In October there were three postings (portraits, wooing, mating), followed by another in December (roadside sheep). Now, this one.  What is interesting to me is that the … Continue reading →

  I keep returning to the spot where I saw the icebreaking beaver, but although there is often evidence of activity, the beaver has not been seen again—not seen, that is, until today. He was seen on a snow bank high above … Continue reading →

  A pair of River Otters ceaselessly patrolled the edge of border ice. Why? Were fish more plentiful there, possibly because ice forms where water is shallow, or because fish seek safe darkness under ice? Does anyone know? Whatever the reason, … Continue reading →

  Alas, my camera finds far fewer mammals for me than it does birds, so I must savour the few opportunities it gives me. Here are a few of the mammal shots I liked from 2014. There are two local species … Continue reading →