Some pictures from our 2017 USA Road Trip ... part 2

Stormbringer

Next batch of pictures is ready. I think there's one or two more sets to go. These are all Yellowstone and mostly wildlife.

Family of black bears going for a swim and then wandering off. I had to go and alert the rangers on this, as you can see from the second shot one of the cubs had walked away. This was because the public was getting too close and it got scared.



Fox in the undergrowth early in the morning and later in the day:



Wolves in the Lamar valley on patrol, there's six in this picture. Just after this they went for a pack of bison.

American badger, apparently this is quite a rare sight. Saw it out of the corner of my eye, managed to pull over safely:

View from Beartooth pass at nearly 11000 feet:


Elk (I think?) relaxing in Mammoth Hot Springs:

We saw a herd of bison in Mammoth Hot Springs around 6am:


Saw this blue bird in Mammoth Hot Springs, it really is that intense blue. I spotted it a long way off, its colour was such a contrast compared to the background:


Mammoth Hot Springs upper terrace just after sunrise:



Some birds nesting in the eves of one of the public toilets:


Cinnamon black bear cub:


A mother black bear and two of her cubs:


Two grizzly bears having a disagreement, it was playful (we think), we were a long way away


Osprey nest high up in a tree. The tree was in a very windy valley, however the osprey chose the one specific place where there was a bend in the river so the top of the tree was sheltered. Amazingly intelligent.


The lakes were just beautiful:


Even the wildlife seem to obey the traffic instructions:


Not sure what this bird was but it made a bloody loud sound:


White footed hare, first time we'd seen one of these little critters:


This shot was amazing, some mountain goats up a cliff face. Using the naked eye they were a spec on a rock face.


Early morning committee meeting


The weather in Yellowstone can change on a dime. The following three pictures were taken within 30 mins of each other. We watched a storm rolling over the mountains and went from glorious sunshine to snow, with the temperature dropping from around 77F/25C to freezing.



Thanks for looking!

thetrim

Wow!  Beautiful!

Photo Egg

Beautiful.....

lousubcap

Spectacular shots of some incredible subjects.  Thanks for sharing.

Sea2Ski

What fantastic pictures!!!   So envious!

I do not want to hijack the thread but I want to ask what tripod are you using?  I am in the market for a good travel model.  Leaning toward the vanguard because I do not want to spend more than $250-300 on one.
This one:
http://www.vanguardworld.us/photo_video_us/products/tripods/veo-2-265.html really has my eye at the moment because it folds small, is light but can hold a good sized camera and lens.

kl8ton

Great pictures.  Really cool.  Thank you for sharing.

td66snrf

That was like looking at a National Geographic magazine. Wonderful pictures. 

SamIAm2

Thanks for the beautiful photos from your vacation and am looking forward to the next set. If you haven't set plans for next year, there are some really special places like the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida or any of the others in our National Wildlife Refuge system that some of us would enjoy seeing thru your lens.  

Foghorn

Spectacular.

Roebuck

Amazing photos - looks like a great trip!

...Also, thank you for not uploading multiple massive image files. These all appear to be under 1 MB. My phone thanks you...Thumbs up! I'm surprised there are no limits on on size for uploaded images here.

Stormbringer

Thanks folks. To be clear, my wife takes them, I carry the camera kit and use the spotting scope.

@Sea2Ski the pictures were taken with an K&F Concept Aluminium tripod, and it was a bit of a pain to use, so we decided to get new ones. Using that tripod with the spotting scope was quite frustrating. I know very little about tripods, however we had an excellent tour guide for two days, Deby Dixon, check out her photographs. Her advice was to get carbon fibre, a make like Manfrotto, and make sure you are comfortable with the adaptor. The adatpor bit is really important, as there are a few different types. To illustrate, I prefer the single long arm extension so I can move with one hand and use the other to focus. My wife prefers a two small handle option so she can pinpoint and then focus. She bought a Manfrotto 055 (and a separate 3 way head column), and I can say that thing is solid as a rock.

@SamIam2 we are heading back to Yellowstone again next year, starting in SF then through Tahoe, on to Boise, through the Sawtooth Mountains to Stanley and then Salmon, over to Gardiner, then Yellowstone for 10 days, including (hopefully) seeing the core of the galaxy. Then down to Salt Lake, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Vegas, home. So unfortunately no time for Florida. However, are there decent Wildlife Refuge places anywhere on that trip worth going to?

@Roebuck yeah that bugs me too, all images I upload are (a) 1000px on longest dimension (b) saved at 90% quality and (c) JPG format.

I had a look, I think two more installments to come, the remainder of Yellowstone and the Olympic Peninsula, including seeing whales dancing in the sea.

Roebuck

Stormbringer said:

Thanks folks.



@Roebuck yeah that bugs me too, all images I upload are (a) 1000px on longest dimension (b) saved at 90% quality and (c) JPG format.

Thank you!! ...this should be a best practice on here folks!

...I see you have a LBGE and a MMX. I've got the Large and am wanting a MMX...the wife thinks I'm crazy. How can I win this argument?

DoubleEgger

Great pics as always. @Sea2Ski I have this Giottos Silk Road and really like it. I like the lever rather than the twist lock for the legs. It's way faster to set up and that's a big deal in a place like Yellowstone. It's easier to tell if you forgot to lock a leg as well. 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876,{creative},{keyword}&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9fm8tKLK1QIVDKtpCh3ekw7DEAQYAiABEgKkevD_BwE&is=REG&m=Y&sku=969787

HeavyG

The birds are a Mountain Bluebird and a Yellow-headed Blackbird.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing

spray

Wow!  Spectacular pics!  All of them, and that badger sighting is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime thing. 

theyolksonyou

Major envy

Stormbringer

@HeavyG cheers, good to know.

@Roebuck simple economics. The MMX uses around 20% of the lump of a large. Given that for us, two adults and three cats, we cook almost all meals on the MMX I worked out that it would pay for itself in around three years simply by reduced lump expenditure. It's also a really versatile little beast, especially when adding a second cooking level, custom built or CGS. This thread might help:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1193443/benefits-of-having-more-than-one-egg

YukonRon

I loved your presentation. I did surveying for the USGS in the area you visited, many years ago when I was in college. I was in awe of the surroundings then, and your images you have shared, brings that same feeling back to me again, and I appreciate your efforts, more than you will ever know.
My beautiful wife has not been there, and I am going to take her in the next couple of years. inspiring work you have done.
Thank you.

Eggdicted_Dawgfan

Absolutely beautiful. Can't wait for round 3. 

Stormbringer

@YukonRon I recommend going in the next couple of years, the tourism numbers are rising steadily. Having said that, the big tourist buses don't go to the Lamar Valley or Beartooth pass, they focus in the Hot Springs and Grand Canyon areas.

@Eggdicted_Dawgfan thanks, round 3 will be coming around sooner than it took to get round 2 out.

SamIAm2

Stormbringer said:

Thanks folks. To be clear, my wife takes them, I carry the camera kit and use the spotting scope.

@SamIam2 we are heading back to Yellowstone again next year, starting in SF then through Tahoe, on to Boise, through the Sawtooth Mountains to Stanley and then Salmon, over to Gardiner, then Yellowstone for 10 days, including (hopefully) seeing the core of the galaxy. Then down to Salt Lake, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Vegas, home. So unfortunately no time for Florida. However, are there decent Wildlife Refuge places anywhere on that trip worth going to?
 Peninsula, including seeing whales dancing in the sea.

I have not travelled west of the Mississippi river to date so I can't make recommendations. However, you can find some candidates that may fit your agenda next year here:

 https://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/bystate.html

Oh and I agree, your pictures would make a wonderful screensaver.

KiterTodd

beautiful photos.  thanks for sharing them.  Amazing you saw so much wildlife.  You must have a looooooong lens!

Stormbringer

KiterTodd said:

beautiful photos.  thanks for sharing them.  Amazing you saw so much wildlife.  You must have a looooooong lens!

Cheers, it's pretty big, 150-600

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Electronics-Photo/Sigma-150-600-Contemporary-Canon-Mount-Lens/B00THOYRN6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502400263&sr=8-1&keywords=sigma+150-600

GaBGE

@Stormbringer when was you at Yellowstone? I was out there in early/mid June. 

Stormbringer

GaBGE said:

@Stormbringer when was you at Yellowstone? I was out there in early/mid June. 

Same time bud, we were there 7th - 13th June. Stayed in Gardiner for the first few days then down to a cabin at Lake Hotel.

nolaegghead

Beautiful.  No one loves nature more than me.  Now let's run a pipe line through there and maybe a little drilling operation, some mining....might as well pull out of the Paris Accord so we don't look like douche bags...

nolaegghead

disclaimer:  The above was internet sarcasm in no way directed to the OP or the nature, and for the record, I really do love nature, contrary to said sarcasm.

Roebuck

Stormbringer said:

@HeavyG cheers, good to know.

@Roebuck simple economics. The MMX uses around 20% of the lump of a large. Given that for us, two adults and three cats, we cook almost all meals on the MMX I worked out that it would pay for itself in around three years simply by reduced lump expenditure. It's also a really versatile little beast, especially when adding a second cooking level, custom built or CGS. This thread might help:

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1193443/benefits-of-having-more-than-one-egg

Makes sense to me @stormbringer - thanks!

odie91

You're getting some serious bokeh with a zoom lens.  Looks great

Stormbringer

odie91 said:

You're getting some serious bokeh with a zoom lens.  Looks great

Had to look up what "bokeh" meant ... and yes, thanks!