Big Ol' Bison in Yellowstone National Park

American Bison (Bison bison), Yellowstone National Park

Pretty formidable-looking critter for a vegetarian, isn't he?  Hard to believe he survives and thrives on a diet composed mainly of grasses.

I photographed this fine male specimen hanging out in a meadow near the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Photo: Baby Ground Squirrel Following Mom

Baby Ground Squirrel following Mom

This is a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel mother and her baby.  I spotted these two healthy-looking specimens at a roadside rest along US Route 36 in Larimer County, Colorado.  The youngster followed closely as the mother checked around the parking area for any bits of food that visiting humans might have dropped or left behind.

Photo: Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

This good-looking bird is a Steller's Jay.  Like other jays, it belongs to the same family (Corvidae) as crows, ravens and magpies.  These songbirds are quite common in the Colorado Rockies.  I photographed this individual in Larimer County, Colorado.

Here is some good info about this species from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Steller's Jay

Photos: Canada Geese in Rocky Mountain National Park

Canada Goose, giving me the eye

The scene: a grassy patch alongside a parking lot in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park.  The action: A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) watching me as I watched them munching young spring-green shoots.  Above is a close up of the male goose keeping a wary eye on me as I moved in with my camera.  Below is his pretty mate.

It's not unusual to see this species here and there around Rocky Mountain National Park, but they seem to be more plentiful at this time of year.  I suppose some are permanent residents, while the greater numbers seen at certain times of the year probably are migrants enjoying a respite before continuing on their journeys.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Critters: Is it a deer -- or a kangaroo?

So I took some pictures of deer grazing near the side of a road on the outskirts of Estes Park, Colorado.  When I downloaded the photos from my camera to my computer I was surprised to see one close-up shot that looked like a kangaroo!

Female Mule Deer impersonating a kangaroo

Of course it really is a female Mule Deer.  Here's another shot of the same individual, showing her whole body.  Nope, definitely not a kangaroo.

Female Mule Deer  (Odocoileus hemionus)