Critters of the Canyon

I normally have bad luck when it comes to wildlife sightings.  When visiting National Parks, usually chipmunks are the only critters I encounter.  But during my short stay at the Grand Canyon's South Rim, I was lucky enough to spot a few other wild animals.

This pretty bird posed for me

This pretty blue bird posed in a tree for me, and using my zoom lens I was able to get a half decent shot of it.  Sorry, I'm not a birder so I have no idea what species (maybe some of my more bird friendly readers can help out with id).

Elk in the camground!

Walking from my campsite the first morning, I encountered a mama elk and her baby about 10 feet from the road.

Mama and baby elk

The elk were busy eating, and didn't seem to care that I was nearby.

"Don't bother me, I'm eating"

It was a huge thrill to be able to photograph these animals.  Of course, I knew better than to get any closer.  (That's what zoom lenses are for).

I got extremely close

Later in the day, while riding one of the park's shuttle buses, we passed by another herd of elk, foraging along the main road.  These animals must be used to humans, as the heavy auto traffic rumbling by didn't faze them in the least.

Very cool to see these graceful animals

The next morning, I walked to the campground's water spigot, and discovered two deer drinking from the puddle that had formed underneath.

Deer waiting for me to finish filling my water bottle

The deer seemed quite annoyed when I forced them to move.  They hung close by, just waiting for me to finish.  I only had my phone with me, but was able to get a couple of cute shots.  I was amused by the front deer's expression.  He (or she) seemed to say "hurry up and get your water already!"

Friendly mule

My last critter sighting wasn't a wild animal, but I was thrilled just the same.  During my hike down into the canyon, I met up with one of the mule trains.  I enjoyed trying to capture images of these hard-working critters.  More photos coming in my next post!

P.S.  If you missed my first Grand Canyon post, you can find it here.

Sharing with:  Saturday's Critters