Saturday, March 31, 2018

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

21 comments:

  1. Oh, I love the baby elk! Awesome!

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  2. Lucky you. Just wonderful to see them with you.

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  3. You got some nice photos of these friendly creatures. Happy Easter.

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  4. Hello, Linda! It is so nice to see a critter post from you. I love the Bluebird, the elk, deer and the cute mule. Love the baby elk. It is amazing to see the mule trains on the trail. Happy Easter to you and your family! Thank you for linking up your post. Happy Sunday, Enjoy your day and new week ahead!

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  5. Your specialty is landscape and you do an excellent job at that . and you never know if you get the interest in wildlife you may be equally as good with critters as your landscapes.

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  6. That's a Mountain Bluebird! Critter sightings are the best!

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  7. Great animal shots and a cracker of the Eastern Bluebird. Hope you have a nice Easter.

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  8. What wonderful elk sightings at the South Rim! Been there many times and have seen the deer and Kaibab squirrels and other critters but never elk! So cool. Love your bluebird and the mule too.

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  9. Always great to see some of the locals! 😀

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  10. You've captured lots of great critters here.

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  11. Bluebird! Never trust a Deer or an Elk:)

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  12. I think that the blue bird is a Bluebird! Which is a bird I would love to see. Nice.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  13. Awesome shots of the critters! I love seeing any critter at all. It doesn't have to be a wild one or anything unusual.

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  14. wow!! How awesome to see baby elk!!! Just a beautiful place!

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  15. Elk are so majestic - and you were wise to use the zoom even if they appear docile. Mamas can be erratic! We hiked down into the Grand Canyon many years ago ... thanks for bringing back some very pleasant memories!

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  16. They are beautiful! I hear you about the luck thing. I'm just slow to focus the camera!
    (ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

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  17. That baby Elk was so cute. I love seeing deer/elk in the wild.

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  18. Nice to see some unexpected critters, and how fun to see a baby elk

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  19. Your bird is a male Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana).

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