Posts Tagged ‘Mountain Goat’

May
05
2012

Postcards from Glacier National Park

Looking towards higher ground from the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  HDR image recorded on July 23, 2011 at around 09:45, using the Nikon D3s and theAF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens at 35mm.  Exposure was f/11 with five source images bracketing +/- 2.o EV, +/- 1.0 EV, and 0.0 EV.

Looking eastward from the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 10:00, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 38mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/60s, ISO 200.

There was extensive construction along the upper sections of the Going-to-the Sun Road in the summer of 2011.  The automated signal rigs shown above were a common sight.  Image recorded on July 23, 2011 at around 10:30, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 24mm.  Exposure was f/11 and 1/125s, ISO 800.  Handheld.

We found this billy goat just above the Going-to-the-Sun road at a spot below the Garden Wall where we had to pause for road construction.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 10:30, using the Nikon D7000 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens at 400mm (600mm in FX).  Exposure was f/8 and 1/200s, ISO 1600.  Handheld.

Mountain Goat calf near Logan Pass.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 17:30, using the Nikon D7000 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens at 200mm (300mm in FX).  Exposure was f/9 and 1/1250s, ISO 800.  Handheld.

Nanny goat near Logan Pass.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 17:30, using the Nikon D7000 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens at 200mm (300mm FX equivalent).  Exposure was f/9 and 1/1600s, ISO 800.  Handheld.

A Glacier Park Inc ‘Red Bus’ is shown parked at the Logan Pass Visitors Center.  These 1930’s vintage renovated convertible buses operate throughout the park.  Image recorded on July 23, 2011 at around 11:15, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 28mm.  Exposure was f/11 and 1/640s (+1.0 EV), ISO 800.

The view north from Going-to-the-Sun Road into Lunch Creek and Piegan Mountain.  Image recorded on July 23, 2011 at around 11:30, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 24mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/125s (-0.67 EV), ISO 200.

Near the north end of St. Mary Lake we encounter this log jam.  Image recorded on July 23, 2011 at around 13:15, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 24mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/160s, ISO 800.

 

Heavy Runner Mountain (left) and Reynolds Mountain from the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 11:00, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 24mm.  Exposure was f/11 and 1/125s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO 200.

The view west from Sun Point on St. Mary Lake with  , from left to right, Citadel Mountain, Fusillade Mount, Reynolds Mountain, and Heavey Runner Mountain,  in the distance.  Image recorded at around noon on July 23, 2011, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 36mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/3205s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO 800.

Steel sighting-map at Sun Point.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 11:00, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 36mm.  Exposure was f/16 and 1/100s (+0.33 EV, normalized in ACR), ISO 200.

West bank of St. Mary Lake from the green side of Sun Point.  Image recorded at around noon on July 24, 2011, using the Nikon D3s and the AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens at 36mm.  Exposure was f/11 and 1/500s, ISO 800.

We found this bighorn sheep ewe along Swiftcurrent ridge near Lake Sherburne in the Many Glacier region of the park.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 14:00, using the Nikon D7000 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens at 400mm (600mm in FX).  Exposure was f/8 and 1/200s, ISO 1000.  Handheld.

Finally, two images of a black bear sow (above) and her three cubs (below) navagating the shoreline of Lake Sherburne.  The foliage on the lake around Lake Sherburne is extremely mature in spots, and this bear family had to go amphibious to get around some significant obstacles.  The young bears seemed to have no fear of the water, and followed their mother without hestitation.  The color of the black bears in the Many Glacier area is remarkably variable, with many cinnamon-color animals.  Image recorded on July 24, 2011 at around 14:00, using the Nikon D7000 and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II lens at 400mm (600mm in FX).  Exposure was f/8 and 1/800s, ISO 800.

The images included in this picture-postcard summary represent only the briefest overview of the photographic possibilities present in Glacier.  The images were recorded on July 23 & 24, 2011, and are included in a more or less geographically organized fashion, in the way that you would encounter places along the Going-to-the-Sun road from west to east.

Copyright 2012 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

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Posted in Adventure, National Parks and Monuments, Wildlife Photography | 4 Comments »

Mar
19
2012

Where the Rocks Are Blue

We arrived at Glacier National Park late in the afternoon of the July 22, 2011.  After checking in to our hotel, we just couldn’t wait, and decided to take a quick run up the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR).  It was by then after 20:00 MDT, and so we didn’t really anticipate having any notable photographical opportunities – but of course, you know what I’m going to tell you next.

Right, always be prepared for an opportunity.  Especially with wildlife that exhibit crepuscular behavior, you just have to be ready to make the shot should luck be with you.

We encountered this small band of Mountain Goats (Oreamnos americanus) at around 20:40, at a point where the roadway lies on top of locally-quarried stone blocks.  The exposed blocks provide the goats with relatively easy access to the rock surfaces, and specifically salts in the rock matrix.

Vegetation is uniformly low in electrolytes, and most vegetarian wildlife seek out supplemental salt.  Curiously, the amount of salt sought by goats (and virtually all animals) is much greater than their absolute dietary requirement.  The GTSR can be very crowded at times, but by early evening traffic is significantly reduced, providing the goats with a chance to fulfill their nutritional desires/needs in an easily accessed location.

Careful review of the image directly above (and the others to some extent) reveals that the tips of the goat’s horn are blue.  A remarkable feature of the stone in this area is that it is one or another shade of a distinctive dusty blue color.  I could not determine whether the goats seemed to favor one shade over another, but there is no doubt but that these animals were drawn to the place where the rocks are blue.

The goats didn’t seem to mind us much, and in fact a kid trotted right behind me on the way from one section of the wall to another – right down the middle of the road.

Images in this entry were recorded using the Nikon D3s (what else?!!!) and the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II  (mostly at 400mm).  Exposures were at f/8.0 and 1/125s, ISO 3200.  Noise reduction was applied using Nik Software Dfine.  Further processing was accomplished using Nik Viveza 2 and Color Efex Pro 4, and Photoshop CS5.  Image sharpening was applied using Photokit Sharpener 2.

A Google Earth image of the area appears below:

Copyright 2012 Peter F. Flynn.  No usage permitted without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

 

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Posted in Mountain Goat, National Parks and Monuments, Wildlife Photography | 1 Comment »

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