Yellowstone Insight

08/04/2024

Great Gray Owl Dream.

The Summer Season of guiding has come to a close for Yellowstone Insight. Yesterday was the last day for August as we are now switching into personal Family Time.

My daughter has qualified again for the Western Zones Age Group Championships for swimming. We are headed on a road trip westward for a few weeks. Expect a few updates in our Story feed about the adventures as we camp along the NW Coastal area and fun points in between.

I chose to post this image because as we get back to touring in early September, a focus of a few of my guests is to find the illusive Great Gray Owl. Fingers are crossed that we will be successful in our Autumn endeavors, so here’s to Dreaming of it now!

This image was taken in September of 2022. I played with it in Photoshop to take out a few distracting branches and a Lodgepole Pine tree trunk. I hope you enjoy.

For more information about our tour options, please check out our website for more details. Our next available tours would be in October but we are certainly taking bookings for this Winter Season and into 2025.

Please like/share/comment about our posts! We love to hear your feedback!
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08/02/2024

I tend to not forward much to this page, but this was just too good to pass on!!! I knew you all would enjoy it! Tongass National Forest.

07/29/2024

Adventure Day.

Over the last couple of days we have been starting our tours earlier (with the guests consent) to make sure we are out at first available light to observe a bison carcass to see the predator vs predator dynamic.

The two young girls (ages 8 & 11) were in great spirits when we met in the darkness at 4:30 a.m. to start the tour.

After some quiet and rewarding time with three large grizzly bears and three black wolves, we moved on to an adventurous off-trail excursion. This St. Louis family was awesome and ready for whatever I thought best and were up for a challenge!

We followed a bear trail straight up a steep hillside! We meandered through sage, aspens, dense evergreens and stumbled upon some really cool finds! Even hopping cold natural springs that seeped from the side of the mountain.

We also experienced a road block that consisted of 3 coyotes and an old male bison.

In all, it was another spectacular day spent inside Yellowstone National Park. For more inform about our year-round tour options, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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07/24/2024

Northern Range Bison, Yellowstone National Park.

The bigger male bison are coming down to the valley floor as they know ‘The Season’ is now. The bison breeding season is starting to kick into full swing during these hot summer days.

Male bison are full of testosterone and ready to rumble. They show their dominance on the dirt by urinating, and rolling in it. They create a dust cloud in their highly reused wallows and alert all rival males and interested females that he is in the area.

His musky odor now wafts across the breeze telling any females in estrus that he’s available! These wallows are used by many males and even a few females over the course of the next month or so…and year after year.

Little do the bison know this, but the wallows they have created benefit the surrounding vegetation as they are open windows into the Earth, able to more easily absorb the spring snow melt and spring rains. They become opportunities for us to identify what animals have recent passed through the area if they left a hoof or paw print in the soft soil. Maybe if you look closely, a shiny little black shard of obsidian (volcanic glass used by early human inhabitants for tools) might be unearthed by the scrapes and rolls of the many bison.

This post goes out to my little 5-year-old guest last week who was so impressed with hearing this information about , “bison peeing and rolling in it!”

Stay tuned for what Yellowstone decides to share with us tomorrow. For more information about our private tours, please see our website at: www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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07/12/2024

Check out an article by Yellowstone Insight Owner/Naturalist Guide, MacNeil Lyons.

In this guest essay, photographer and Yellowstone guide MacNeil Lyons recounts the top 10 most thrilling mountain lion sightings he's experienced.

07/09/2024

Extraordinary Mountaineer.

Today on tour we were limited in our wildlife along the Northern Range (as is what happens more frequently in the heat of July & August).

My California guests were very psyched for the experience to see the higher elevations of the Beartooth Highway. We had high hopes of finding a herd of Mountain Goats and sure enough we did!

Kids were born a few weeks ago after a 6-month gestation. They are born about 6 pounds. This nursery group of Nannies and Kids were very fun to watch. All images were taken with a 400 or 500 mm lens to keep a healthy distance from the group.

High on the top of a mountain, above 10,947’ with the sweet scent of abundant wildflowers, we sat in awe as the alpine world surrounding us dropped away to cold lakes below. The day started slow, but ended with a very memorable moment shared with wildness.

For more information about the types of private tours we can offer you, please check out our website at,
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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07/08/2024

Swans of Swan Lake, Yellowstone.

I left early this morning on my day off from guiding in search of another bird that eluded me, so I stopped for the Trumpeter swan family on my way home.

An average clutch size for swans is 6, so to see 5 young swan signets in this family made me happy.

Swans are very susceptible to disturbances by humans, the National Park Service has posted signs to not leave the edges of the parking area. So if visiting, please abide, just like The Dude says.

“On average, about 50% of cygnets may not survive the first three months after hatching, due to predation by eagles, coyotes, and other predators. Another 25% of swans may perish before they are three years of age. However, swans surviving their first three years are likely to live many years.” (Quick Google search response)

Please enjoy such magnificent treasures in Yellowstone, but please be considerate of the species of animals you are watching. Give them space to do their thing. These images were taken at a distance with a 500mm prime lens with a 1.4 teleconverter which was the equivalent of a 700mm lens.

Thank you as always for following along. Another tour begins early tomorrow so stay tuned in for what Yellowstone decides to share with us. In the meantime, if you have not checked out our website, please do so at,
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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07/01/2024

Last 48 Hours.

Yesterday was a grand touring day! We ended the day on a high note and then was invited out to a local venue for some live music with friends. Today was an Administrative Catch Up Day for me with a bonus walk in the woods with friends where we had some cool finds!

In a boggy area, I noticed the underside of a large skull. The soil was built up around it and it looked to be an old bull bison that had been sitting in this muck for countless years, preserved in the mineral consistency.

I turned it over to see the size of the ancient bull, took a picture and returned him as we found him. Leave No Trace (with the exception of my boot prints in the surrounding mud.

Another tour begins tomorrow! Stay tuned for what Yellowstone decides to share with us. There will be a week long break in our touring for a little Family Time. But don’t worry, more great content will be continued.

For more information about our private tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/29/2024

The Narrows (of the Yellowstone River).

A very special spot for many a reason…. Spectacular year-round views. Nesting space for osprey, peregrine falcons, violet-green swallows, resting/hunting spot for cougars, fishing hole for otters and eagles, historic river crossing zone for many Native American tribes, location of notable volcanic & glacial deposits, as well as many more reasons!

Book a private guided trip with us in your next Yellowstone Adventure and learn even more about this location! You might just hear the true story of a man who in September of 1870 was lost in Yellowstone for 37-days. This man regained his knowledge of where he generally was, very close to where this image was taken.

For more information about the types of year round tours we can offer you, please see our website at:
www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/28/2024

A beautiful day in Yellowstone’s Northern Range.

We had the oldest wolf in the park, 907F of the Junction Butte Pack cross the road this morning. She popped up and crossed close enough that I had to apply the brakes!

I don’t know when she was last seen away from her den, but I hope this morning’s walkabout gave her some needed exercise & stretching.

We drove to the summit of the Beartooth Highway today so that my guest, a recent high school graduate could experience the spectacular Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem on her first trip to Montana/Wyoming. See our Story for more about that!

And as the sun set closer to the western horizon, I looked out the door and not the traffic backing up over the Yellowstone River Bridge here in Gardiner, Montana. The rush hour traffic was backed up by a group of mother elk and their new calves! Remember, we are the visitor, they are the real long-term residents! Be respectful to them.

Thank you for tuning in and consider booking us for your next Yellowstone Adventure. For more about our year-round, private tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/24/2024

A Moment of Wildness.

Thanks to for being kind to call me back to this encounter with a close by, beautiful, un-collared gray wolf. We made it back in time to see a special scene unfold with well-behaved park guests in the presence of something wild.

My guests from Maryland were hoping for something like this, but knew it was not a guarantee. The wolf crested out of sight on the same hill where we had just been watching a black bear.

We anticipated its travels and the prey behavior down the road alerted us back to the wolf as a buck mule deer went screaming across a ridge above us. Not long after came the gray wolf in pursuit. It gave up the chase and decided to parallel the road. It continued west and we were able to place ourselves in a good spot far in advance of the wolf where we hoped it would cross the road. Not getting out of the vehicle, we waited patiently & quietly.

Here it came, peeking over the grass and sagebrush, analyzing the human’s locations before making its way across the paved road to continue its path north.

Was this a Junction Butte wolf? Maybe a Rescue Creek wolf from the west? Either way, our guests were so happy to have experienced such an amazing moment that does not happen for us every day!

Feeling quite blessed… Thanks again for helping make my guest’s Yellowstone Experience a success! I appreciate the openness of information for the betterment of our guests.

For more information about our private tours, please check out website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/20/2024

The Prize. A Great Gray Owl.

My guests from Oregon were keen for two specific creatures during our two days together - Grizzly bears and a Great Gray Owl.

Yesterday we spent some time looking for the owl with no luck, but we did move on to some amazing grizzly bears. Today we persevered and tried for the owl again…. Once we got to our first spotting stop, I looked left and my guest looked right. Within 1 minute, he said “I’ve got it”!!! The whole family was extremely excited as they are all happy birders and this was on their Life List. A new species for all four of them and a Family Experience that will never be forgotten. I feel grateful for being able to play a role in their adventure…

We ended the day with wildflowers & the world famous, wolf biologist/author, Rick McIntire. He was kind to take a moment and sign Julia’s (13) book, The Reign of Wolf 21.

Check out Story for some VERY unique moments we shared today while on tour, in video format.

For more information about the tours we can offer you, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/18/2024

From Bears to Beavers.

On today’s tour, we went out searching for Grizzly bears that we did find. Little did we know we would see a beaver swimming along the shoreline of Yellowstone Lake!

As we were stopped trying to ID a species of gull, either a Bonaparte’s or Franklin’s, the swimming beaver caught my attention as it was passing by us. I’m not sure where it was going, but it continued past us heading westward and hugging the waves along the water’s edge.

Tomorrow we begin a new tour so stay tuned for what we find… check our Story for some video clips from today.

For more information about our private tours, please checkout our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/18/2024

Nature’s Best Moments just keep coming…

I asked my kind guests to keep a keen eye out for newborn Mule deer fawns. Not more than 10 minutes passed when the eagle eye of R.T. In the back passenger seat said “there they are”!

What an amazing sight to see, the tiniest of deer fawns all wet and modeled. Camouflaged in the forest understory, where the next passersby’s with any sense of sight might just notice a lone female mule deer.

We felt grateful and blessed to have been the only ones who took a few moments to enjoy the special scene with telephoto lenses and binoculars.

Earlier in the morning, it was the attentive behavior of the female pronghorn that caught our focus. We stopped to figure it all out and after a few minutes, there was the subtle subject - two bedded coyotes. They each parted ways with just a little interaction.

It was a great day despite the slightly inclement weather. A joyous occasion that was shared by a few kindred souls. As we keep on truckin on to the next adventure, stay tuned for more of Yellowstone’s treasures as we will be searching for more tomorrow!

www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/17/2024

Day 2 was full of Amazing Moments.

Fox kits and a moose calf were high on the desire list and Yellowstone shined for us. We spent a little time with some golden eaglets & started the morning with a dusky grouse displaying before sunrise.

Happy Father’s Day to all of you fellow Dad’s out there. Keep up your good works!

We are taking bookings into 2025 at this time, contact us now to get the exact day that works best for your travel plans. www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/16/2024

A mixed bag kinda day…. Started with crazy lightning and rain but turned out into a spectacular sunny day!

So glad to be spending another special day with a return guests. Day 2 begins tomorrow! Stay tuned for what Yellowstone decides to share with us.

For more information about our tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/13/2024

Abundant Wildlife today on Yellowstone’s Northern Range.

The high valleys are green and the hillside meadows look like shades of Ireland at this time of year. We spotted all the big animals my guests hoped for, minus a moose. It was a grand day and another amazing tour begins early tomorrow!

Stay tuned to see what Yellowstone decides to share with us! For more information about our private, top notch tours, check our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/12/2024

Moving Day for the Coyote?

As the two adult coyotes were approaching us, I couldn’t help but notice the large mass in the one’s mouth. It was squirming and hard for the adult to hold. As it dropped the limp body to the ground, it was only then that I noticed it was a coyote pup!

Mother rearranged her hold from the soft belly bite to the nape of the neck. A better grip I’d say, but the pup’s quiet whimpers made me guess it might not be.

The adult was tired and couldn’t hold the pups dangling feet from the ground…. I have no idea if this was an actual “moving day” for the coyote family. Or, I had a thought that these two had possibly ‘pup-napped’ a young one from another den? The adult handling it didn’t appear to know how to carry it…but maybe it was just too heavy and she was tired.

Our timing was impeccable as a newborn moose calf stepped out from its hiding place in thick willows. Just a brief glimpse before it returned to momma moose’s care.

A late morning walkabout proved eventful as we visited a bison carcass, talked about ancient artifacts and how we were walking through lands that have been used by humans in so many different ways. A shard of obsidian laying on the ground fit perfectly in between my index finger and thumb. It could have been a small scraping tool. It was left exactly where it was found.

I believe today’s tour was very memorable for the 10-year old gal from California. At least I hope it was.

To learn more about the types of private tours we can offer you here in Yellowstone National Park, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/06/2024

Trumpeter Swan Defending Nest.

Back on May 16, 2024 my guests and I watched as a male swan diligently defended his mate and nesting site from a Canada goose on Swan Lake Flats here in Yellowstone.

Twice as massive as a Tundra swan, the Trumpeter can weigh around 26 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 feet. Being such a large bird, they need a 100 yard runway of open water to take off…

They are very sensitive to disturbances around their nest and human activity plays a sad roll in eggs not hatching. Please keep a far distance from any swan nest! The female incubates their eggs by wrapping them with their large webbed feet.

In this sequence of images the male swan chases a Canada goose around and around. In one image, look closely and see the tail feathers that were pulled off the goose!

Swans can fly up to 50 mph with an average speed of 20-30 mph. Canada geese fly around 40 mph. The swan is very territorial and maybe even kill a goose or other waterfowl that are near their nesting marsh.

Another tour starts tomorrow morning, please stay tuned for an update to what Yellowstone shares with us! For more information about our tours, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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06/04/2024

Rainy Day Finds.

Day 3 of 3 on our private tour with my awesome guests from Chapel Hill, NC…we decided to mix it up and check out the life inside The Volcano today.

We hoped for a grizzly bear family in the center of Yellowstone and sure enough, there they were. A beautiful bear seemed to be “overheating” in the sleeting rain and cool winds. So she did what any bear would do - headed to the nearest water for a soak. (Check our Story for video)

We also find a large black bear stalking elk. As far as we watched, it did not find a tiny morsel of a newborn elk calf.

In Hayden Valley we spotted a lone black wolf in the distance milling about. I assumed it was a “teenager” (yearling), just bored and looking for something to do.

Another tour begins tomorrow so stay tuned for what Yellowstone will decide to share with us tomorrow.

For more information about our tour options, please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com or click the link in our Instagram bio.
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06/03/2024

Now, go watch a movie….

Just like this momma Great horned owl and her little owlet look they’re enjoying a nice film - go check out our recent Reel post for something quite precious and a few short clips from today in our recent Story!

Thank you for watching along with us as our 2024 Summer season begins… www.YellowstoneInsight.com

06/02/2024

It is The Season.

The season of attentive female elk.

Elk calves are being born all across the Northern Range this week, evident by many a lone elk standing at attention. Somewhere in the near vicinity to her is a hidden newborn calf waiting patiently for momma to return.

Cinnamon black bears are courting, bison are living their best lives with the retreating snow, coyotes are searching for ground squirrels to feed their pups and Life is Good in Yellowstone.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s tour update….it will be Day 2 of 3 with the same lovely couple from Chapel Hill, NC.

We are booking tours for 2025 (as well as a few special dates in 2026), so if you have an interest in booking a tour with me, please reach out via the Contact Us link on our website, www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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05/26/2024

So grateful for the time we shared this morning with a Momma moose and her newborn calf.

My guests and I appreciated seeing one of Yellowstone’s newest additions to the wildlife community!

The light was right, the few people present were chill, the moose was relaxed and we were all humbled when she stood and shared her baby’s first couple of wobbly steps…

It is moments like this that keep me coming back time and time and time again! Come join me and share a unique and memorable moment here in Yellowstone National Park.

www.YellowstoneInsight.com

05/25/2024

Trip into the Volcano.

We were truly blessed with a phenomenal day on tour with my guests from Florida & Washington State. This was our second day together and Yellowstone shined brightly on us!

This was a bucket list trip for Barbara. She tried booking with me in 2020 for her 50th wedding anniversary gift, but Covid-19 quickly shut down that idea… She and her husband, her brother and sister-in-law preserved and here we were - watching wolves swim the Yellowstone River to dine on bison with a large grizzly bear. With thermal steam clouding our view now and again, this was a very magical sight for us to start our day.

Harlequin ducks, more grizzly bears, cinnamon black bears and black bears where I’ve never seen them in 25 years! We cannot forget the pure sublimity of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River…..

I’m so grateful to do what I do for a living…. Good hearted people are one important thing that keeps me on a high level of happiness…and these two days were spot on.

Thank you Yellowstone for sharing your treasures with us. And thank you Barbara, Steve, Chris and Debora.

Another day begins early tomorrow back on Yellowstone’s Northern Range so stay tuned for more Spring in the Northern Rockies.

For more information about our private tours of Yellowstone National Park, please visit our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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05/24/2024

Spring in Yellowstone National Park.

Snow most of the day, making wildlife photography difficult, but that was not our focus on today’s private tour. My guests from Florida & Washington State enjoyed the wild weather and amazing day!

From mating grizzly bears to newborn bison we had a great day - plus the bonus was anticipating where a black bear momma and her two new cubs would go, before she went there… Strategically placed, we waited inside the warm vehicle and were ready when she and cubs went right where I hoped they would. The snow was thick and as I mentioned, made it difficult to focus on the subjects. But, camera or no camera - just watching the little tikes frolic in the snow covered hillside was a special treat.

Check our Story for videos and other sightings of the day!
For more information about the types of tours we can offer you - Wildlife, Photography, History, Geology & Day Hiking - see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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05/23/2024

A Grest Day in Yellowstone National Park.

My guests woke early and drove from the historic Old Faithful Inn to meet me this morning in Mammoth Hot Springs. They were very keen on experiencing the Northern Range of the park and the abundant wildlife to be found there.

No one went away disappointed today. The weather was cold, but my Georgia State guests preserved and were so pleased with all that we found on our tour time. From struggling to see the camouflaged nest of a Sandhill crane to watching a newborn bison take its first steps in this world. To the wolves, grizzly and black bears, multiple moose as well as the snowflakes and cold wind.

I cannot explain why, when I post videos mixed in with the images on an Instagram post, Meta will not re-post to my Yellowstone Insight page…. No video post, no problem…. 🤔 if you have a suggestion, please feel free to comment below.

Please check the upcoming Stories! That is where I will post the video segments from today’s tour. Stay tuned for a new private Wildlife Tour starting early tomorrow morning!

For more information on the tours we can offer you - please see our website at www.YellowstoneInsight.com
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