Bears, eagles, and a hawk, another day with Jen in Grand Teton National Park

Jen wanted to see more bears so on her last day here we loaded up and returned to Grand Teton National Park. Arriving at the Moose entrance we drove to the pond armed ourselves with bear spray, and cameras and headed down the trail.

Not passing up any photo opportunity we noticed a caterpillar on the trail. Taking a quick pic we walked further, but no bears. On the way back we did watch a cooper hawk wheeling overhead and I got a few good pictures even though it was a long way away.

Back at the pond a group of people were staring at a tree across the way, and they told us a black bear cub was halfway up it. The sow had been visible, but it had walked into the thick underbrush. We couldn’t see the sow but Jen and Renita both spotted the cub. Meanwhile, I took a couple of pics, but I couldn’t see anything but branches, (a small black bear cub in a dark fir tree is tough to spot).

Resting by the car a bald eagle flew in and landed on a tall tree across the way. I had just put the camera away and so it took me awhile to reattach the 150-600 telephoto lens. Just before I was ready the eagle’s mate flew in and joined it!

They watched the ducks feeding in the pond below, but they never tried for a duck dinner, (at least while we were there, we did see an eagle at the Boundary waters try to take a duck but that one got away). We decided to make another drive down the road and on the return trip a bear management specialist stopped and turned on his lights. A Bear! We were the second of three cars from the bear management worker, and it took a bit before we were waved past. Now the black bear was quite a ways up the hillside and you could only see its head. Neither Jen or Renita saw it, or could see it enough for a picture. We turned around and by then the bear had disappeared into the brush.

Finding a good place to park we were discussing the day’s events, when Jen cried out, “Bear”! Sure enough, the bear had decided to climb the hill to the plateau. It started to run and quickly crested the ridge disappearing from sight.

We never did see the bear again but it had been a good day and so we headed back to the ranch.

Its so nice to have Jen and Eric near us and we are so glad they are out of South Florida. Hurricane Ian was just south of their old condo. We have been able to see them three times this year and we look forward to more adventures! Clear skies