Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Plunging into a cavernous ravine from atop the Columbia plateau, Palouse Falls descends 200 feet into the Palouse River in southeastern Washington. The canyon scoured by this water is almost 400 feet deep and has sheer basalt walls. Like most geology in the inland northwest, … Continue readingPalouse Falls
Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. accidental discovery Planned In October, I went to Estes Park, Colorado, the hotbed of elk activity, to photograph the rut. There weren’t many elk around, and Moraine Park was empty. Unplanned Later, I was in Northern … Continue readingTule Elk Rut
The stark black and white stands out like a beacon in the amber fall landscape. For a fraction of a second, I thought I’d found a badger. That’s the only striped animal I expect on this landscape. But the color, body shape, and floof of … Continue readingSkunks During the Daytime
It’s my fourth trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), though it’s been nine years since my last visit. Usually, the town of Estes Park is overrun by elk in the fall. They’re on the golf course, at the school, downtown, and, of course, in … Continue readingA Lake of Rocky Mountain Elk
A Perfect Week with Bears in Katmai National Park, Alaska I spent most of the morning watching a brown bear lazily grazing through willows and alders on the far side of a lake in Katmai National Park. I was comfortable in my camp chair under … Continue readingA Bear’s Life (Katmai National Park)
I’m surprised at how many bears I saw at close range during this first week of June. I didn’t expect any real bear encounters here. I thought they’d all be binocular or spotting scope distance away. On my first morning out, a private guide pointed … Continue readingYellowstone Bears
People often ask how I find the wildlife that I photograph. It’s a combination of honed observational skills, preplanning, and luck. It’s hard to learn the intricacies of microhabitats and animal routines in a few days. The people who know put a lot of time … Continue readingTips for Finding Wildlife in Yellowstone
In Yellowstone National Park, the Junction pack’s Slough Creek Den failed. They had had four surviving five-week-old wolf pups last seen on the day of my arrival in Gardiner. The pack has since abandoned the den site. Winter was rough even by Yellowstone standards; long … Continue readingFox Family
The HerbivoresBison In Yellowstone National Park, bison begin calving in early spring. Their young, colloquially known as “red dogs,” are the first wildlife babies, usually appearing in Lamar Valley and Little America in April. By early June, when I visited, it seemed like a full … Continue readingSpring Wildlife Watching in Yellowstone National Park
Searching, Pushing I had spent the morning driving around the northern tier of Yellowstone National Park; no activity at the Slough wolf den, and Lamar Valley was quiet, with all the wildlife being spotting-scope distance away. I spotted some bighorn ewes near Specimen Ridge on … Continue readingYellowstone Badgers