Trumpeter Swans on Henry's Fork

There is a special magic in observing the graceful Trumpeter Swan. This week we photographed these birds on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, at Last Chance in Island Park, Idaho - part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

It was about an hour before sunset when we arrived at Last Chance and set up our photography equipment. More than a hundred birds were visible on the river, with the late afternoon light catching the pure white of the mature adults beautifully. 

The birds seemed wary when we walked down towards the bank, and moved off in another direction, some swimming, and some taking flight. But if we walked along the road they seemed tolerant of our presence, no doubt having seen plenty of humans and cars in that location.

Periodically some of the birds would seem to stand up on the water, stretching and flapping their wings, or would take off, fly a short distance, and land with another group of birds.

As sunset approached, the swans became more active, with more birds flying up and down the river to land in different locations.

Yellowstone National Park reported this year that "Participants in the West Yellowstone Christmas Bird Count tallied 190 trumpeter swans on the Madison River and nearby open waters adjacent to Yellowstone National Park on December 16th. The Madison and Yellowstone rivers within the park also provide favorable wintering habitat for trumpeters, most of which nest in northern Canada." 

A few thousand swans are reported to winter throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Most of them are birds that nest and spend their summers in Canada. Read more about wintering Trumpeter Swans in Greater Yellowstone in my blog post of last January.

Tribute to Elizabeth Laden

"We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future.  It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance."              ~Marcel Proust

Yesterday, the Greater Yellowstone and Henry’s Fork country lost one of its greatest leaders and advocates. It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of loss that I write this tribute to our friend Elizabeth Laden, editor of the Island Park News.

My husband Randy and I contributed many photos to the IPNews, which she edited and published with her husband John Losch, and we had much interaction about our submissions. She was always enthusiastic and appreciative, even when she did not publish them. 

She called herself CalderaGal. She had a deep appreciation for nature, wildlife, and the environment as well as a profound commitment to bettering the community. She was a free spirit, "into a lot of things," and had more interesting experiences than most, as recalled by her brother in his blog post "My Sister Died Yesterday." She was patriotic in the best way, expressed strong spiritual values, and had such a positive spirit. She cared deeply about helping people, and about issues large and small. As editor of the newspaper and a mainstay of the community, people in Island Park called her about all sorts of things. Recently in response to one of these calls, she spent a day reuniting a family with a lost dog that had ended up with a different family when someone else who found it  “gave it away.” 

Elizabeth printed this photo of Targhee Peak from Flat Ranch weekly last season,
along with the notice of upcoming programs at the Flat Ranch

When she reported in a moving article, on attending a special ceremony in memory of bison killed in 2007-2008, when they strayed outside of Yellowstone, she quoted Arvol Looking Horse, Lakota chief and spiritual leader, as saying,

"Yellowstone . . . is sacred ground. It has been a sacred site for the First Nation's people, and for all humanity who hold deep respect for all Creation. . . . This understanding is how we maintain the balance upon Grandmother Earth, to protect these places, especially for the survival of our future generations to come . . . We must pray for the healing of the human Spirit, to understand the connection to all living beings on Grandmother Earth."

I sensed she felt a deep kinship to this spirituality.

Frequently I learned from her at unexpected times. When I sent her an image of a rare flower hoping she might want to publish it, she replied in an email with the subject line “beware of rare,” explaining how fragile this plant is, how too much attention will lead to its destruction, how even walking near the plant, can upset the soil and root system such that the plant would not survive. Therefore she would never publish a picture of it to confirm it even lived in Island Park. I promised never to tell where I photographed the flower. The people on whose property the flower bloomed, and still grows, have seen and admired the image. They asked where the picture was taken and I told them I promised Elizabeth I wouldn’t say. They have no idea it was actually on their property.

When I sent her an image of a pronghorn in Yellowstone this summer, she said it was a great photo of the animal but it broke her heart to see him standing in noxious weeds. That led to an exchange about the extent of noxious weeds in the national park and throughout Island Park, a situation that very much distressed her. Now when I look at the photo I see the noxious weeds instead of the pronghorn, and I really don’t like that photo any more. We sell other photos but I don’t expect to print that one for sale.

Elizabeth cared deeply about preserving the beautiful Henry's Fork

When I recently sent her an image of a magnificent perfect 7 point bull elk, photographed in Yellowstone, with a tag in his ear, she said it was a great photo of a majestic animal, but she didn’t like the tag. However, for the newspaper, the tag would have to be in the picture if she used it. Ever the inquisitive reporter, she inquired with the Yellowstone National Park PR office about the tag and shared with me that she learned this particular animal had once gotten a badminton net and poles wrapped around his antlers, had to be darted and sedated to remove them, and the FDA was concerned about the possible risk if he were “harvested” and humans ingested the meat within a certain period of time, so the tag was a warning to hunters to check his history. Fascinating.

Through the newspaper, her many professional contacts, the boards and organizations she was involved in, and her wide network of interests and personal contacts, her influence built community, and she was always at the heart of it. Her brother put it this way:

“Wherever Elizabeth lived . . . a commune named Joy Tribe, a farm in the foothills, West Yellowstone, a small town in the Idaho mountains, she became a core member of a community, a community that probably would not have even existed had she not been there . . .”             - Greg Laden

I always enjoyed the Caldera Cat Tales column in the newspaper, written by Smokey the Wild Cat (with help from a great ghost writer!), and I was a Facebook “fan” of Smokey’s write-in campaign for Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney. Elizabeth’s lighthearted, humorous approach to commenting on daily life (including her own), or local happenings, or the political scene, through Smokey’s observations was so refreshing.

Randy's and my hearts go out to her family, her husband, her children and grandchildren. Her passing is an unfathomable loss to hundreds of people and to the entire community of Island Park. She lived a rich, full, and productive life, was loved and appreciated by many, and gave much to contribute to others’ quality of life, including hundreds of people she didn’t even know. She leaves an amazing legacy, which will improve life in Island Park for many years to come. But she should have lived another 25-30 years. She gave so much, but had so much more to give. She will be deeply missed by more people than she probably ever would have imagined.

May her spirit soar forever with the eagles in beautiful clear blue skies above the Island Park Caldera, and run with the bison through mountain meadows full of wildflowers, and lush forests, along beautiful rivers like the Henry’s Fork that she so loved.

Big Springs Float and Moose

On Labor Day weekend, we paddled a canoe about five miles down the Henry’s Fork below Big Springs - designated the Big Springs National Water Trail.

This is a favorite, easy, family friendly float. It is also well known as offering great opportunities for wildlife watching, especially on early morning floats. Canoes, rafts, and flat-bottomed boats are available for rent at moderate prices at Mack’s Inn, which will also shuttle a person one-way for $7 from the put-in to the take-out at the resort, if you need the ride.

Big Springs produces 120 million gallons of water a day and forms the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork. The water from Big Springs is sparkling clear. The stream bottom is mostly small stones and gravel, with lush underwater vegetation in places. 

The first wildlife we saw were birds: Kingfishers, Gulls, Great Blue Herons, and Blue Winged Teal.

Kingfisher

California Gull

Juvenile Blue Winged Teal

There were places we had to get out and pull the canoe through shallow water only a couple of inches deep, and other places where the stream narrowed and there were pools eight feet deep. The stream flows through beautiful forest and is lined much of the way with willows that look like great moose habitat.

Great Blue Heron a split second after taking off from the river

Great Blue Heron soars above the willows

Moose are frequently seen on this float in late August and September, and we especially wanted to see a moose. Towards the end of the float, just as the houses at Mack’s Inn came into view in the distance, we saw movement in the grass along the river that turned out to be the antlers of two moose. These huge animals spend hours lying down in tall grass which camouflages them well. 

Bull moose - does he think he is hidden?

As we floated by in the canoe, one of the two big bulls stood up, looked at us, walked over to much on the nearby willows, and then disappeared into the willow thicket.

Classic bull moose in early fall

Bull moose gazes at photographer in canoe

Bull Moose - never knew they had such long eye lashes!

Bull moose heading into willow thicket

Minutes later, we spotted this osprey perched high in a dead tree-top.

What a thrill to watch it dive to catch a fish, then fly away with its meal.

Osprey with its catch - a formidable fisherman!

Osprey heads off with lunch

Moose at Big Springs, Headwaters of Henry's Fork

We have long been fascinated by this massive animal with the strange, homely, primitive looking face, and the impressive rack of antlers on the males. Despite having seen a number of moose, we had found the moose elusive to photograph.

Moose at headwaters of Henry's Fork below Big Springs ~ Jean Bjerke

One afternoon in early July, at Big Springs, at the headwaters of the famous Henry's Fork, a bull moose walked across the river as we were watching the huge trout in the sparkling clear water from Big Springs. Big Springs produces 120 million gallons of water a day and forms the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. This moose had chosen a lovely area to live.

Moose lying in grass near Henry's Fork of Snake River ~ Randy Bjerke

Having crossed the river and stepped out onto the bank, the moose walked only another 20 feet or so before lying down to rest and chew his cud on this warm afternoon. We watched him for close to three hours during which his only change of position was to walk another ten yards to lie down in another spot. During most of this time the tall grass obscured his face sufficiently to prevent good photographs, but he did raise his head a few times.

Moose raising head from grass ~ Jean Bjerke

Our patience finally paid off when, at about 5:30 PM, he got up and walked through the woods, across a marshy area of deep standing water, and back to the river, browsing on willow leaves and grass, feeding on submerged vegetation in the river, and climbing out to chomp on the bushes on the opposite bank. It was thrilling to watch him and he did not seem concerned by our presence at a respectful distance.  


This 47-second video captures his behavior as he waded the river, fed in the river, and walked along the opposite bank browsing on leaves of the bushes.

Moose browsing on willow leaves ~ Randy Bjerke

Moose walking towards camera ~ Randy Bjerke

The moose is a huge animal, standing up to seven feet tall, and males can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. The males’ enormous antlers can span up to six feet - the record sizes usually come from Alaska. The antlers are shed each winter, and begin to grow again in the spring, reaching complete growth in September. Each set of antlers grows larger than the prior year’s until the moose reaches its prime. 

Moose walking through woods ~ Jean Bjerke

Moose have a long face, and a flap of skin called a bell hangs from their throat. Their range extends across much of the northern part of North America.

Moose walking by Henry's Fork below Big Springs ~ Jean Bjerke

Moose are herbivores, and are equally comfortable in the water where they swim well and often feed on aquatic vegetation, or on land where they can run up to 35 mph. They are often seen in streams, lakes, wetlands, or browsing vegetation such as willows. When a moose feeds on underwater vegetation, it submerges nearly the whole head, and when the animal raises its head, water gushes from its mouth, and often strands of green vegetation can be seen trailing from the mouth.

Moose drool ~ Jean Bjerke

Moose are found throughout the Greater Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park areas which are home to about 600-800 of the animals.  They are seen much less frequently in Yellowstone than in Grand Teton, which offers more of their preferred and wetter habitat. Sightings are more common in certain months such as October and November. They are also regularly seen in Island Park, the location of Big Springs.