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Bald eagle

Driving through Zion National Park today I saw this Bald eagle on an old dead ponderosa pine tree. I was able to take this photo right out of the truck window with my trusty Canon 100 - 400 mm IS L zoom. My Canon 7D with 18+ megapixels allowed me to crop just a litte bit to further help the image.

By the way, there are three deer carcasses in the area and the eagles are eating well. California condors have also been seen on the dead deer. It is located just 200 yards to the east of the east entrance station but still inside of the park.

Mountain lion

Mountain lions are large, powerful, predators that deserve our respect and protection. A large male may weigh as much as 200 pounds and be over 8 feet long from nose to tail.

There have been recent attacks by lions but mainly in places were they are not hunted. When they are hunted, they tend to maintain a healthy distance from humans.

They are seldom seen in the wild because they are so aware of their surroundings and will usually do what they need to do to stray away from people. These photos were taken of a captive animal courtesy of Triple-D Game Farms from Montana. They will be bringing their beautiful animals to Southern Utah in April. Contact me if you are interested in photographing them. lynnchamberlain.photo@gmail.com

Bighorn Sheep

There is a resident herd of Desert Bighorn Sheep in Zion National Park.

They were put there in the late 1960's and were thought to be lost until recently.

Now they are considered one of the largest sheep herds in Utah.

They fooled everyone and managed to thrive. "Life finds a way"

Sage grouse

Early, every spring, sage grouse begin their mating dance that is played out on the prairie floor with great energy and persistence. In mid march and early April the male grouse begin gathering at breeding grounds called leks.

Many leks have been in use for longer than records have been kept. The males return year after year to continue the dance and attract females for breeding. They arrive in the middle of the night and reserve a favorite spot to display. Just before dawn, the females fly in from the surrounding sage and the party begins. Females stroll by, seemingly ignoring the strutting males. Then for some reason undetectable to this observer she will select a male and mate.

It is a process that has gone on for hundreds of years in the same place. Recently efforts have been undertaken to catalog and study these leks in an effort to sustain this species and better understand them.

In order to photograph these fascinating birds you first have to locate a suitable lek. Then be prepared to arrive well before daylight, set up your blind, and stay until the birds leave, well after sunrise.

Pika

A pika is a small, furry creature that lives in rocky slopes at high altitudes in the mountains of the western U.S and Canada. They are actually the smallest member of the Rabbit family and look a little like a cross between a rabbit and a mouse.

Pika thrive in one of the most inhospitable habitats to be found anywhere. They endure sub-alpine winters where the snow depth can be in excess of 30 feet and the temperature regularly reaches -30 F. in the winter. This is particularly interesting since, as rabbits, they do not hibernate.

Pika have adapted a very interesting lifestyle in order to deal with the harshness of their environment. They develop family communes in the rocks and work together to fill their needs. During the short alpine summer, they scurry about gathering grasses and sedges that surround the rocks and pile them up in stone pockets that are found under the surface of the talus slope. When the snow flies and the wind blows in the winter, the pika in the colony retreat to the depths of the rock pile and eat the fruits of their labors all winter long. The temperature under the surface stays warmer as they are insulated by the snow cover and in this way they are able to survive the cold.

Pika can be found on almost any mountain top over 9,000 feet. Locate them by walking through the rocks and listening for the "chee chee" sound that they emit when they are alarmed. To photograph them just find a comfortable place to sit and soon you will see them scurrying about gathering their years supply.

Mule deer

We are just coming into the best time of year to photograph wild Mule deer. The month of November is the mating season for muleys and the bucks are at their prime.

Referred to as the RUT, the mating season lasts for about 4 weeks and the competition is high for the does. Mature bucks will gather harems of females and defend them against all other bucks that may try to steal one or two. This is one of the few times that bucks and does spend any time together.

Two of my favorite places to photograph mule deer are almost in my back yard. Zion National Park receives little visitation from humans in November but I'll be there with my telephoto lens. Look for deer up Zion canyon near the Zion Lodge. Some nice bucks move into the park for the winter and they are quite approachable.