Wild Life

We just got back from hiking in Glacier International Peace Park (Glacier). It was our third year to go there (in a row). I highly suspect it won't be the last.

I actually saw some animals I never knew existed, plus some I had just never seen before in the wild. I am limiting this to the fauna because at some point you have to limit limitless things in order to get your brain around them. And the mountains aren't even limitless! The bear picture has been completely eliminated so as not to scare the kiddies. The fact that we didn't stick around long enough to get the picture is irrelevant. We could have, if we wanted to end our hike 5 minutes into it. We could have stuck around and gotten some very good pictures of that mama grizzly taking hubby down while I tried to dig in the back pack for the bear spray. As it was, I actually had the spray out for once, and the guard OFF. THAT's how close the bears were, people.

It was great.

In the exact center of this pic, on the water (above the wider black splotch) is an American Dipper. (Click on the photo to get a better view.) This amazing bird lives in rapids. It landed on the rocks, bobbed up and down like it was chair dancing for a while, then just disappeared into the water. Then it just as quickly jumped back onto the rock again! It's like a penguin that can fly. Amazing. Read up on them. They walk against the rapids, on the stream bed, under water.
This is a moose. I had heard of them before (yuk yuk) but never seen one in the wild. She was amazing as well. This is at Fishercap Lake at the beginning of the Red Rock Falls/Swiftcurrent Trail.
Say hello to my leetle frien'. And yes, I did feed this Columbian ground squirrel. He had it coming. Cheeky critter. Actually, the fact that he wasn't stomping, but was properly scampering endeared him to me.
Until he tried to run away with our back pack. This was the second time we caught him in there! I suspect he has seen these objects before. He had six or seven friends that were gathering like The Birds. I think they were planning on how best to abscond with the bag and get it into their dens before we could catch them.
This guy was just way too big on himself. He posed for a long time, then started to check out the people, which is when we walked away - quickly.

Don't worry - more to come.