One of the most interesting wildlife sightings to be had in Yellowstone happens in May when the harlequin ducks can be found. They prefer whitewater and can only be seen for a few weeks when the park roads open. The males, or drakes, are among the most colorful ducks in North America, perhaps only outdone by the wood duck. I recently spent some time photographing these beautiful ducks since my bird addiction pulled me away from the mammals.

Since my previous two posts were personal PSA’s, I thought I’d go back and add some context to the images. Both were taken over the past couple of weeks in Yellowstone National Park. The baby bison are much more numerous than they were at the start of the month and there’s still many cow bison that haven’t calved yet. This playful calf was using mom as a scratching post. Below, one of my favorite spots for sunrise photos is covered in a May snow. Yes, it does snow in Yellowstone in May. In fact, I’ve seen snow in every month of the year, though it usually melts fast in the summer months. The light on Mount Haynes only lasted a minute or so. I saw how quickly the light was moving and opted for a faster ISO than I might usually use for a landscape so I could handhold the camera. If I had tried to set up a tripod, I probably would have missed this shot.