EnviroQuest

Winter Exhibit

By larryalyons on December 17, 2019

Love the George Carlin quote ‘ Always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away”. Here are four such moments and images that have recently been accepted for the “Winter Exhibit” at the Jefferson Hospital Gallery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

“A Cold Water Stroll” was taken on one of my snow coach expeditions in Yellowstone National Park. There is a reason this elk is strolling along this stream. Not only is it easier than moving through deep snow, but more importantly is the exposed vegetation along the banks to graze upon. The antlers of a bull elk can reach four feet above its head. Elks retain their antlers through the winter, but the antlers are shed in the spring. They begin to grow new antlers soon after in preparation for the late summer breeding season.

‘Otter Family’ was captured at a specific location in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park where the otters tend to show-up and entertain us. The many dozens of times that I passed this specific location, the otters were present on only a couple of times. Photography is often about being at the right place at the right time.

This otter family consisting of two adults and a juvenile was mesmerizing to watch. Their thick fur protects them against icy waters.  Their webbed feet and powerful tails help to navigate through the water. Otters close their eyes and nostrils underwater and use their whiskers to search for prey. They would dive down for two or three minutes and surface with a fish in their mouth.

‘Dueling Big Horn Sheep’ was also taken in Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. These big horn rams decided to express some dominance by dueling on the edge of this cliff. However, there were no females around to impress. Guess these rams were just practicing for the Spring rut season.

The fourth image that was accepted into the “Winter Exhibit” was my ‘Snowy Owl’ image.    It is an image that has been presented at several other exhibitions and has received awards. This image was captured at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. Snowy owls from Canada have been coming much farther south along the coast of New Jersey and have been spotted at times at the Forsythe Reserve. The number of owls spotted varies from year to year, but they have been coming south in search of food in the winter. Here this owl is posing and displaying a foot that is extensively insulated with feathers. This insulation explains how this owl is able to stand in snow for hours.

To see more winter images please go to my favorite place to be come winter – Yellowstone National Park.  It really is North America’s Serengeti. It really is a magical place to photograph wildlife particularly in the winter, including moose, elk, coyotes, foxes, wolves, big horn sheep, otters, bison, and a variety of birds.  To view more of the beauty of Yellowstone in the Winter, go to my gallery at ‘Winter Yellowstone’.

There are still openings in a photography workshop, entitled “Winter in Yellowstone”   scheduled for February 1 to 8, 2020. The workshop is geared for photographers of all levels. Go to ‘Winter In Yellowstone Photography Workshop” for details.