Yellow-bellied Marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris). I suppose I could gripe about uncooperative weather and the effects it is currently having on birds and wildlife. But, isn’t that part of the beauty of photographing these critters? My preferred subjects, are, generally unpredictable. So unpredictable and inconsistent weather coupled with unpredictable subjects just makes the process a little more difficult, and interesting. The weather has as much to do with bird and animal behavior as other conditions. However, I have not yet been too successful so far. Even during a recent trip to photograph Mountain Goats and high anticipation for close images, the goats had different ideas. During a scouting excursion, I came across some Marmots and Pikas. Having seen bi-pedal animals with regularity, they were slightly habituated to humans and were a little curious. I grabbed my three-legged chair, shouldered my camera and tripod and found a place where a family of Marmots went about their business and the Pikas scurried about gathering their larder for the approaching cold weather, and settle in. Neither cared much about my presence, as long as I minded my manners and respected their territory. Ubiquitous in some locations and perhaps overlooked, I find these large, colorful, rodents a pleasure to watch.
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