Sony A7Riii, Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM ii + 1.4x teleconverter f/4.0, 1/1250 sec, 280mm

Wyoming 2023

On a road trip with my mom, we decided to avoid several hundred miles of the interstate highway system by traveling west across Wyoming from Buffalo, through Cody, and into Yellowstone National Park. It was something of a meander, but it was a good two-lane road through some interesting countryside. We arrived at the East Entrance at about 3pm, which gave us a bit of time to enjoy the park as we drove through to West Yellowstone. The road goes over Sylvan Pass and then turns north to follow the shoreline of Lake Yellowstone. Just after the turn, the side of the road was littered with vehicles — a couple dozen cars and at least three Park Ranger vehicles with their lights flashing. Since people were milling about and there were no obvious signs of a car crash, we stopped, too. A Grizzly bear and two cubs had just gone over the hill and down to the lake! By that time we were running out of day and broody storm clouds had crossed the lake, so our wildlife viewing opportunities were pretty much nil. The next morning, we returned to the park and had nearly given up all hope of seeing an animal when we came across these ravens. 

Raven (Corvus corax) is the largest of the perching birds: it reaches a length of up to 26 inches and has a wingspan of more than 4 feet. Closely related, both ravens and crows are species of the genus Corvus. The raven has a heavier bill and shaggier plumage than the crow, especially around the throat. The raven’s lustrous feathers also have a blue or purplish iridescence. Note there is no reference to the number of primary wing feathers, called pinions. There are physical differences — it’s not just a matter of a pinion.

https://www.britannica.com/animal/raven

https://corvidresearch.blog/2018/12/21/a-matter-of-a-pinion/