Christine’s Nature Journal

Big Springs is crystal clear pools of water where you can see through the shallow water straight down to the gravel bottom; where grasses and plants sway in the gentle flow of the creek. Fish live here: trout, salmon, whitefish. A trout wiggles between the rocks and plants, a big one; gulls and mallards float by joining with the rhythm of the water.

On Saturday we drove into the Park to check on the Wapiti Pack at their den site, hoping to see puppies. There were no wolves in sight at 7:15 a.m., but across the road a grizzly foraged along the banks of the Yellowstone, then crossed the river delighting lots of visitors. Last week we spotted four Wapiti wolves lying in large snow patches near the den; when they are bedded down on the grassy slopes, they can be difficult to see.

After a weekend of cold, rainy weather, the sun coming over the mountains is a brilliant sight. We headed straight for the northern range, hoping to see the Junction Butte Pack, where the pack has localized around Slough Creek during the denning season. But this year has brought a disappointment: a litter born to an uncollared female, who is not the alpha female, did not survive.

We are settling in to our new life in West Yellowstone, after three long days of driving through Texas, New Mexico, Utah and Idaho. The drive from Moab to Provo was amazing. I’ve seen photos of Moab and TV documentaries, but the beauty and enchantment can only be grasped by presence. Being there.

A year without owls, that is how I will remember 2025. The last time I saw a screech owl in our box was December 30, 2024, and now it is almost spring 2026. The entrance to the nest box is chewed around the circumference, evidence of the squirrel who invaded in early January and raised her litter there.

A squirrel invaded our owl box in early January. When we didn’t see the owl for a few days at the end of December, we wondered if he had left the box for a few days, as is normal screech owl behavior. And then a squirrel popped its little head out of the box opening.

The owl pokes his head out of the box each evening around 5, sometimes earlier. He arrived later this year, on November 17, assuming it’s the same screech owl.