GRAND TETON NATURE NOTES

TALUS

November 18- While following two bull Moose through the brush on the snowslide scar on the lower slopes of Mount Teewinot today in an attempt to take some moving pictures, my attention was suddenly diverted to a flock of rather large gray birds diving and flying furiously through the small aspen trees, willows and mountain ash shrubs. Their sleek, smooth contour, grayish color, high crest and black mask across the face at once suggested "Waxwings". Apparently disturbed by my presence, they flew some 100 yards to a group of fir trees where they perched in close clusters. Twenty two birds were in sight at one time. They were too distant for other characteristics to be recognized, but I waited hoping they would give me opportunity for closer study. Finally, after several individuals made trial flights in my direction, the entire flock took to wing and noisily settled down near me to feed on the berries of the mountain ash. Now I noticed a brillient yellow band across the end of the tail, and two white bars which sometimes appeared to be yellow on the wings. The forehead appeared to have a rusty-brown sheen, and a narrow line extending back from the bill, divided the black mask into two parts. It was not possible to determine whether or not the under tail coverts were brown, but the wing bars and the size of the bird, about that of a robin, left no doubt that these were Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrula).

Fifteen minutes later, a disturbance up the gulch out of my sight frightened the birds away- they rose together, wheeled, rose still higher on constantly beating wings that now appeared to be tipped with white, dived and flew out of sight, all the while maneuvering as if directed by a single mind. This is the first record of this bird in Grand Teton National Park. The birds were doubtlessly in migration. - H.R.S.

November 18-19- Many new beaver cuttings and newly constructed dams have been observed during the fall along Cottonwood Creek between Jenny Lake and the Snake River. The development of these colonies will be watched with interest to see if these animals, by constructing dams, can provide a constant flow of water in Cottonwood Creek. At the present time, because of the porous gravel, probably several hundred feet thick, over which this stream has its course, during the fall and winter the considerable flow of water from Jenny Lake is entirely lost through seepage in a distance of about four miles below Jenny Lake. - H.R.S.

December 1- To date there has been a scarcity of large gamp animals in the park and in Jackson's Hole. Only a few elk and deer were observed in the park during the past two months. We are undecided as to the true cause of this condition, but two explanations are suggested. First, there is a possibility that a large reduction of the number of elk and a comparable reduction in the number of deer has taken place as a result of a heavy hunting toll a year ago and as a result of death by starvation and disease last spring. We have only rumor, which must be accepted with much caution, regarding the winter kill of elk in areas adjacent to the park. This information is to the effect that large numbers of elk died last spring before the melting snown uncovered the natural forage. We are more inclined to favor a second explanation to account for the absence of the usual numbers of elk. The past fall has been unusually free of snow and bad weather. In most of the valley no snow remained on the ground at the end of November. In the area between Jackson Lake and Yellowstone Park the snow depth is only from 2 to 6 inches, and even at the higher elevations, as at the head of Granite Canon where in protected places the snow is not over 12 to 14 inches, there is an marked subnormal amount of snow. It is believed that this fine weather has induced the elk to remain on the summer range, to move unusually slowly toward the winter range in Jackson's Hole, or, after starting the migration as a result of several snow flurries in October, to have retraced their path to some extent back toward the summer range. It has not been possible to make observations in the areas where these animals summer, but the response of the elk to the snows of the next month will give more definite information. - H.R.S.

December 10- Sunday's Snowstorm, the first heavy snow of the season for some sections of the valley, started what is reported by observers to be one of the largest migrations of elk in recent years. Variously estimated to number between 2,000 and 5,000 head, the herd started crossing the Buffalo River on Wednesday afternoon. All night long and all day today, the elk, which are strung out over a considerable area, have been crossing the Buffalo in the vicinity of Turpin Meadow Lodge. What they will number by the time they reach the winter feed grounds at Jackson cannot yet be surmised. According to persons acquainted with conditions, the excellent feed in the higher hills, plus the open hunting season along Two-Gwo-Tee pass highway has tended to keep the elk back in the hills much later than usual this year. So much has this been the case that concern over the herds whereabouts was evidenced in certain quarters. Usually the animals start moving in small bunches much earlier in the fall. However, with the deep snow now prevailing and the cessation of shooting, the elk are beginning to appear. Eye witnesses to the present migration state that the elk seem to be in good condition and will probably be in no great hurry to reach their free lunch counter at Jackson.

- Jackson's Hole Courier, Dec. 10, 1936