Wildlife Watching in America's National Parks: A Seasonal Guide

Spring

{ Spring Spring 18 | T hroughout the land there may be no better season to view wildlife than spring. In much of the country the long winter silence is now filled with the chorus of frogs, the singing of birds, and the buzzing of insects, all excitedly hoping to reproduce and continue the circle of life. Spring is the season for all the senses as our eyes, ears, and nose try to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. As the snow and cold recede and the days get longer, amazing transformations take place in the forests, prairies , and streams. Green shoots seem to magically arise from the earth and explode into blossoms of every possible color and shape, signaling spring has arrived and new life is born. For the wildlife observer spring is the time to marvel at the wonders and miracles all around us, from the humble insects to the magnificent carnivores to the sturdy oaks. A migrating sandhill crane. Spring is an excellent time to view wildlife as the world seems to come alive with creatures great and small. (Photo by Gordon Dietzman) 19| Spring Spring comes in various forms. In the higher elevations of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, spring does not come easily or quickly, as winter is stubborn. Although the calendar may say spring, nature still says winter. even in March spring is often more of a promise than a reality. At this time of the year the wild animals in Yellowstone National Park are in a precarious life-and-death struggle to make it through the last few weeks of winter. At the center of that struggle is the wolf, reintroduced to the park in part to restore the ecosystem. The wolf pursues the old, the injured, and those weakened by the long winter, even as the first signs of spring bring hope to the desperate prey. Nowhere in the lower forty-eight states is there a better opportunity to observe the struggle between an apex predator and its formidable prey than at Yellowstone National Park. In other places the transition from winter to spring may be less extreme, although just as colorful and full of promise. That is true in places such as in Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddling the Tennessee–North Carolina border. Flower names like “spring beauty” say Spring—why you can’t wait for another day More so than any other season, wildlife viewing in the spring cannot be put off for another day. Spring doesn’t wait for anyone, especially in the North Country. The great flocks of migrating birds, the blooming wildflowers, and the pregnant mothers-to-be all know that time is of the essence. If they’re going to pass on their DNA they need to move quickly, following cycles honed by countless generations before. The knowledgeable wildlife viewer knows this as well. The household chores can wait, but spring won’t. Fortunately, that is one of the advantages of wildlife viewing in national park units. The knowledgeable rangers and staff know what species are being seen and where. Give them a call before venturing out and your wildlife-viewing experience will be much more successful. Spring 20 | it all. As these wildflowers spring to life in the forests, meadows, and fields so do hundreds of hibernating black bears. The famished animals amble out into the meadows and openings to feed on the greening vegetation. lean and hungry, the bears busily make up for the months of fasting. Many of the sows are especially hungry as they have young cubs in tow, frolicking and romping behind them. Few places welcome spring as much as the northern Great Plains. In winter temperatures routinely dip well below freezing and windchills can be life threatening to man and beast. Yet come spring the temperatures climb to 70 degrees or higher. This can all happen in just a matter of weeks, sometimes even days. Almost overnight the bleak, frozen landscape transforms to a vibrant green prairie. The lifeless quiet of winter is replaced with a cacophony of animal sounds. The birds are back, the hibernating animals have emerged, and the insects are buzzing. And no place is this celebration of life as exuberant as it is in the black-tailed prairie dog town. Badlands National Park in western South Dakota contains America’s largest remaining prairie wilderness and is a great place to watch the playful antics...