Mountain Goat Kids On Mt. Evans, Colorado

Last week I shared some of the mountain goat images I captured at Mt. Evans in Colorado, at the end of July. As promised, the yearlings and kids are in the spotlight this week.

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The goat herd was not large, but it did have many youngsters. There was a stiff chill breeze blowing down the mountainside, and four of the kids decided to tough it out atop a large rock by huddling together as close as possible.

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Nearby, a yearling paced to and fro at the base of another rock while working up the nerve required to leap up to join a couple of kids. As the yearling placed its small hooves against the rock, one of the kids was peering down at it. If not for the wind, I’ve no doubt I would have heard it telling the yearling to circle uphill around the rock, to access it from above as the kids had done. “Jumping’s too much work, you dummy! Go around!” Humiliated, the yearling summoned its courage and easily made the leap to the top of the rock.

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Meanwhile, the other kids in the herd rested with the grownups on the patchy tundra, in a small sunny space with a nice view of Mt. Bierstadt and the Abyss Lake drainage. Meanwhile, another kid napped near a less-exposed rocky niche as my camera clicked softly but steadily, capturing its every movement.

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While we avoided making sudden movements toward the herd, the experience was fun because the goats were used to gawkers and didn’t mind being watched. That doesn’t diminish the respect I have for those who specialize in capturing wildlife images. We got lucky on that morning late in July. Good wildlife shots normally require a thorough knowledge of the animals and the paths they travel...and even more patience.

— Jerry Blank