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Yearling Grizzly Cub With Sow

Grizzly Bear Sow And Cub

Grizzly Bear Cub

Caribou Pose

Eye To Eye

 

Curious Caribou

Caribou Crossing Snow Patches - Caribou tend to frequent melting snow patches in the summer. Several reasons have been proposed for this, including decreased insect harassment because of lower air temperatures, or because of the availability of cotton grass. Cotton grass, an important food source for caribou, has its highest nutritional when it emerges from melting snow. Its nutritional value declines significantly within a few days following its emergence. Increased insect harassment and decreased food quality because of earlier and more extensive snow melt may put increased stress on caribou herds.

Caribou Crossing Snow Patches

Among Caribou Again - It's been a long time, too long actually, since I had taken a long walk in the tundra. So when my friend Jeffrey Ottmers asked me to assist him on a guided heli-hiking trip, I was ready. We flew up into the mountains east of the Parks Highway, and quickly found ourselves among Dall Sheep and Caribou. The animals seemed very little concerned about our presence. The tundra flowers were in full bloom, and we spend almost half a day hiking above treeline, exploring a world that still is very dear to me.

Among Caribou Again

Moose's Nose - I always wondered why a moose's nose is so big. According to University of Ohio biology professor Lawrence Witmer, moose use their nostrils as a set of valves that close automatically underwater. When a moose dips its head under water, the difference between the water pressure and the air pressure causes the nostrils to close. This adaptation, perhaps the main reason a moose’s nose is so long, allows a moose to feed underwater without water flooding into its nose.

Moose's Nose

Black Bear - The last bear I encountered on my road trip to Denali Park was a black young black bear, who played hide and seek with me until I could not see him anymore. The location was near Beaver Creek in the Yukon, the furthest north I had ever seen a black bear.

Black Bear

 
Street Smart - When I encountered this young grizzly bear, I first observed him at great distance, but over time his curiosity drew him closer and closer to me. He eventually stopped within a few yards from my car, and his look revealed his innocent youthfulness. I told him on no uncertain terms that the Alaska Highway road corridor was no safe place for any bear to hang out, but he did not seem to understand. Hopefully, he will learn this lesson quickly, and move into terrain that is safer for him and us.

Street Smart

Grizzly Bear - I saw more animals than vehicles along the Alaska Highway between Burwash Landing and Beaver Creek in the Yukon. Here, a curious young grizzly bear wanders on the pavement, just a few yards from my car.

Grizzly Bear

Coyote - Animals often are most active in the early morning hours, thus I decided to hit the road before dawn to spot some wildlife on my long trip to Denali Park, and I was not disappointed. Here, a coyote was looking for food just a few yards away from the Alaska Highway, and he did not seem concerned by by presence at all.

Coyote

Yukon Elk - In 20 years of driving the Alaska Highway between the Yukon and Alaska I had never seen as much wildlife as on my recent trip north. Here, a couple elk, part of the Takhini herd, wander along the Alaska Highway near Haines Junction. Elk are not native to the Yukon. The animals were introduced from Alberta in the 1950s. The Takhini herd now has an estimated population of 250 animals.

Yukon Elk

Farewell To Southeast - The humpback whales' seasonal migration ends in Southeast Alaska, whereas my seasonal migration takes me again to Denali National Park for the summer. As the state ferry M/V LeConte was plowing up Stephens Passage under clear blue skies, I saw several humpbacks breaching in the distance. Not that I needed a reminder, but it did remind me once more just how magical this place is. I will miss family, friends and our new house. The last few weeks have been so rich and opened my eyes to a whole new world. I already look forward to continue my journey of discovering and experiencing Southeast Alaska when I return.

Farewell To Southeast

 
Bald Eagle Feasting On Salmon Carcass - A bald eagle guards the leftover of a king salmon on the shores of Tee Harbor. When fishermen discard fish heads or guts, a dozen or so bald eagles descend to fight for the bounty.

Bald Eagle Feasting On Salmon Carcass

Baleen Whales - The presence of baleen, or the absence of teeth is the primary characteristic defining baleen whales. Instead of teeth, the mouth contains hundreds of plates of baleen that hang from both sides of the upper jaw of the whale’s mouth and are hardened on the outside but frayed on the inside like a broom. According to the Whale Trust, these baleen plates act like a filtration system helping large whales to consume vast quantities of small prey at one time. When a humpback whale is feeding, it opens its mouth taking in huge volumes of water and prey at one time. It then uses its tongue to press the water through the baleen but unlike the water, the prey become trapped in the hair on the inside of the baleen. After the water is expelled, the whale uses its tongue to help sweep the inside of its mouth and swallow the prey.

Baleen Whales

Small Fish, Big Impact - Berners Bay contains the last healthy spawning population of herring in the greater Lynn Canal region, and as herring show up at Berners Bay to spawn, so do thousands of gulls, hundreds of bald eagles and sea lions, as well as dozens of whales. All show up to feast on this little fish.

Small Fish, Big Impact

Humpback Whale Migration Patterns - Some of the humpback whales we see here in Southeast Alaska migrate up from the West coast of Baja California, the Gulf of California, and mainland Mexican coast, while others migrate here from the Hawaiian Islands, as well as islands south of Japan and Taiwan. Migrations of the humpback whale are among the longest of any mammal, and are known to reach almost 5,000 miles. Here, several humpback whales cruise across Berners Bay north of Juneau.<br> <br>

Humpback Whale Migration Patterns

Humpback Whale Bubblenet Feeding - During bubblenet feeding, humpback whales working together will dive under schools of herring, and one whale will swim in a circle while blowing bubbles under the herring. When the bubbles rise they form a net and scare the herring into a tight ball in the center. The whales then come up through the middle with their mouths open, capturing large amounts food. The presence of bubbles at the surface also helps gulls to zero in on the area where the whales will emerge, and the most opportunistic gulls will be able to take advantage of the bubblenet feeding to snatch a herring that may have escaped the whale's wide-open mouth.

Humpback Whale Bubblenet Feeding

 
Steller Sea Lions - Most of these Steller sea lions appear to be content as they take a break from feasting on herring near Point Bridget in Berners Bay. These sea lions likely belong to the Benjamin Island Rookery north of Juneau, one of over 300 haulouts and rookeries along the North Pacific rim from Hokkaido, Japan, north into Kamchatka and the Sea of Okhotsk, east along the Aleutian chain and into the central Bering Sea, through the Gulf of Alaska, south through southeastern Alaska, the Canadian Pacific coast and to the Channel Islands off California.

Steller Sea Lions

Humpback Whales Bubblenet Feeding - A group of humpback whales practice an unusual group feeding behavior called bubblenet feeding, in which a group of whales works together to capture large schools of herring. Each whale has its own role in the process: one blows bubbles around the herring school to keep the fish from escaping, others vocalize to scare or confuse the fish and help bring them to the surface, and others herd the fish together and upwards. Once the fish are at the surface, all the whales lunge upwards with their huge mouths wide open and try to gulp as many herring as they can, as displayed here by a group of humpback whales in Lynn Canal.

Humpback Whales Bubblenet Feeding

Awestruck - Sean, Florian and I headed into Berners Bay last week to witness the feeding frenzy created by the hooligan run. We hardly saw any birds or marine mammals in the bay, but near Point Bridget a herring feeding frenzy of impressive proportions was going on. Extraordinary is the only word for what we observed as several humpback whales formed bubblenet after bubblenet to round-up herring. The explosion of sound and whale body parts was indescribable. Florian looked at me and said: 'I can't believe what I see. I don't know what to say!' Even Sean and I did not know how to best describe what we saw. We were just in complete awe.

Awestruck

Feeding Frenzy - Thousands of Herring and Mew Gulls create quite a commotion as they feed on herring spawn near Point Bridget. These gulls were not the only ones taking advantage of the feed created by spawning herring. I will post pictures throughout next week of some of the marine mammals taking advantage of this all-you-can-eat buffet.

Feeding Frenzy

Watchful Eyes - It is almost impossible not to see a Bald Eagle in Juneau on any given day throughout the year. Bald Eagles are especially a common sight in the Mendenhall Wetlands. I heard that over 20 active nests are close enough to the wetlands for resident pairs to forage there.

Watchful Eyes

 
Spring Migration - Several hundred bird species will move through our area in the next few weeks during their annual spring migration. Waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, are the first to arrive, followed by scores of shorebirds, songbirds and even some migratory raptors. While these Canada Geese were enjoying nice spring weather during their takeoff at Eagle Beach, I was wondering if and how the volcanic ash is affecting flight patterns of the winged migration in Europe.

Spring Migration

Western Surf Scoter - A group of western surf scoters cruise in Fritz Cove. The surf scoter occurs only in North America. They breed on shallow freshwater lakes found in the closed and open boreal forests of northern Canada and Alaska. Western surf scoters molt along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska, and in the Bering Sea. During migration, they use coastal estuaries, inshore ocean areas and occasionally freshwater habitats near the coast. They winter in shallow marine coastal waters along coastal North America and south to the northern Gulf of Mexico coast.

Western Surf Scoter

Where Is Romeo? - I found this leg of a mountain goat the other day on Mendenhall Lake. Immediately I thought of Romeo, Juneau's iconic black wolf. He has not been seen for some time now. Where has he gone? What may have happened? I concocted a storyline in my head that suggested that maybe he had taken down a mountain goat above Nugget Falls, and that this leg was part of the kill. Other predators may have brought it to the place where I found it. Probably wishful thinking, much like seeing Romeo again someday?

Where Is Romeo?

The Birds - Mew Gulls mill around above False Outer Point recently. Although the gulls were not dive-bombing me, the scene was reminiscent of Hichcock's classic 'The Birds', where birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.

The Birds

Bald Ealge Hanging Out - A Bald Eagle is perched on a piece of driftwood in the Mendenhall Wetlands while the clouds around North Douglas Island are gradually lifting.

Bald Ealge Hanging Out

 
Humpback Whales - Humpback whales are the most commonly sighted baleen whales in the Juneau area. Here, a couple of humpbacks plow Favorite Channel north of Juneau. According to the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, humpback whales have an enormous lung capacity which makes it possible for these animals to dive for long periods, often in excess of 20 minutes. These extended dives allow the animals to descend to deep water for foraging, up to 500 feet. When a whale breaks the surface of the water for a breath, it only has a few moments to exchange the air in its lungs, so it must exhale with tremendous force. The force of this exhale vaporizes the seawater that surrounds the blowhole and creates a ‘blow’ at the surface of the water. This vertical pillar of water vapor is usually the first indication that a whale is in the area.

Humpback Whales

Steller Sea Lions - A group of Steller sea lions swim in Favorite Channel in this view from the Glacier Highway. We had stopped on our way to cut our Christmas tree to enjoy the expansive view of the Chilkat Range and watch some humpback whales when this group passed by along the shore below the road. The eastern population, which extends from Cape Saint Elias into California, was counted last year at between 45,000 and 51,000 animals, twice as many as when it was declared threatened in 1990. The western population, from Prince William Sound to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea, continues to struggle and is still endangered.

Steller Sea Lions

Establishing Pecking Order - It is amazing that despite the abundance of salmon carcasses along the Chilkat River, Bald Eagles fight almost incessantly over them. Most of the behaviors I observed were through intimidation, with the most common display being eagles ruffling their feathers.

Establishing Pecking Order

Bald Eagles Everywhere! - The river 'flats' of the Chilkat River along the Haines Highway between milepost 18 and 21 are the main viewing area to view Bald Eagles and considered critical habitat in the Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve. Bald Eagles are attracted to the area by the availability of spawned-out salmon and open water in late fall and winter.

Bald Eagles Everywhere!

Immature Bald Ealges - A couple of young Bald Eagles jockey for position on a cottonwood branch along the Chilkat River near Haines. Juvenile Bald Eagles are almost completely brown except for their yellow feet. Their plumage remains brown, speckled with white, until they are about five years old.

Immature Bald Ealges

 
Happy Thanksgiving! - For most Americans, Thanksgiving dinner is inextricably bound with the turkey. However, for those Bald Eagles congregating by the hundreds near Haines every fall, chum salmon has become the Thanksgiving meal of choice.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bald Eagles Fighting Over Salmon Carcasss - A couple of Bald Eagles fight over the remains of a chum salmon carcass along the Chilkat River near Haines. Whenever one Bald Eagle would haul out a spawned out salmon, several others where quick to arrive in an attempt to get their share of the fish. Even with hundreds of spawned out salmon drifting in the river, there rarely seems to be a peaceful meal for a Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagles Fighting Over Salmon Carcasss

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - The Preserve was established to protect and perpetuate the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat. From mid-November through December up to 4,000 Bald Ealges congregate along a four-mile stretch of the Chilkat River near Haines. An upwelling of warm water keeps this section of river ice-free, even in the coldest winter weather, and provides spawning grounds for a late run of Chum Salmon. This stretch of river, known as 'The Council Grounds', attracts eagles from as far away as Washington state. Barely visible on the lower right is the Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan, population around 140.

Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

Common Merganser In Flight - A group of Common Mergansers flies above Gastineau Channel recently. These ducks will be with us all winter, and although they are a common sight, I love their presence.

Common Merganser In Flight

Marbled Murrelets - A group of Marbled Murrelets takes off near Outer Point. This member of the auk family was listed as threatened in 1992 in Washington, Oregon and California by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to concerns about loss of nesting habitat, entanglement in fishing gear and oil spills. Marbled Murrelets became a flagship species in efforts to prevent the logging of old-growth forests along the Pacific coast from California to Alaska.

Marbled Murrelets

 
Never Mind The Rain - We are still in Juneau's monsoon season, which feels like being stuck in a car wash for days, but there is light at the end of the tunnel as the days will start getting colder. Even at Mendenhall Lake there was hardly a soul the other day, just a lone Bald Eagle flying low above the water.

Never Mind The Rain

Black Bear Tracks - A young black bear has been making the rounds along Mendenhall Lake recently. We have been seeing his fresh tracks almost every time we walked along the lake. It would be nice to catch a glimpse of him during the day. Likewise, we have been seeing quite a few recent wolf tracks, likely Romeo's, without actually seeing him tough.

Black Bear Tracks

Porcupine - Porcupines are amazing little creatures that have carved out a good niche for themselves. There are few other animals that climb trees and forage on bark, twigs and leaves, so they have little competition for their food supply. Being high in a tree much of the time also keeps them relatively safe from predators. On the ground, their quills provide formidable armor against predators. A single adult porcupine weighing between 18 and 20 pounds may have up to 30,000 quills. I photographed this porcupine sitting in an alder bush near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center recently. <br>

Porcupine

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - The Chilkat Valley outside of Haines is year-round home for between 200 and 400 eagles. Over 80 eagle nests have been observed in the Eagle Preserve, and over 3,000 bald eagles have been counted within the preserve during the Fall Congregation. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was created by the State of Alaska in June of 1982 to protect and perpetuate the world’s largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat.

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

Good Bye, Neighbors! - We are leaving 'the Big house' in Healy for another yet unidentified permanent residence in Juneau. During our last couple of days in Healy, a cow moose and her calf have been regular visitors around our house, as if they wanted to say good bye to us. Now we are off to a new adventure, moving our household and ourselves to Juneau. Stay tuned for pictures of our long road trip!

Good Bye, Neighbors!

 
Dall Sheep Above Nenana River -

Dall Sheep Above Nenana River

Moose Rut - The rut is in full swing in Denali National Park and bull moose are now very active as they roam the tundra in the search for cows. We got one last chance to drive the park road before snow closed it for the winter, and we spotted several bulls and cows. It was a nice treat as we said good-bye to the park for the winter.

Moose Rut

Denali At Its Best! - After the first snow of the season the skies cleared and we experienced a magical early winter day in Denali National Park yesterday. The outline of a cow moose is barely noticeable in the foreground. She was among several cows being courted by a bull.

Denali At Its Best!

Winged Migration - Birds migrate. With almost clockwork precision, sandhill cranes among other migratory birds show up in the spring in Alaska and leave in the fall for warmer climates. Their hauting honking calls overhead has been a daily occurrence in the past couple of weeks. As I look at them in the sky, I don't search so much for a detailed scientific explanation of the hows and whys, but rather marvel at their navigational skills and the beauty of their movements in flight.

Winged Migration

Denali Wolf - To see or hear a wolf, even in Alaska, is a rare treat. I meet the glowing eyes of this lone wolf deep inside Denali National Park. The animal that once roamed America from the tropics to the tundra now survives only in isolated pockets in the contiguous 48 states. In the North however, wolves haunt the same braided river valleys and rocky ridges as their long-ago ancestors. Between 7,000 and 10,000 wolves inhabit Alaska, approximately 100 of them within Denali National Park and Preserve.

Denali Wolf

 
Alaska Wood Frog - This is the first time I saw a wood frog in Alaska, so this picture holds special importance to me. I took this photograph in our backyard, where Florian and his friend Dylan discovered it. They shared their unique sighting with great excitement. Alaska has six native amphibian species: three species of salamander, one toad, and two frog species. The wood frog is the most widely distributed amphibian in Alaska and is the only amphibian in the world found north of the Arctic Circle. Wood frogs adapt to Alaska cold by becoming sweet. As the temperature drops below freezing, wood frogs' eyeballs and extremities begin to freeze. The creeping ice front apparently sends a message to their tiny livers, which start converting glycogen to sugary glucose. Glucose floods into vital cells, where it helps the cells resist drying, which can lead to frostbite in human flesh. Wood frogs are freeze-tolerant, which means that water freezes when it's pushed outside cell walls. As winter progresses, a frog's eyeballs and brain become rock hard. Its heart stops beating. It seems as dead as a 40-below midwinter day, but it's not. When they thaw, their hearts start beating and off they go!

Alaska Wood Frog

In The Presence Of Dall Sheep - Katie McKeown, Greta's niece visiting from Juneau, quietly observes three Dall Sheep rams on Primrose Ridge in Denali National Park. The park was originally created to protect Dall Sheep from all the meat slaughtering that was happening in the early 1900's. Today, Dall Sheep have almost lost all fear of humans, and tolerate their peaceful presence at close range. Such a scene would have been unthinkable a century ago.

In The Presence Of Dall Sheep

Dall Sheep Lambs - I photographed these two month old lambs on the north side of Primrose Ridge in Denali National Park this past weekend. They were part of a larger group of ewes and lambs. Lambs begin feeding on vegetation within a week after birth and are usually weaned by October. They are strong enough to travel a few days after being born.

Dall Sheep Lambs

Coyote - Coyotes are relatively new to Alaska, as they were first noted in the state shortly after the turn of the 20th century. Their secretive nature makes them an animal which is seldom seen by most Alaskans. It is for this reason that those rare sightings take on a special significance, like this sighting along the road in Denali National Park.

Coyote

Black Bear - Black bears are the most abundant and widely distributed of the three species of North American bears. They have been recorded in all states except Hawaii. In Alaska, black bears occur over most of the forested areas of the state. They are not found on the Seward Peninsula, on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, or north of the Brooks Range. They also are absent from some of the large islands of the Gulf of Alaska, notably Kodiak, Montague, Hinchinbrook and others, and from the Alaska Peninsula beyond the area of Lake Iliamma. In Southeast Alaska, black bears occupy most islands with the exceptions of Admiralty, Baranof, Chichagof, and Kruzof. These are inhabited by brown bears. Both species occur on the southeastern mainland. Black bears are most often associated with forests, but depending on the season of the year, they may be found from sea level to alpine areas.

Black Bear

 
Grizzly Bear Tracks - One of the easiest ways to distinguish grizzly from black bear tracks is to look at the claw marks. The claws of a grizzly have a formidable reputation. Very long, between 2-4 inches, they are often clearly visible in the tracks. They may also be visible from a distance. Black bear claws are much shorter than those of grizzly bears, usually around 1.5 inches. They are less visible from a distance and play a minor role in track records. I photographed these grizzly bear tracks in the silt along the Nenana River.

Grizzly Bear Tracks

Alaska's Wild Bees - According to Derek Sikes, the curator of entomology at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, there are 95 different species of wild bees in Alaska. Also acting as principal pollinators are 36 species of flower flies. There are 85 species of butterflies, 17 of larger social wasps. In addition, beetles are pollinators and male mosquitoes, who don't drink blood like their female consorts, but prefer to alight on flowers, and a myriad of other members of the insect order.

Alaska's Wild Bees

Denali Grizzly - There are about 300 grizzly bears scattered throughout the six million wild acres in Denali National Park. However, the chances of seeing them are quite good, especially if someone ventures further into the park along the park road, like I did for this shot taken near Highway Pass.

Denali Grizzly

The Beaver - North America's Largest Rodent - This beaver swam right up to me the other day, unaware of my presence behind some willow shrubs. The beaver is designed to swim and work under water. Its nose and ear valves close when the beaver is submerged. A beaver can cut and chew submerged wood without getting water in its mouth by drawing its loose lips tightly behind the protruding front teeth. The beaver's heavy chestnut brown coat over a warm soft underfur keeps the animal comfortable in all temperatures. In order to survive, beavers must be assured of 2 or 3 feet of water year round. Water provides a refuge from enemies. Beavers build canals to float and transport heavy objects such as branches and logs for food and construction. Food for winter is stored in underwater food caches.

The Beaver - North America's Largest Rodent

Leaf Miner Of A Different Kind - Aspen leaf miners, tiny insects that turn quaking aspen leaves into silvery medallions, have been thorough in their coverage of interior Alaska the past few years. The infestation among aspens caused by these little white moths is extensive. These bugs are so small that four of them could ride on the back of a mosquito. But this young bull moose certainly does not seem to mind their presence, as he browses branches of an bug-infested aspen tree near the Denali National Park entrance.

Leaf Miner Of A Different Kind

 
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Moose Cow And Twin Calves - A good food supply increases the chances of moose cows birthing twins. On good range, more than 90 percent of the cows become pregnant and up to 30 percent bear twins. Very rarely, triplets are observed. However, when the food supply is poor, rates of pregnancy can drop to 50 percent, and the twinning rate almost to zero. Of all North American big-game animals, the moose calf gains weight fastest. During the first month after birth it may gain more than a pound a day, and later in the summer may begin to put on more than 4 pounds a day for a time. At the age of only a few days a calf can outrun a human and swim readily.<br><br>

Moose Cow And Twin Calves

Moose Cow - Spring is a time of new beginnings for many animals who make their living in the North. After the winter, when food was scarce, animals such as this moose cow need to replenish their depleted body and some of the moose's favorite food, new plant shoots, are starting to grow. At this time, the moose's winter hair is falling out to make way for their summer coat. I run into this moose along the Stampede Trail, where such sightings are almost a daily occurrence.

Moose Cow

Dall Sheep Ram - Dall sheep tend to be tolerant of human presence, but access to them can be difficult due to their favored dwelling along mountain ridges. I found this ram near Mount Margareth in Denali National Park.

Dall Sheep Ram

Hoary Marmot - Hoary marmots are obligate hibernators. In Denali, they are usually active only from May through mid- September, and they hibernate the rest of the year. During the summer, their loud, clear warning calls are a common sound in the mountainous regions of Denali.

Hoary Marmot

 
Dall Sheep's Coat - Dall sheep have a coat that is ideally suited to a cold, harsh climate. Long hollow guard hairs cover an undercoat of fine wool. In winter the coat is long, often growing to a length of more than 2 inches. It reaches its full length before December and gives the sheep a stout appearance. In spring the long hair is shed, giving way to a short summer coat. By August, their coat is stained by soil in a variety of pastel shades.

Dall Sheep's Coat

Wildlife Right Of Way -

Wildlife Right Of Way

Stampede Trail Caribou - Spring is always a great time to see caribou along the Stampede Trail near Healy. Caribou move close to treeline during the winter, and remain there until the snow recedes in the high country. Right about now they are heading back to the alpine tundra, where they will be found throughout the summer and fall.

Stampede Trail Caribou

Grizzly Sow And Cubs - A trip into Denali Park along the park road most often guarantees close-up views of grizzly bears, like this sow and two-year old cubs near Stony Hill.

Grizzly Sow And Cubs

Dall Sheep Horns - The pattern of horn growth results in rings called annuli that are spaced along the length of the horn. The age of a sheep can be accurately determined by counting these annuli. Researchers have recorded rams as old as 16 years and ewes as old as 19 years. More typically, a 12-year-old sheep is considered very old. As rams mature, their horns form a circle when seen from the side. Ram horns reach half a circle in about two or three years, three-quarters of a circle in four to five years, and a full circle or 'curl' in seven to eight years.

Dall Sheep Horns

 
Dall Sheep - A group of rams rests in the alpine tundra along Primrose Ridge in Denali National Park recently. This is one of my favorite areas in the park to photograph Dall Sheep.

Dall Sheep

Dall's Porpoises - A couple of Dall's Porpoises swim alongside a boat in Resurrection Bay near Seward. Their coloration resembles that of the Orca, and they match the mighty Orca's speed. Many Dall's Porpoises are killed each year as bycatch in fishing nets. A serious cause of concern is the hunting of Dall's Porpoises by harpoon by Japanese hunters. The number of porpoise killed each year rose dramatically following the moratoria on hunting larger cetaceans introduced in the mid-1980s. 1988 saw the greatest number, 40,000, killed. A quota of 18,000 individuals per year is now in operation. However, concern remains that this is sufficient to deplete populations in the western Pacific.

Dall's Porpoises

Grizzly Bear Tracks - The bears are out and about in the high country, as these fresh tracks attest. The story this weekend though was a black bear, who was spotted inside Denali National Park. Black bears usually are more likely to be seen south of the Alaska Range.

Grizzly Bear Tracks

Wandering Caribou - During a hike above the headwaters of the Moody River, I ran into this small group of caribou. A few purple saxifrage were the only signs of spring.

Wandering Caribou

Grazing Caribou - A small group of caribou grazes in the tundra above the Savage River in Denali National Park. The tundra is slowly coming back to life as the snow line is gradually receding into higher elevations.

Grazing Caribou

 
Spring Plumage - Willow Ptarmigan are molting back into their summer plumage right now, which helps them to blend in with their surroundings. In the fall, they will molt into an all-white plumage again, which not only hides them from predators during the winter but also provides extra insulation. Dark feathers are filled with pigment granules, whereas white feathers are hollow and do not transfer heat as readily, thus keeping in body heat.

Spring Plumage

First Steps - A newborn moose calf tries to keep up with its mother near the Savage River this past weekend. Moose calves, because of their size and lack of experience, are particularly susceptible to predation. Thus cow moose have evolved some very strong defensive behaviors. If one perceives a threat to its calf, it may attack. A cow moose can defend itself against a full-grown grizzly.

First Steps

Immature Bald Eagle - The immature bald eagle, such as seen here soaring above Denali Park, is sometimes mistaken for a golden eagle. However, young bald eagles have more white mottled into their coloration overall. The golden eagle is more solid in color, and it has a beak that is more blue-black, with a nearly black tip. As juvenile bald eagles mature, their head and tail feathers gradually turn white; simultaneously the eyes and beak gradually turn yellow. Complete transformation to maturity is achieved sometime in the fifth year.

Immature Bald Eagle

Trumpeter Swan - With a wingspan of over 7 feet, Trumpeter Swans are North America's largest species of waterfowl. The world population of Trumpeter Swans is only about 20,000. These swans were nearly extinct at the end of the 19th century when they were hunted for their skins and quills. Their long necks allow them to feed in water over three feet deep.

Trumpeter Swan

Tundra Swans - A flock of tundra swans flies north along the Yukon River near Whitehorse. These swans look similar to Trumpeter Swans. A yellow teardrop-shaped spot in front of the eye distinguishes a Tundra Swan, but not all of them have this mark. Voice is the best way to tell Tundra and Trumpeter Swans apart. Tundra Swans have a musical, wavering voice; they used to be called Whistling Swans. Trumpeter Swans have a deep voice that sounds like a trumpet.

Tundra Swans

 
Spring Migration - A trumpeter swan lands along the Yukon River south of Whitehorse yesterday. This area, known as MClintok Bay, is an important staging area for migratory birds heading to their summer breeding areas up North. In the matter of a few days, thousands of swans stop here on their journey north.

Spring Migration

Traffic Jam - A couple of bald eagles jockey for the best spot near Lemon Creek recently.

Traffic Jam

A Mate For Romeo? - Romeo, Juneau's lone black wolf, has been seen in the company of another wolf recently. And there are reports of a pack of wolves that has descended on Mendenhall Lake from the Spaulding Meadows area. Maybe Romeo's solitary existence, and his apparent refusal to find a pack or a mate, is coming to an end? Stay tuned...

A Mate For Romeo?

Missed The Boat? - I spotted this Sitka Black-tailed deer at Auke Bay across from the Ferry Terminal. The fast ferry Chenega was about to leave for Haines. I observed the deer for a while, and I can safely say that it never made it on board...

Missed The Boat?

Bald Eagle Population Dynamics - Bale Eagle population numbers have been estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 birds in the early 1700s. Their population fell to threatened levels in the continental U.S. of less than 10,000 nesting pairs by the 1950s, and to endangered levels of less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. The Bald Eagle was listed as Endangered in most of the U.S. from 1967 to 1995, when it was slighted upgraded to Threatened in the lower 48 states. The number of nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states had increased from less than 500 in the early 1960s to over 10,000 in 2007. This population decline was caused by humans. The mass shooting of eagles, use of pesticides on crops, destruction of habitat, and contamination of waterways and food sources by a wide range of poisons and pollutants all played a role in harming the livelihood of Bald Eagles and diminishing their numbers. They had recovered sufficiently to delist them from Threatened status in June 2007. The distinctive white head and tail feathers visible in this picture do not appear until Bald Eagles are about 4 to 5 years old.

Bald Eagle Population Dynamics

 
Dumpster Divers - It's hard to imagine the majestic bald eagle lowering himself to the rank of a dumpster diver, but during the winter months there is a group of bald eagles in Juneau hovering around the landfill in search of an easy meal. The scenes around the landfill and neighboring Costco remind me a little bit of the gathering of the bald eagles I experienced a couple of years ago around 'Eagle Lady' Jean Keene's trailer on Homer Spit. So this picture along actually tells only part of the story.

Dumpster Divers

Romeo - Juneau's Mysterious Black Wolf - I have had a chance to observe Romeo, Juneau's lone black wolf, several times now, the latest time being on Mendenhall Lake yesterday. Romeo is an enigma to me. He's as curious about us as we are of him, and seems to seek the company of people walking their dogs. Spotting a potential canine friend from hundreds of yards away, he runs, bounding toward another dog, then shows a polite restraint, sometimes retreating in a backward dance. I am baffled by his apparent easy with dogs or humans skiing or walking just yards away.

Romeo - Juneau's Mysterious Black Wolf

Romeo, Juneau's Lone Black Wolf - This past weekend Florian and I had just pulled into the parking lot at the West Glacier trailhead when a dark shadow emerged from the forest. It was Romeo, the lone wolf who has been hanging around Mendenhall Lake in the winter for the past six years. We had heard his piercing howl almost every time we came here to skate, and had followed his huge tracks across the lake. Now he stood right there in front of us, his presence demanding our undivided attention. He seemed as curious about us as we were of him. I reminded Florian that although Romeo had also been seen chasing dogs and showed little fear of humans, he still was a wild animal, not a pet, feeding primarily on beavers, snowshoe hares, ptarmigan, grouse and salmon still lingering in streams in the late fall. By the way, this shot was taken with a 300mm zoom lens with a 1.4 teleconverter on a 1.6 digital sensor.

Romeo, Juneau's Lone Black Wolf

Staying Warm - A group of Glaucous-winged Gulls huddles below the Douglas bridge during the recent cold spell. Increased metabolic capacity and down insulation are their two main adaptations to cold temperatures.

Staying Warm

Winter Residents - After living for over 15 years in Interior or Western Alaska, I pretty much got used to wave good-bye to any waterfowl in the fall. After the long winter, the honking calls of geese, swans and sandhill cranes would always be a sign of spring. Here in Juneau, some waterfowl, like these Canada geese, stay around during the winter. Juneau's resident population of Canada geese can easily be observed on the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. On cold windy days, the large birds hunker down in huge flocks to conserve body heat and energy. Flocks numbering into the hundreds are common at this time of year. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the geese tend to congregate in grassy areas along the shores of Gastineau Channel where their favorite food - sedge - is readily available. Tidal fluctuation often keeps these foraging zones ice-free even in the coldest weather.

Winter Residents

 
Happy Thanksgiving! - A flock of ducks takes off from the wetlands near the mouth of the Mendenhall River. Duck hunters have been busy hunting along the marshy areas, but today Turkeys rather than ducks are on the menu. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sea Lion - A juvenile sea lion feeds on kelp near Douglas Island recently. The Steller’s sea lion is the largest member of the eared seals. They are called sea lions because males resemble an African lion. The adult male has a large head, neck, and shoulders. Longer, coarser hair grows on the neck and shoulders giving the impression of a mane like a lion. Steller’s sea lions are yellowish to dark brown. The female is the smaller of the two, averaging just over eight feet in length and weighing over 580 pounds. The male can grow over 11 feet and weigh over 1,200 pounds. Since the 1970’s the population of Steller’s sea lions has declined by almost 70%. Scientists have several theories for why numbers have declined but no real proof. They have observed that the southeast Alaska sea lion population has stabilized or increased. Since 1972 when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was past, the National Marine Fisheries Service has been protecting the Steller’s sea lion.

Sea Lion

Humpback Whale - Most Humpbacks have left Alaskan waters for their winter breeding grounds in Mexico or Hawaii, but a few will remain throughout the winter, like this one I spotted the other day near Douglas Island.

Humpback Whale

Hitchhiker - A bald eagle catches a ride on an iceberg that calved off of Mendenhall Glacier. A late run of salmon has drawn a lot of bald eagles to Mendenhall Lake recently.

Hitchhiker

Wapiti - Banff National Park has a robust elk population numbering in the thousands. The townsites of Banff and Lake Louise themselves are frequented by elk intent on eating the greenery in peoples yards and escaping the predators they would face anywhere else in the park. I run into this cow near the Icefields Parkway in Lake Louise.

Wapiti

 
Moose Antlers - Only male moose grow antlers and the broad web with extending points give the moose a unique and recognizable appearance. Antlers begin to grow early in the spring from areas attached to the upper skull in front of and above their ears. As they grow they are covered with a soft skin called 'velvet' which has fuzzy appearance. The velvet covering of the antlers encases blood vessels which feed the growing antlers. Following the end of warm summer months, the antlers reach the maximum growth and begin to harden. The velvet skin is no longer needed and begins to die. Bulls vigorously rub their antlers against shrubs and trees to dislodge and remove the velvet and display the long-covered bony structures. Antler size of prime bulls is impressive. They may weigh 50 to 60 pounds or more and the largest recorded set measured nearly 7 feet across. Antlers are important visual symbols indicating social position and condition of the bull to other bulls and cows. Late in autumn or early winter, following the mating season, antlers are shed and the bull is freed from a heavy burden to carry during the harsh natural winters. Shed antlers are not common to find because they contain desirable nutrients and are eaten by small woodland animals such as squirrels, mice, and porcupines. I spotted this bull along the Alaska Highway near Steamboat in northern British Columbia.

Moose Antlers

Caribou Antler Velvet - Antlers are one of the most interesting characteristics of the caribou. Both males and females have antlers, making the caribou unique among members of the cervidae family. Caribou also shed their antlers annually. While they grow, the antlers are covered in soft brown hair, known as velvet. Once the antlers are fully formed, the blood vessels contract into their base, and blood stops flowing through them. At this point, the antlers lose their velvet, giving them a bloody appearance. But this superficial blood dries quickly, and the antlers turn brown. Exposure to the sun will fade the antlers; on females, they become so pale as to be nearly white. Caribou antlers can grow to six or seven kilograms on males, and one kilogram on females. A lot of energy goes into growing them - and before long they wind up on the ground. <br>

Caribou Antler Velvet

Alaska Highway Road Hazard - One of the greatest joys is also one of the greatest hazards of driving this legendary highway: Wildlife such as these Woodland Caribou frequent the road corridor, especially in winter time. Fortunately, the narrow and windy sections of the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia prevent drivers from going too fast, thereby reducing the potential for fatal wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Alaska Highway Road Hazard

Woodland Caribou - It is almost a given to spot wildlife along the Alaska Highway in Northern British Columbia. In fact, wildlife is found almost everywhere one looks. The massive area encompassing numerous provincial parks and making up the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area is a spectacular wilderness corridor along the Alaska Highway, providing any number of locations and outdoor adventures to view moose, stone sheep, mule deer, grizzly and black bears, and ,like in this shot, woodland caribou near Summit Lake in Stone Mountain Provincial Park.

Woodland Caribou

Stone Mountain Provincial Park - Stone Mountain Provincial Park is one of the last tracts of true wilderness located south of the 60th parallel. The Alaska Highway borders the park for dozens of miles. Herds of stone sheep are common sights in the summer months, while fall is the prime time for viewing the woodland caribou that frequently visit the highway corridor after spending June to September in the alpine areas.<br><br>

Stone Mountain Provincial Park

 
Dall Sheep Or Stone Sheep? - Dall Sheep are wild sheep of the mountainous regions of northwest North America, ranging from white to slate brown and having curved yellowish brown horns. There are two putative subspecies: the northern Dall Sheep proper, which is almost pure white, and the more southern Stone Sheep, which is a slaty brown with some white patches on the rump and inside the hind legs. Stone Sheep like this ewe with her lamb are common throughout northern British Columbia.

Dall Sheep Or Stone Sheep?

Traffic Block - Unconcerned by passing vehicles, these Stone Sheep descend from the mountains to the Alaska Highway to lick on salt on the road.

Traffic Block

Stone Sheep - As the Alaska Highway winds its way through Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain Provincial Parks, Stone Sheep and Caribou are almost always seen at natural mineral licks and where there are road salts.

Stone Sheep

Wood Bison - Hungry bison have become a traffic hazard on the Alaska Highway between Watson Lake, Yukon and Fort Nelson, B.C. The area is home to about 60 bison, which are North America's largest land mammals and can weigh as much as a car. An above-average snowfall last winter meant the animals were having a difficult time finding food and were roaming onto the highway. Motorists struck and killed several wood bison, a species listed as threatened in Canada. Wildlife officials do not consider luring the bison off the road with artificial food though, because they believe it would make the bison dependent on it.<br>

Wood Bison

Heading South - The Alaska Highway experiences a lot of southbound traffic in the fall, as seasonal workers and summer tourists head back home. This southward migration happens also in the sky, as migratory birds such as these swans in the far distance above the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge head to their winter grounds.

Heading South

 
Bull Moose Looking For His Harem - Autumn is the most active season for moose. This time of year begins the mating period, called the rut. Bull moose thrash shrubs and trees to shed the velvet from their antlers. They challenge each other for territory and mating rights. Visual supremacy of antlers avoids many direct challenges without physical contact. The mating season is usually the only time when moose may be seen together, like here in Denali National Park, as a family including bulls, cows and calves. In reality, this is not a family unit at all. In fact, the calves may well be offspring from a different bull. The only intention of a bull during this time is mating with one or more cows.

Bull Moose Looking For His Harem

Bull Moose Calling - I run into this bull moose yesterday morning as he was courting four cows along the road in Denali National Park. Moose in Alaska go into a rut usually in late September and October. During this time, bull moose become active and roam the tundra in search for cows. Bulls will challenge each other with bouts of rattling antlers which may ultimately end in a fight for dominance.

Bull Moose Calling

Dall's Porpoise's 'Rooster Tail' - Dall's Porpoises,like these I observed in Resurrection Bay near Seward, are hugely active creatures. They will often zigzag around at great speed on or just below the surface of the water creating a spray called a 'rooster tail'. They may appear and disappear quite suddenly. The fastest of all small cetaceans, and coming close to matching the mighty Orca for speed, Dall's Porpoises can swim at up to 55 km/h. The porpoises will approach boats and will bow- and stern-ride, but may lose interest, unless the boat is traveling quickly.

Dall's Porpoise's "Rooster Tail"

Breaching Humpback Whale - Poor weather at Denali Park has forced me to look into my archive for a couple of shots. Here is an image of a humpback whale breaching near the Kennedy Entrance west of Homer. Scientists do not really know why whales breach. However many possible reasons have been suggested. First, it has been observed that whales are more likely to breach when they are in groups, suggesting that social reasons, such as dominance or communication may be part of the answer. The immense cloud of bubbles and underwater disturbance caused by a breach cannot be faked. Thus if neighbours detect these bubbles then they know a breach has taken place and, because a single breach costs a whale about 1% of its total daily energy intake, the breach is not to be taken lightly. Whether the breacher is asserting its strength over another, courting a mate or warning of a danger, a breach is in these circumstances is an event to be taken seriously. It is possible that breeching reduces locomotion. It is also possible that the loud 'smack' upon re-entering the surface is useful for stunning or scaring fish. Certainly this is believed to be the reason for lobtailing. Others have suggested that a breach allows the whale to breathe in air that is not close to the surface of the water, and so may aid breathing in rough seas. A widely accepted possible reason is to remove parasites from the skin.

Breaching Humpback Whale

Hare Explosion - The Healy area has hit, or is nearing, the high in the 10- to 12-year cycle of snowshoe hare boom-bust cycles. In part, the hares increase until they have overrun their food supply, then the population crashes. Hares are often called rabbits, but there is actually a difference. Hares have large, long ears, long legs and a larger body than rabbits. They are born with their eyes open and fully furred. They are ready to move around as soon as their fur is dry. Rabbits, on the other hand, are born naked and don't open their eyes for 7 to 10 days. Snowshoe hares are found throughout southcentral, southeast and interior Alaska. They have about two to three litters of four babies -- called leverets -- a year beginning in May. Arctic hares are slightly larger and are found along Alaska's western and northwestern coastal areas. Both turn white in winter and a brown during the summer.

Hare Explosion

 
No Vacancy! - It's not easy to find a place to stay around Denali National Park in the summer time, as this cow and calf had to find out the hard way!

No Vacancy!

Family Gathering - This moose family enjoys browsing on fireweed near Otto Lake outside of Healy.

Family Gathering

Danger Ahead - A collision this past weekend between a moose and a vehicle killed two people and the moose near Delta Junction. It was a sad reminder about the potential impact such collisions can have. It seems that right now many moose are near the roadways with their calves, and the little ones are often totally oblivious to the dangers of the road. Here, I slowed down for a cow and her calves meandering along the Stampede Road near Healy.

Danger Ahead

Bull Moose - It seems as if moose have been a big part of our lives recently. Not a day goes by without a sighting of either a bull, cow or calf. It's definitely one of the benefits of living in an area which supports large populations of big mammals.

Bull Moose

Daily Visitor - We are not on first name basis yet, but since this cow and her calf are such frequent visitors in our front yard, we really should be on first name basis.

Daily Visitor

 
Friendly Neighbor - This month-old calf and its mother are a frequent visitors in our front yard, along with rabbits, which seem to be on the peak of their cycle, and the occasional fox.

Friendly Neighbor

Moose Cow and Calf - This moose cow and her newborn calf have been hanging around our cabin lately, browsing on the lush green grass and shrubs.

Moose Cow and Calf

Sense Of Abandonment? - As people, we have a tendency to anthropomorphize. This explains why I perceive a sense abandonment in this moose calf's eyes. However, it may just be a frightened look or something not out of the ordinary. The fact is though that it has to fend for itself and live life on its own after being kicked out by its mother, who just recently gave birth to twins, along the Stampede Trail near Healy.

Sense Of Abandonment?

Motherless Moose Calf - I spot this yearling calf almost daily on my drive to work, as it browses on willows along the Stampede Trail near Healy. The maternal bond is generally maintained until calves are 12 months old at which time the mother aggressively chases her offspring from the immediate area just before she gives birth.

Motherless Moose Calf

Moose Attacks - Several cow moose have made the news recently for attacking people in Southcentral Alaska. Cows, protective of their newborn calves, are more likely to display aggressive behavior than bulls.

Moose Attacks

 
Moose Antlers - A bull moose displays his velvet-covered antlers last week near Denali Park. Only bull moose have antlers, which are shed each December after the rut. Shortly after they shed, new antler growth will sprout and grow throughout the summer season. This new growth is covered with soft, furry tissue called velvet. This is the 'food' for the growing antler, providing blood supply for growth. In the fall before the rut begins, the velvet is shed from the antlers. A full-size set of antlers may weigh as much as 85 pounds and reach widths of up to six feet. Bulls usually reach full antler maturity by ten years of age.

Moose Antlers

Lonely Giant - I came across this bull moose yesterday as he was quietly feeding on buds and grasses along the Parks Highway near Denali National Park.

Lonely Giant

Wandering Caribou - A small group of caribou meanders through the still leafless tundra of Denali National Park. The size of the Denali Caribou Herd has fluctuated greatly over the last 80 years. It once numbered over 20,000 caribou during the 1920s and 1930s. The herd declined through time, likely due to weather induced stresses and increased vulnerability to predation. Currently, there are around 2,000 caribou in Denali National Park and Preserve.<br>

Wandering Caribou

Porcupine - The porcupine is second in size only to the beaver among rodents of Alaska. The quilled pelage of the porcupine makes it unique among mammals in Alaska. The quills are modified hairs which have microscopic barbs on the tips and are filled with a spongy matrix. Quills from different parts of the body vary in length, flexibility, color, shaft diameter, and barb length. When the porcupine is relaxed, the hair and quills lie flat and point backwards. When threatened, the porcupine draws up the skin of the back to expose quills facing all directions, and it then presents its formidable bristling back. The porcupine tries to keep its back facing the attacker and strikes back and forth with its tail. Although a porcupine cannot throw its quills, the quills are readily dislodged when the tail is shaken. This may give the impression that quills are being thrown.

Porcupine

Quiet Before The Storm - Wildlife, such as these caribou, still enjoy relative quiet and peace in Denali National Park. But in just a few days the first tour buses will drive into the park, and road crossings will become more hazardous, as over the course of four months around a half a million people will visit the park.

Quiet Before The Storm

 
Willow Ptarmigan - This female willow ptarmigan still dons its winter plumage. Perfectly adapted to survive the long and cold winter, this bird epitomizes unique adaptations to living in the cold. Its feathered toes, which act very much like snowshoes, are a prime example.

Willow Ptarmigan

Willow Ptarmigan - Willow ptarmigan are true arctic birds. Unlike most other birds (also referred to as 'whimps' by some locals), they do not migrate to warmer latitudes and endure the long and cold winter. There are two types of ptarmigan in the Arctic, rock ptarmigan and willow ptarmigan. Both species are all white in the winter, except for the black tail which remains concealed behind the wing tips when the bird is not in flight. Male willow ptarmigan, like this one photographed along the Denali Park Road, display a red over over the eyes, a feature often used to identify the gender of the bird. In the summer, male willow ptarmigan tend to have more intensely colored reddish brown patches in their plumage that distinguishes them from the paler grey-brown females. In winter, ptarmigan bury spending significant time insulated under the surface of the snow and the air spaces between their feathers covering their entire bodies including their feet.<br>

Willow Ptarmigan

Lion King -

Lion King

Shark Attack! -

Shark Attack!

Year-Round Residents - No inner drive must have triggered these ducks to migrate south. Instead, they enjoy the warm water around Chena Hot Springs. They are some of the only feathered year-round residents at the resort, along with ravens, redpolls, chickadees and a few others.

Year-Round Residents

 
Together - Much like for this extended muskox family north of Nome, this is a special time of the year to huddle together with family and friends and celebrate.

Together

Missed The Boat? - It was with a bit of disbelief that I watched these ducks that I could not identify dabble around a patch of open water in Norton Sound near Fort Davis east of Nome. I doubt they will find much open water in a few weeks, and it did not look like they were in a hurry to embark on a southbound migration anytime soon. I am not sure what their destiny is, but it seemed as if they did not realize or care that the icy world around them was closing in on them.

Missed The Boat?

Urban Moose - The chances of seeing moose in Anchorage or Fairbanks are much greater than seeing them in the wild, as both cities sustain a fairly large urban moose population. Here, a cow chews on some shurbs in a yard in downtown Fairbanks.

Urban Moose

Red Fox - Red fox and the several color variants of this species are found throughout the Seward Peninsula. They may often be seen along streams or other water courses or around cabins. Fox are active throughout the day, but are most often seen in morning and evening. Red fox feed on small mammals including voles, lemmings and an occasional hare. They will also eat salmon, berries, and food left around human camps. Although they are handsome animals and are encountered fairly often, they should not be fed or molested in any way. Rabies is endemic in this region and as many as 80% of foxes may be infected.

Red Fox

Muskox Group Dynamics - In winter, a herd can have about 15 to 20 members. They will head out to higher ground where the fierce Arctic winds blow the snow off the ground, like here above the Teller Road west of Nome. Here they will feed on crowberry, bearberry, and willow. The herd only travels about 50 miles between its summer and winter feeding areas.

Muskox Group Dynamics

 
Oomingmak - The Inpiaq speaking Eskimos of the Northern Slope of Alaska call the musk ox 'Oomingmak', which means 'animal with skin like a beard'. Muskoxen coexisted with the mastodons and mammoths and have survived early hunters and climate changes that caused the extinction of other species. The musk ox does not have many predators besides humans. Polar bears and wolves can sometimes kill weak or injured oxen. I run into this group near Anvil Mountain north of Nome. <br>

Oomingmak

Antlerless Bull Moose - Moose are the first members of the deer family to shed their antlers, sometimes as early as November and usually by the end of December. Hence I was surprised to see this bull on the Savage River Plateau already showing the loss of his antlers. He seemed very old and perhaps age or health were contributing factors.

Antlerless Bull Moose

Bye Birdie, Bye Birdie! - That's what our little son Florian said as he looked up into the sky and waved at the hundreds of sandhilll crane passing through Healy on their southbound migration.

Bye Birdie, Bye Birdie!

No Passing Zone And Swiss Cowbells... - The rules of the road apparently do not apply to wildlife. How else can I explain this cow moose passing another cow on the Denali Park Road inspite of the double yellow line? By the way, I decided that what these cow moose don arond their neck are actually not radio-collars, but genuine Swiss cowbells, so that the bulls can locate them easier during the rut...

No Passing Zone And Swiss Cowbells...

Letting Nature Run Wild? - All of the wolves I saw this summer in Denali National Park did wear a radio collar. I understand the importance of radio-collars in the gathering of baseline data about wolf populations movements and dynamics, at the time there is nothing like seeing a wolf running in the wild unencumbered by any tracking device.

Letting Nature Run Wild?

 
Who's Chasing Who? - Usually it's bull moose who chase cows during the rut in the fall, however in this shot it appears as if the opposite were the case. As it turns out, these moose were running from a wolf in the Sable Pass area in Denali National Park.

Who's Chasing Who?

Hunting Season - These moose cows don't have to worry about being shot by a hunter this fall. Although Alaskans and nonresidents annually harvest approximately 6,000 to 8,000 moose, the equivalent of some 3.5 million pounds of meat, most of the moose taken are bulls. However, a limited cow hunt has been permitted in a few areas in the past. These cows enjoy added protection as their present range is deep within Denali National Park, which doesn't allow the discharge of firearms.

Hunting Season

Looking For A Mate - The breeding season for moose in Alaska is about to start. During this time, bull moose become active and roam the tundra in search for cows. Bulls will challenge each other with bouts of rattling antlers which may ultimately end in a fight for dominance. I crossed paths with this bull on the west end of Denali National Park.

Looking For A Mate

Dam It, Dam It! - Beavers really are a formidable force, influencing the landscape more than any other nonhuman animal. With their self-sharpening, perpetually renewing incisors and unstoppable stick-to-it-iveness, beavers create ponds and wetlands for themselves and, consequently, for other animals. The sound of flowing water throws them into a tizzy of purpose: dam it, dam it, dam it! I have witnessed their impressive construction and engineering skills as this beaver created new wetlands along the Parks Highway near Cantwell.<br>

Dam It, Dam It!

Home Builder - The beaver is a large, semi-aquatic rodent with a large, flattened tail. It is a strong swimmer and can swim up to 5 miles per hour. The beaver can swim underwater for up to 15 minutes. Beavers do not hibernate over winter, but they will stay in their lodge, where they have stored enough food to last until spring. Beavers, like this one I observed in a roadside pond near Cantwell, build sophisticated lodges out of sticks and mud. The dome-shaped lodge is built in water and only has underwater entrances. If the local pond water isn't deep enough, the beaver will build a dam (or a series of dams) downstream from where the beaver wants to build a lodge. The dam forms a deep pond. Beavers cut down trees for the dam using their strong teeth. The water in the pond must be deep enough so that the pond bottom won't freeze in winter, blocking the lodge's entrance. <br><br>

Home Builder

 
Dall Sheep - Dall sheep are prevalent throughout the high mountains within the eastern and western-most portions of Denali National Park. They use the ridges and steep slopes for feeding and resting, and the rocks and crags to elude predators. The population within the park is one of the few populations in North America that is not currently hunted and still shares its range with a natural complement of large predators. Male Dall sheep are called rams and are distinguished from females, called ewes, by their massive curling horns. Adult rams live in bands that seldom associate with ewe groups except during the mating season, or rut, in late November and early December.

Dall Sheep

Caribou 'Shovel' - This wandering caribou bull followed me near the Savage River in Denali National Park the other day. His proximity allowed for some unusual photo angles, including this odd front view. What stood out to me were his large-appearing snout with short ears, as well as the fairly large, flattened brow tine projecting forward over the forehead, referred to as a “shovel” by some people. This “shovel” helps caribou plow the snow aside to find plants to eat. Because of this important function, it’s necessary for both males and females to have antlers. <br><br>

Caribou "Shovel"

White-crowned Sparrow - An estimated 67% of the global population of White-crowned Sparrow breeds in the boreal forest of Canada and Alaska. Habitats used by White-crowned Sparrow differ remarkably across its breeding range. Necessary habitat features of breeding territories include grass, bare ground for foraging dense shrubs or small conifers thick enough to provide a roost and conceal a nest, standing or running water, and sometimes tall coniferous trees. Even though this bird is very commonly seen throughout Alaska, its high, thin call, almost sounding like a musical whistle, is one of my favorite tundra bird calls. <br>

White-crowned Sparrow

Uncommon Sight - A mature bull Moose with fully developed antlers is an impressive trophy. It is the largest member of the deer family in the entire world and the largest of this species is found in Alaska. An adult male can tip the scales at over sixteen hundred pounds. Unlike in this shot of two bulls near Denali National Park, bulls generally are solitary animals that spend most of their summer days feeding on plants and willows. The lush forage which abounds during the summer months gives the necessary nourishment to aid in the growth of their antlers, which are covered with a soft velvet. Their growth slows and they begin to harden in mid to late August. With the decreasing daylight and colder frosty nights the bulls will begin to scrape the velvet from their antlers during the last few days of August. The rutting season is then about to start, but that’s a whole other story.

Uncommon Sight

Spirits of the wilderness - Loons are an integral part of Alaska's wilderness. Loons, especially common loons, are most famous for their call. The cry of a loon piercing the summer twilight is one of the most thrilling sounds of nature. The sight or sound of these birds in Alaskan waters gives a special meaning to many, as if they were certifying the surrounding as a truly wild place, such as this lake west of Trapper Creek.<br>

Spirits of the wilderness

 
Face to Face - Unlike many other places in the world, Alaska provides many opportunities to see wildlife up close. I first saw this black bear crossing the Parks Highway near Trapper Creek. I surely would have missed him if I would have had to spot him among the tall shrubs. Black bears are the most abundant and widely distributed of the three species of North American bears. They have been recorded in all states except Hawaii. Black bears are most often associated with forests, but depending on the season of the year, they may be found from sea level to alpine areas.

Face to Face

Willow Ptarmigan Chicks - A couple Willow Ptarmigan chicks look for food near the Savage River in Denali National Park. These chicks grow amazingly quickly. Unsteady when hatched, they can scurry like mice within a few days and fly clumsily when about a week old. Chicks need a high-protein diet for rapid growth. After eating the yolk sac from which they hatched, they begin to pick up a variety of objects, especially caterpillar, other invertebrates, flowers, and seeds. By autumn, the young are almost adult size and are able to fend for themselves. They often form small flocks with adults, and species can mix as small flocks join to become larger ones.

Willow Ptarmigan Chicks

Cute, But... - This moose calf, along with its sibling and mother, have been keeping our neighborhood awake lately. Our neighborhood constits of a couple of neighbors and almost one hundred sled dogs, and those dogs have been going crazy at night, barking up a storm as this moose family is quietly browsing on shrubs near the dog yards.

Cute, But...

Long-tailed Jaeger - This bird is found from Alaska to Greenland and south to the northern Ungava Peninsula in Canada. Breeding birds are found both near the coast and farther inland on sparsely vegetated, dry Arctic tundra. At other times of the year, Long-tailed Jaegers are highly pelagic, usually at least ten miles from land. They often spend time on offshore banks, in areas with schools of small fish near the surface, and near commercial fishing vessels, off the coasts of the southern U.S. and South America. Here, a long-tailed Jaeger flies along the Park Road in Denali National Park.<br>

Long-tailed Jaeger

Feeding Frenzy - Moose are the largest members of the deer family. Adult males in prime condition may weight between 1,200 and 1,600 pounds, while adult females may weigh between 800 and 1,300 pounds. Newborn calves weigh 28 to 35 pounds and within five months grow to over 300 pounds. Here, a calf feeds alongside her mother on willow shrubs along the Stampede Road near Healy.

Feeding Frenzy

 
Moose Calf Survival - Two newborn moose calves watch their mother feed on some aquatic vegetation in a pond along the Park Highway near Healy. Moose calves fight slim odds at surviving their first year. It is tough being a moose calf, because nature intends for predators to eat a large proportion of the newborns, and many newborn moose calves fail to survive the first year of life. Some studies in Alaska suggest that as many as 75 percent of moose calves tracked did not survive the first year. Grizzly bears and wolves are the most common predators. Some calves also die in collisions with cars. A moose calf’s mother can significantly improve the gangly newborn’s odds of surviving. Cow moose maintain their health and that of their calves by seeking out succulent forage. Successful nursing requires significant energy. Cow moose also are quick to spot predators and will aggressively defend their calves.<br><br> <br><br>

Moose Calf Survival

Hoary Marmot - The hoary marmot is a member of the rodent family. Hoary marmots have grizzled gray underparts, which gives them their name 'hoary,' with a light tan rump and lower back and black feet. The hoary marmot is sometimes confused with the Arctic ground (parka) squirrel, but marmots are larger and have black feet. Hoary marmots are most often seen around rock-slides and talus slopes. They eat primarily grasses, flowering plants, berries, mosses, and lichens. They may be best known for the shrill whistle they use to warn of intruders. Hoary marmots are true hibernators, typically entering their dens in September and emerging in late spring. Here, a hoary marmot moves over a cliff above the Savage River in Denali National Park.

Hoary Marmot

No Whimp - There are three kinds of ptarmigan and all can be found in Alaska - the willow ptarmigan pictured here in the tundra off the Stampede Trail near Denali National Park, rock ptarmigan (which are also found in Scandinavia, Russia, and northern Eurasia), and white-tailed ptarmigan (found only in North America). The pheasant-like willow ptarmigan, changes color from light brown in summer to snow white in winter for effective camouflage from predators. Another distinctive feature is its feathered toes. In winter months the willow ptarmigan eats mosses and lichens, willow buds and twigs, a little birch; seeds and berries when available. In summer their diet expands to vegetable matter and occasionally caterpillars or beetles. Ptarmigans are true northern birds. Unlike most of the other ‘whimps’ who escape the brutal winter in the north for warmer climates, ptarmigans do not migrate.

No Whimp

Giant Diner - At over a thousand pounds and six feet tall at the shoulder, the twig-chomping moose is a formidable diner in Denali National Park and everywhere else in Alaska. According to a study by Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) University of Minnesota Duluth scientist Ron Moen, moose can munch as much as 25 pounds of vegetation per day, potentially changing the composition of the forest and also eating away potential fuel for fires. Here, a young cow rips off with a quiet snap the tender tips of willow shrubs along the Denali National Park road.<br>

Giant Diner

Reindeer Crossing - Reindeer living on the Seward Peninsula have little to worry about in terms of vehicle collisions. There are just too few roads and too little traffic. The same cannot be said for moose living in Southcentral Alaska. Every year hundreds of moose are killed by automobiles in Southcentral Alaska. Road kills account for about 30 percent of all the moose killed by people. Most moose accidents occur in the dark of early morning and evening. This is when moose are most active and traffic the heaviest. December and January are the worst accident months. Oddly, most moose are killed on dry roads by drivers who are going too fast for conditions. Here, a group of reindeer crosses the Teller Road west of Nome.

Reindeer Crossing

 
Happy Mother's Day - To all the mothers who follow Alaska365 regularly, thank you for giving the gift of life to all of us. Being a mother is probably the most underappreciated task in the world. In the animal world, the challenges are a bit different, but huge nevertheless, especially here in Northwestern Alaska, where life is more about survival than anything else. This certainly holds true for this cow moose and her yearling twins, who have survived not only a long and cold winter but challenging foraging conditions as well.

Happy Mother's Day

What happened to the Megafauna? - When I spend time with such large mammals as this muskoxen near Nome, I wonder what happened to the megafauna. As recently as 20,000 years ago, North America had an array of large mammals such as mammoths and mastodons that rivaled the spectacular wildlife of modern Africa. By about 10,000 years ago, these animals— and others, collectively often called the megafauna, were gone. Some 70 North American species disappeared, three-quarters of them large mammals. Why? The question has fascinated archaeologists, geologists, biologists and anthropologists for decades. Did hunters wipe out the American megafauna? Did climate change do it? Or was it a plague? The mystery may never be solved. <br>

What happened to the Megafauna?

Mighty Muskoxen -

Mighty Muskoxen

New Life Everywhere -

New Life Everywhere

Winged Migration - In a matter of a couple of days, tens of thousands of Lesser Sandhill Cranes have filled our skies with their familiar honking sounds and their beautiful V-shaped flying patterns. About 25,000 of them will cross the Bering Strait and head for their nesting grounds in Siberia.

Winged Migration

 
Heading for the Calving Grounds - These reindeer bulls are part of a larger herd that has been congregating on their calving grounds west of Nome. In the next few days, the pregnant cows will give birth to their calves. Predators are also congreating around the calving grounds. Just the other day I saw a grizzly sow with two cubs feed on several reindeer kills. Unfortunately, the bears were too far aways for a good picture. Notice that one of the reindeer bulls is missing one antler. Much like moose and caribou, reindeer shed and grow new antlers every year.

Heading for the Calving Grounds

Harbinger of Spring - It seems as if we just waived them good-bye a few days ago as they were heading south, but now thousands of migratory birds are again returning to their summer nesting grounds in Alaska and Siberia. Here, a flock of Sandhill Cranes is coming down for landing near the Penny River off Teller Road after sunset. Sandhill Cranes are primarily daylight and fairweather migrants, traveling as far as 350 miles a day.

Harbinger of Spring

Superbly Adapted to Live in the Cold - Muskoxen, like this herd I encounterd off the Teller Road west of Nome, are superbly equipped to withstand frigid temperatures and high winds. They have no need to to escape the arctic winter by hibernating or migrating to warmer surroundings. They owe their ability to function normally in temperatures of -40°C, high winds and blowing snow, in large measure, to their amazing coats. Their coats of brown guard hair and a thick, soft underwool called ‘qiviut’ are among the most insulating of any animal and will keep them warm even while their inner furnace is turned down. The coarser hairy layer that covers and protects the wool grows to be the longest hair of any mammal in North America.

Superbly Adapted to Live in the Cold

Moonstruck - Just imagine... you are on a high point north of Nome, the sun is gradually setting in the western horizon while a nearly full moon rises to the east. To the north, the high peaks of the Kigluaik Range are illuminated by the last rays of the day, and to the south the sea ice stretches as far as your eyes can see. It's 10 PM. You are alone in this vast land, well, not quite. In front of you is a herd of 25 musk oxen. There is total silence, even muffling their steps on the frozen snow. All you hear is your own heart beating, aware that these gigantic herbivores are not always docile. They are huge, powerful, wild animals that will charge if feeling threatened. They tolerate my presence, as I keep a safe distance and observe them survive in an extreme environment like they have for over 10,000 years. Where else in the world would this be possible? There truly is no place like Nome!

Moonstruck

Butting Heads - A couple muskox bulls engage in butting contests on Anvil Mountain north of Nome Tuesday evening at sunset. While muskoxen may engage in such contests and even more vigorous fights at most times of the year, the frequency and intensity of these conflicts increase in late summer as the bulls strive to determine dominance of a herd.

Butting Heads

 
Reindeer Outmigration? - More than a century after they were last seen in their winter range on the Seward Peninsula, tens of thousands of caribou have been migrating back into the area in recent years, just as the ancestors of present-day reindeer herders predicted. The wild caribou represent fresh meat for the villagers, but when they move on, the domesticated reindeer go with them. Some villagers have lost entire reindeer herds to outmigration with caribou. It has been speculated that climate change and depleted food sources in winter range of caribou may be prompting their influx to the peninsula, and range depletion from caribou may permanently affect future reindeer herding. Yesterday evening, I got a close view of some local reindeer on Newton Peak north of Nome.

Reindeer Outmigration?

Race Observers - I ran into this reindeer herd along the Iditarod trail ouside of Nome. It seemed as if they took a special interest in what was happening on the trail...

Race Observers

Where Is My Breakfast? -

Where Is My Breakfast?

The Sky Is Falling! - Homer residents, like this Bald Eagle, were looking up to see if the ash plume produced by two explosions on the Mt. Augustine Volcano early Tuesday morning was coming their way. Luckily the volcanic ash drifted northward and dispersed on the west side of Cook Inlet, for away from settled areas. The explosions, which sent puffs of ash as high as 30,000 feet, were followed by quiet on the island volcano. But volcanologists say more and probably bigger eruptions from Mt. Augustine are likely in the coming days or weeks. Seismic activity has decreased significantly since the explosions, however, it is likely that stronger seismicity and further volcanic activity will resume. It is also possible that an explosive eruption could occur with little or no warning. I did catch a glimpse of the top the plume after it had detached itself from the volcano, but a sea of clouds obscured the mountain itself. The weather is supposed to be clear on Thursday, so I look forward to a better view of whatever Mother Nature has in store!

The Sky Is Falling!

Bald Eagle - Have you ever wondered what it’s like to fly like an eagle? What would it be like to leave our earthbound existence behind for a moment and soar in the sky, high above Kachemak Bay and see the sunrise over the beautiful mountaintops like the Kenai Mountains and misty valleys in the distance? Or glide over treetops and nameless rivers to some distant, wild shore, guided only by the wind currents? I haven’t tried it yet (maybe in another lifetime...), but the more I watch the eagles, the more I marvel at their incredible freedom and mobility in the sky.

Bald Eagle

 
Big Baldy is watching you! - The news is currently full of stories detailing the unwarranted (literally) wiretapping of US citizens by the US government. The extent of these programs may never be known. What we do know is that while bald eagles may not wiretap our phone lines, they are renowned for their excellent eyesight. They have two centers of focus that allow them to see both forward and to the side at the same time. Bald eagles are capable of seeing fish in the water from several hundred feet above, while soaring, gliding, or in flapping flight. This is quite an extraordinary feat, since most fish are counter-shaded, meaning they are darker on top and thus harder to see from above. Bald eagles, like all birds, have color vision. A bald eagle's eye is almost as large as a human's, but its sharpness is at least four times that of a person with perfect vision. The eagle is believed to have the ability to identify a rabbit moving almost a mile away. That means that an eagle flying at an altitude of 1000 feet over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 3 square miles from a fixed position. Since there seem to be a lot of ‘unemployed’ bald eagles hanging around the Homer Spit, their extraordinary eyesight might make them eligible to enlist as government spies. By the way, this may seem like a head shot of a stuffed bald eagle, but in fact this one was sitting a few yards in front of me on a short power pole.

Big Baldy is watching you!

Bald Eagles, Homer Spit - The saying ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ may not always be true. In this case, one may imagine this group of bald eagles overlooking some pristine beach in the wilds of Alaska, with the mountains and sea providing a backdrop for picture-perfect, postcard photos. In fact, though, these eagles sit in front of ‘Eagle Lady’ Jean Keene’s trailer compound along the Homer Spit, waiting to be fed or baited, depending on your interpretation of Keene’s twenty-some-year-old custom of throwing around 30 tons of frozen cannery fish scraps to the eagles in the winter. As a photographer, I have pulled into a bay that serves as a camping space for RV’s in the summertime. A few yards away, carpenters are busy hammering away at the newest luxury condominiums near the tip of Homer Spit, and behind me the industrial sprawl of fuel storage tanks, light poles, fenced storage yards, and tourist shops extends in all directions. It’s an almost surreal scene to witness. This carefully framed picture certainly tells only a small part of the story. The saying ‘there is more to this picture than meets the eye’ would certainly apply in this case.<br>

Bald Eagles, Homer Spit

Alaska SeaLife Center - The rainy weather on the Kenai Peninsula is enough to drive one indoors or, in this Steller sea lions’ case, underwater. The SeaLife Center in Seward offers an unrivaled, up-close and personal experience with Gulf of Alaska marine wildlife, such as witnessing 1500-pound Steller sea lions gliding past underwater viewing windows, or puffins diving in a carefully crafted naturalistic habitat. The center is dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska through research, rehabilitation and public education.

Alaska SeaLife Center

Bald Eagle Population Dynamics - Wildlife experts believe there may have been 25,000 to as many as 75,000 nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states when the bird was adopted as our national symbol in 1782. Since that time, the bald eagle has suffered from habitat destruction and degradation, illegal shooting, and contamination of its food source, most notably due to the now banned pesticide DDT. By the early 1960s there were fewer than 450 bald eagle nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. But the bald eagle has made a comeback since then. There are now more than 4,000 adult bald eagles nesting pairs and an unknown number of young and subadults in the lower 48 states. With a population of around 40,000, Alaska has the greatest concentration of Bald Eagles in the world. Here, a bald eagle soars along Bishop’s Beach in Homer. <br>

Bald Eagle Population Dynamics

Bald Eagle on Welfare? - The National Emblem of the United States, the Bald Eagle is the living symbol of this country's freedoms and spirit. That is why it is difficult to imagine this national symbol on the lookout for handouts from Jeane Keene, widely known as “The Eagle Lady”. But Keene has been feeding wild Bald Eagles out of her Homer Spit home since 1979, sometimes attracting several hundred Bald Eagles at a time. It has been estimated that 80 percent of the wild eagle photos published worldwide were taken from the Homer Spit. Many of these photographs do not reveal that they were taken from a parking lot, and that the eagles were attracted by an 80-some-year-old lady feeding them. I could have just framed the head of the eagle for this photo, but I think the sign adds a bit of reality.

Bald Eagle on Welfare?

 
Thanksgiving Dinner - Contrary to what some people may believe, Alaskans don’t eat stuffed salmon for Thanksgiving dinner. A stuffed turkey is still the number one choice. It’s a different story for Alaska’s large mammals. This cow and calf moose on the Anchorage Hillside, for instance, feast on some aspen twigs for their Thanksgiving dinner. During fall and winter, moose consume large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen twigs. In some areas, moose actually establish a 'hedge' or browse line 6 to 8 feet above the ground by clipping most of the terminal shoots of favored food species.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Struggle for Survival - This red fox faces an almost insurmountable challenge. His left front leg is either broken or so badly hurt that he cannot put weight on it anymore. It is very unlikely that this limping fox will make it through the extremes of winter here in northwestern Alaska. For now though, he struggles on, trying to beat the odds that are against him.

Struggle for Survival

Energy Crisis in Rural Alaska - The No. 1 concern in rural Alaska is the high cost of energy and residents are worried about how they are going to afford paying the fuel bills this winter to keep their homes warm. Muskoxen, like this group I encountered yesterday near Nome, have their own trick on how to survive in the cold. They live on a low flame, reducing their metabolism and getting by on slim rations of grasses, sedges, mosses and maybe a few willow twigs. Their coats of brown guard hair and a thick, soft underwool called ‘qiviut’ are among the most insulating of any animal and will keep them warm even while their inner furnace is turned down. Perhaps we have something to learn from the muskoxen. Until we grow our own fur, we will have to rely on fuel and watch the prices as they go up, up and away.

Energy Crisis in Rural Alaska

Freeze-Up - Several teals are navigating between sheets of pan ice floating down the Chena River in Fairbanks. With freeze-up of rivers and lakes imminent, our feathered friends will soon leave us for warmer latitudes until next spring. Safe journeys to all!

Freeze-Up

Last Straglers - As the days and nights are getting cooler, the last migratory birds, such as these Canada Geese near Safety Sound, embark on the journey south to warmer climates. While this region was teeming with bird life in summer, just a few species will remain and endure the cold, long and dark winter.

Last Straglers

 
Collective Defense - Muskoxen, like this group I encountered off the Teller Road, are most beautiful in the fall, when their coats are shiny and thickening with new qiviut (a thick soft underwool), and they are fat from their 24-hour feeding frenzy in the summer. They are well known for their fierce and very efficient group defense. All of a muskoxen’s strength, agility and defense capability resides in its front end. When threatened, a herd will squeeze together, forming a circle of horns. Their rear is their most vulnerable part, because they lack defenses there.<br> <br>

Collective Defense

Mating Season - In the world of the moose, mating season is now underway through mid-October. Bulls, like this one near the Riley Creek in Denali National Park, are looking for that special mate. Females will attract males with their calls and scent. A mature bull will stay with a cow only long enough to breed. Bulls engage in antler fights with other males to gain the right to breed cows. Bull behavior during mating season includes rubbing and scraping trees with their antlers and breaking off shrubs and trees to display dominance. They will also create wallows by digging in the ground and urinating in the dug out area and rolling around in it. Bulls do not feed during the rut and will lose a considerable amount of weight.

Mating Season

Establishing Dominance - A couple of reindeer bulls charge at each other, lock antlers and dig into the tundra with their hooves near Teller. In the course of securing a small harem of females for mating, bulls compete with other bulls. Antler size matters as they challenge one another during the mating season.

Establishing Dominance

Birder's Paradise - Hundreds of Sandhill Cranes are milling above Safety Sound as they embark on their fall migration to Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico. I usually first notice the cranes by their trumpetlike calls when they fly overhead. Alaska is an important breeding ground for the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes. Between 200,00 and 225,000 cranes summer in Alaska – almost half the estimated world population.<br>

Birder's Paradise

Rare Encounter - It is rare to see grizzly (brown) bears on the Seward Peninsula, and most visitors to the region will never see a bear, as the bears tend to be very shy around people. The grizzlies of the Seward Peninsula are not the largest members of this species, but 500 pound (230 kg.) bears can be seen, like this one near treeline off the Council Road. Grizzlies are omnivorous. Their diet varies by the season and includes grasses, roots, berries, nuts, insects, fish, rodents, and sometimes small and large mammals. Brown bears on the Seward Peninsula do not depend a lot on salmon like they do in other areas of the state because salmon runs here are often small and salmon streams are few.

Rare Encounter

 
Ice-Age Remnant - A couple of bull muskoxen a dwarfted by the Kigluaik Mountains north of Nome. Muskoxen are relatively sedentary in the winter (October-May), possibly as a strategy for conserving energy. They are not migratory, but they may move in response to seasonal changes in snow cover and vegetation. Many bull muskoxen move from mixed sex groups during the summer to bull groups during the winter.

Ice-Age Remnant

Nomads of the North - Reindeer roam the tundra near the Tisuk River off the Teller Road. Though reindeer and caribou interbreed, there are some differences. Male reindeer tend to be a little smaller than caribou bulls. Reindeer may be a little more white, may have shorter legs and may be slightly more placid than caribou. These differences are so subtle that it can be hard to tell if one individual is a reindeer or a caribou. However, if an animal has an ear notch or other form of branding, it for sure is a reindeer. Members of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd have intermingled with the reindeer populations on the Seward Peninsula, so it is not impossible that this group contains both caribou and reindeer

Nomads of the North

Coming full circle - A couple of pink (humpback) salmon engage in a mating ritual in their spawning grounds in the Pilgrim River near Salmon Lake. Although salmon spend most of their lives in salt water, and spend anywhere from one to ten years at sea, they return instinctively to the rivers and streams of their origin to spawn. The homing instinct of salmon is still not fully understood. The most popular theory maintains that salmon are able to sense, through smell, the various minerals specific to their river of origin. Upon reaching their spawning grounds, males and females pair up to spawn. When the time is right, the female fish digs a nest with her tail into which she deposits her eggs. Her mate will fertilize the eggs with his 'milt' or sperm. Their journey complete, the salmon live for a short time longer before dying. Their carcasses become valuable food for eagles, bears, and many other animals.

Coming full circle

Fall Migration - I was fortunate to catch a brief glimpse of these Sandhill Cranes at Creamers Field Migratory Bird Refuge in Fairbanks. I knew there were on their journey toward more southern latitudes. Yet I didn’t know where they where coming from and where they were going, and it didn’t matter. Seeing these two pairs fly in such unison, with such grace, glide effortlessly and silently above me was a such a precious experience. For a fleeting moment, I was part of their journey.

Fall Migration

Whale watching - This killer whale (orca) surfaced near our boat in the Kennedy Entrance just outside of Kachemak Bay. There are both resident and transient orca stocks in Alaska. The most unusual feature of the orca is the high dorsal fin, which has no muscle but may serve the whale as a keel would a boat. Orcas are considered to be very intelligent and to possess all mammalian senses except smell. They usually hunt in pods using complex, cooperative patterns of attack.

Whale watching

 
Horned Puffin - Among pelagic animals, the horned puffin is my favourite. A pelagic animal lives on the open sea, but during breeding season it will come in from the open ocean to mate on sea cliffs or on rocky islets. Puffins form pairs that will mate for life. This horned puffin swam past our fishing boat yesterday. It uses its large bill to catch fish and marine invertebrates. It can dive up to depths of 80 feet to catch its prey. The horned puffin's legs are set well back on their bodies and it is not very graceful on land, but it is a very good swimmer. It uses its wings to propel themselves and its legs to maneuver. The puffin can fly, but it is a better swimmers. In order to get airborne, the puffin must run on the surface of the water for a long distance.

Horned Puffin

Giant herbivore - I encountered this beautiful bull moose in a pond between Healy and the Denali National Park entrance yesterday. It was a real privilege to be able to get a close glimpse of this bull as he was feeding on aquatic vegetation. All animals are in a relentless feeding frenzy right now, as they try to boost their fat reserves for the long, long winter. This sense of urgency is almost palpable in the natural world right now.

Giant herbivore

Champion of bird migration - Arctic terns are a common sight in my backyard in Nome. I marvel at the fact that this bird, despite being only fifteen and one-half inches long, is known as the champion of migratory birds. Every autumn the tern packs up its family and begins its incredible journey to the opposite end of the earth and back, covering a distance of some 25,000 miles, literally circling the globe. Artic terns break down their 25,000-mile pilgrimage into shorter achievable segments of approximately 150 miles a day, thus flying around the world in twenty weeks. Considering that arctic terns live from 25 to 30 years, it means they travel upwards of 750,000 miles in their lifetime, a distance greater than going to the moon and back. For a bird weighing less than two pounds it is an incredible achievement! <br>

Champion of bird migration

Waterbirds - These Glaucous-winged gulls have been feeding on a beached beluga whale in front of our camp on Nome's East Beach. These waterbirds spent much of their time in flight. They feed mainly along the shore. Over the water they may pick up dead or dying fish and squid. Over the beach they may feed on dead seabirds, whales, starfish, clams and mussels. The gray-brown overall color, black bill, dark eyes and feet are characteristic of a juvenile.

Waterbirds

A home where the muskoxen roam - The Seward Peninsula is now home to over 3,000 muskoxen. When the short arctic summer explodes with new life all around and fresh greenery shoots out of the ground almost overnight, it is an all-you-can-eat time for muskoxen. Here, a group of muskoxen follows the contours of a ridge near the Penny River off the Teller Road.

A home where the muskoxen roam

 
Feast not famine - These twin moose were likely born only a few weeks ago. Along with their mother, they have been feasting on the lush vegetation around the cabin I have been staying along the Stampede Trail near Denali National Park. Their presence greatly irritates the 100 plus sled dogs in the area, who create much ruckus anytime the cow and her twins are nearby. I appreciate seeing them almost daily though, and witness how fast their new lives are unfolding.

Feast not famine

Survivors - I spotted this cow moose and her twins a year ago near this same pond along the Parks Highway near Denali Park. What is remarkable about this scene is that these yearling twins have survived their first year. Statistically, only around 30 percent of all calves make it through the first year. Poor forage, deep snow, or high predation can wipe out an entire year’s crop of new calves.

Survivors

Male or female? - You’re right if you guessed this is an adult bull. Typically cows don’t have black tips on their horns, and unlike males, retain a patch of white hair between the bases of their horns, even in old age.

Male or female?

Wild interactions - An extended part of our community out here are the animals that make their home right around town, like this cow moose and her recent offspring. It's such a delight to live in a place where I can observe wild animals and read and interpret their interactions. They have a lot to tell us.

Wild interactions

Mighty Muskoxen - I found myself surrounded by a herd of about 30 muskoxen off the Nome Teller Road last night. Seeing them takes me right back to the last ice age, when muskoxen thrived alongside other gigantic herbivores like the woolly mammoth or the mastodon.

Mighty Muskoxen

 
Summer visitor - Trumpeter Swans are among the many species of birds that migrate to Alaska in summer from thousands of miles away. It’s hard to believe that the Trumpeter Swan, the largest waterfowl on earth, was almost hunted to extinction in the lower 48 several decades ago. Today, 80% of the trumpeter swan’s world population of around 16,000 breeds in Alaska.

Summer visitor

Pond visitors - These yearling twins will likely soon separate from their mother, as moose calves commonly stay with their mothers for only one year. Cows are not usually aggressive, but they will ferociously defend their offspring.<br>

Pond visitors

Ruler of the road - Even though moose have the right of way on Alaska’s highways, every year several hundred die in collisions with motor vehicles.

Ruler of the road

Beaver trail - I saw this beaver heading ‘to work’ in a pond near Cantwell. Beavers can influence and alter a landscape more than any other non-human animal as they create wetlands and ponds for themselves.

Beaver trail

Face-off - A couple of muskoxen duke it out at the Large Animal Research Station in Fairbanks. After much posturing and a few head-to-head encounters, the muskox on the left pulled back and vacated the area.

Face-off

 
Walk in the park - A group of caribou, likely to be last year’s calves, crosses a creek near the Sanctuary River. Calves are usually born between May and June after a gestation period of eight months.

Walk in the park

Dall sheep - I found this ram resting and chewing his cud on a ridge high above the Denali Park Road. Hunted to near extinction almost a century ago, Dall sheep in Denali National Park have lost their fear of humans.

Dall sheep

Nomad of the North - A group of caribou meander along the Savage River in Denali National Park. These caribou are constantly moving and are most commonly found roaming the tundra above timberline.

Nomad of the North

Willow Browser - I observed this pregnant moose cow feeding on willow buds along the Park Road. It won’t be long until this years calves are born.

Willow Browser

Caribou Crossing - A female caribou crosses the Parks Highway in the vicinity of 2,400-foot Broad Pass, which is sometimes also referred to as Caribou Pass.

Caribou Crossing

 
Reindeer Grazing - Reindeer are not native to Alaska. In 1891, a Christian missionary imported sixteen Siberian reindeer to the Seward Peninsula and arranged for Lapp herders to come and teach reindeer herding to the Inupiat. The goal was to provide Native peoples a stable source of food as well as start them on a path to the cash economy through the sale of meat and hides. Today, independent Native herders raise about 25,000 reindeer in the vicinity of the Seward Peninsula. The most prized commodity of reindeer today are their antlers, which are sold to Asian buyers who ground them for use in traditional medicines and tonics.

Reindeer Grazing

Reindeer Moving - Are these reindeer or caribou? Both are members of the same species, but reindeer are domesticated while caribou are not. I can tell them apart by looking at some of their physical attributes. Reindeer have shorter legs and are smaller than caribou. Reindeer also display much more variety of color, sometimes with pinto markings on their dark brown to whitish coats.

Reindeer Moving

Wolf Tracks - Wolves are such an elusive animal. Though I see their tracks occasionally, they seem invisible as they quietly lope across the white expanses in their search of food.

Wolf Tracks