Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Chugach”
Hard core birders go to great expense to travel to the remote corners of Alaska in order to catch a glimpse of this bird, a Red-legged Kittiwake, as they only live in very localized areas of the sub-arctic Pacific. We spotted what we believed to be a Red-legged Kittiwak in Prince William Sound on our way to Cordova, in the popular black-legged Kittiwake colony straight across from Whittier. I don’t know if it is still there, but if it is, this could become a big draw for birders this summer.
I haven’t had internet, heard the radio or seen a TV in over a week – I have to get caught up on recent events, hopefully I didn’t miss much!
We have had crazy weather on this trip. As you can see here, a full on snow storm! This was the end of April, but we had plenty of cold and snow in May too. But, we have a great group and have seen lots of awesome stuff including one of the biggest glacier calving I have ever seen at Surprise Glacier.
After crossing Prince William Sound last week, we have now spent the last few days in Cordova. Today we are flying over the delta which should be an interesting view of the massive shorebird migration.
Monday morning will be the beginning of 5 fun weeks of travel for me! It will start co-guiding a trip across Prince William Sound for a week, and then 4 days in Cordova for the amazing shorebird migration you see pictured above. Not only will we be seeing shorebirds on the delta, but there are many other things planned including a flight to Kayak Island, a place I have always wanted to see.
I’m excited for a few reasons – first, I’ll be working with 3 good friends and fellow staff members from last winters trip to Antarctica. It is an unexpected treat to be hired to work with these great guys again so soon.
Second, the shorebird migration is really an amazing thing to see. At times there are literally tens of thousands of birds at one time passing through the area in thick flocks.
Third – it is going to be a treat to spend a week in Prince William Sound aboard a beautiful boat like the M/V Discovery. I love the Sound – and as many times as I have been there, I have never seen it in May – it should look very different with all the snow still on the ground.
So after Friday, it might be a couple of weeks until I have the time and internet connection to post again – hopefully I’ll have some interesting bird images to share then!
A frozen waterfall, Chugach National Forest, Alaska.
Excited to be taking off this afternoon – after 2.5 days of flying and driving we should be in Southern California, first Anza-Borrgeo, then over to the coast. I have been in Alaska for 7 months straight – the longest stretch in over 10 years! Over the next 10 months, we have a lot of travel planned. As much as I have enjoyed my time in my home state, I also enjoy traveling and I’m getting excited to be hitting the road!
What I’m really excited about is where I’m going after we spend a couple of weeks in California – Antarctica! It is going to be strange to go from our short days, to the long, Alaska summer like days down South. I am really looking forward to seeing this amazing continent, should be a trip of a lifetime!
As you might guess, posting might be a bit spotty over the next week.
Here is another one from my hike last weekend.
Standing dead trees usually only remain standing for a couple of years in these parts thanks to our wet, extreme weather. The wet rots the wood, and the wind and heavy snow takes care of the rest.
So for these dead trees to be still standing after 50 years is remarkable. The reason they are still standing is interesting. This area subsided during the huge Alaska earthquake of 1964 and that allowed this area to be flooded by the nearby ocean. When the trees sucked up the salt water it killed the tree, but also preserved it. After time, the weather turns the trees white which is why they are often called ghost trees. These trees are extra white in this photo thanks to the snow and frost. There are numerous examples of these trees along the coast throughout South-central Alaska.
This was from a hike in Portage Valley this past Saturday. It was a bit cold for this time of year, at least in this area – the temperature varied from 10 to 15 below Fahrenheit. These trees were nicely back lit by nice golden light as the sun just peaked over the mountains on the horizon to the South – right about at high noon! A good portion of the Portage Valley doesn’t even see sun this time of year.
This reminds me of a post I did a few years ago that might be of value: 8 winter photography tips.
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