"Give moose a 'brake'" is the slogan we're accustomed to seeing on Alaska highways. Rounding a curve and meeting one of these giants could end poorly for both parties, and they do not always yield the right of way.
Just a reminder on this Wednesday to watch for moose, and all wildlife, that we often share the roads with.
✌️
Colin
Somebody's Watching Me
"I always feel like somebody's watching me..." 🦉
I often wonder how many times I've walk past an owl, a lynx, or any stealthy creature that is observing me intently while I am completely and blissfully unaware.
Happy Monday out there! Here's to a great start to the week.
Colin
New Life in the Valley
Spring is in full swing here in Eagle River Valley and new life it popping up all around! I passed by this nesting great horned owlet this morning. One of the adults was perched nearby and I could hear its mate in the vicinity as well.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Image taken with the Nikon D850.
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers in the world!
Enjoy your special day,
Colin
PS - I am still offering 25% off all canvas and metal prints until midnight tonight (AK ST).
Polar bear sow and cub. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
National Parks Week
It's Friday and in honor of National Parks Week, here is an image of a bull caribou in Denali National Park with our nation's tallest mountain looming in the background. Have a great weekend - get out and enjoy our wild spaces!
Colin
Anchorage Sunset
Last night's sunset over Mt. Susitna (aka "Sleeping Lady") was incredible! I was fortunate to catch the tail end of it over Westchester Lagoon around 10 pm.
Happy "Over the Hump" Day!
Colin
Earth Day Solitude
Yesterday's theme was solitude. I spent the entire day hiking in Eagle River Valley without another soul around. Snow fell throughout the day, adding to my peaceful surroundings. Pictured here is Dew Lake, where I stopped on my way to search for another lake a few miles further back and across the river. I found the hidden lake, or Knob Lake, as it's named on local maps. It's a location I will revisit when the time is right, or if I just need a bit of solitude.
Colin
Earth Day 2019
Happy Earth Day 2019! This day will always remain significant to me for many reasons: https://www.colintyler.com/news/2015/4/22/from-ashes-to-adventure-one-year-in-this-big-giant-life?rq=from%20ashes%20to%20ad
In keeping with tradition on this date, I am off to explore a location that is new to me and thankfully the rain has turned to snow for my day hike excursion. I took this image last year on Earth Day in Hatcher Pass, Alaska. Exactly one month later it made the Daily Dozen at National Geographic Yourshot.
Colin
Happy April 20
Even though it's 4-20 it doesn't look like the temperature will get very high today. I woke up to a couple inches of fresh snow and more is on the way.
Have a great Saturday out there!
Colin
Feather Detail
After photographing this pair of swans in the same small body of water for five consecutive springs, it can be difficult to come up with new and interesting compositions. In this instance, I decided to let go of the big picture and just appreciate the exquisite detail in the feathers.
Have a great day out there and maybe try look at a familiar scene from a new perspective...
Colin
Drooling Swan
Here's a new swan image to start out the new week! This is one of the last photos I took of the pair before they continued northward on their migrational journey. Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Farewell, Swans...
Fun Friday Fact: More than half of North American trumpeter swans breed in Alaska, Northern British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory during summer months. It appears that this pair has left the Nature Center and moved on toward their summer nesting grounds. Typically they stay here from 2-4 weeks and I have to assume it is the same pair that returns each spring. They're always a welcome sight and I look forward to their return next year.
Have a great weekend out there!
Colin
Bathing and preening shortly after their arrival two weeks ago.
Young Lynx
Here's a bit of cuteness for your day - young female lynx, March 2019.
I just can’t get enough of these creatures!
Colin
Classic Car and Horse Carriage, Havana, Cuba
Hola!
I have gotten around to editing through my images from Cuba and added them to my website, if you'd like to peruse: https://www.colintyler.com/travel#/cuba-2019/.
Also, I will soon be posting my 2020 Cuba photo tours once I have worked out all the details! I will likely offer a 7-day tour as well as a 10-day tour with an optional day of yoga before going to Viñales.
Finally, I have an update on the camera gear that was damaged in the river near Trinidad, Cuba this past February. I sent it all to Nikon for evaluation and it turns out that both camera bodies and one of the three lenses are repairable. I received my D850 back yesterday and it seems to be working great! Not knowing what the status would be, I had arranged for another D850 to be brought down to me in Cuba so I now have two of them.
That is all for now. Have a great day out there and thank you for following my adventures!
Colin
Happy Unicorn Day!
It has come to my attention that April 9 is Unicorn Day (it's a real thing, check it out: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/unicorn-day/). I've said before that I believe in love, I believe in magic, and I sure believe in unicorns, which is why I was able to capture this image near Hofsós on the northern coast of Iceland last year.
Have a magical day and be sure to mark your calendars for the next big holiday - Hug a Sheep Day, celebrated annually on the last Saturday in October (also a real thing: https://happydays-365.com/…/national-hug-a-sheep-day-octob…/)
Colin
Fourteen Hours!
We have officially passed 14 hours of daylight in Southcentral Alaska! Less than three months ago, the sun did not rise above these mountains; soon they will be glowing in the evening sun until almost midnight.
Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
www.colintyler.com
More Lynx Photos
I have come to the conclusion that I could never have too many lynx images. Here is another from last month. Judging from his expression, I do believe he was just as enthralled with me as I was with him.
Happy Wednesday out there. We're halfway to the weekend!
Colin
Wildlife Morning
Last week I had one of my most memorable wildlife encounters since taking up residence here at the Nature Center. I watched a bull moose cross the creek between the viewing decks while a pair of trumpeter swans was upstream and moving toward the Salmon Viewing Deck, where I was standing. Just as the swans turned a corner and headed my way, I heard something behind me and looked back to see a lynx run across the entire length of the viewing deck and off into the woods past the moose! Unfortunately the lynx didn't present an opportunity for a photo but the memory of the event will always remain with me.
All in all, it was a nice start to the day and a solid reminder of why I choose to live here!
Colin
Bull Moose crossing the creek at the Eagle River Nature Center
Trumpeter swans at the Eagle River Nature Center
Twenty Three Years...
Looking back, I have to wonder if penguins ever regret not developing the ability to fly. In any case, I guess it's a bit late at this point...
Happy Monday out there! Here's a tidbit of information for you - it was 23 years ago today that I loaded up my Toyota pickup and began the drive from my home state of Minnesota to my soon-to-be new home, Alaska. That was literally half of my life ago and because of that move, I have experienced more than lifetime's worth of adventures and wildlife encounters- no fooling!!
Colin
Return of the Trumpeters
It's a sure sign of spring when the swans return on their northward migration. The weather forecast in south central Alaska is looking great for the days ahead. Have a wonderful weekend and get out to enjoy the sunshine if you can!
Colin
